How third parties can help with data collection

As was mentioned in Out-tasking AR Activities, measurement work is a prime candidate for out-tasking. There are various firms that can assist AR programs with measurement program design, gathering, and analyzing data. Some examples include: 

Measurement program design – SageCircle has proven intellectual property and templates to help AR teams set up practical and effective measurement programs.

ARchitect^TM – ARinsights‘ collaborative application and integrated database makes data collection, querying, and reporting easy. AR practitioners can accomplish in seconds what used to take hours of manual effort. SageCircle strategists are experts in how to leverage ARchitect as part of a measurement program.

Spoken Word Audits – A variety of firms provide services which are similar to SageCircle’s suggested technique for Spoken Word Audits. The Spoken Word Audit uncovers what analysts are saying about your products/services to end-users during one-on-one inquires so you can gauge how well the analysts understand your messaging and market positioning.  It is also a tool to learn what they see as your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities vis-à-vis competitors.  The Spoken Word Audit Program also includes performing analyst surveys at regular intervals to track and report on an AR program’s performance over time. SageCircle strategists can provide background and tools on this technique if you want to do them in-house or discuss the firms that offer this service.

Written Word Audit – A variety of firms offer Written Word Audit services. Written Word Audits measure analyst perceptions of your company relative to competitors as expressed through their written communications such as research, publications, or published quotes.  These are analyzed using three key factors-exposure, focus and perception-to determine relevance and net impact of the written word.  The Written Word Audit Program also includes performing analyst surveys at regular intervals to track and report on an AR program’s performance over time. SageCircle strategists can provide background and tools on this technique if you want to do them in-house or discuss the firms that offer this service.

AR Strategic & Tactical Plan Builder Workshop – SageCircle’s intensive one or two-day workshop develops, prioritizes, and defines actionable and measurable AR goals, aligned with corporate goals, and focused on meaningful, measurable business results.  This workshop lays the groundwork for an extensive measurement plan.

Bottom Line: AR staff has to be ruthless about managing its time. If budget is available, labor-intensive activities like gathering data for measurement programs should be turned over to contractors or your PR firm. However, monitoring and supervising these outside resources is a critical success factor for out-tasking and should be part of the overall AR plan.

Question: Have you out-tasked measurement data collection? If so, what do you think of your third party service provider?