Measure What Matters: Chapter Three

At this point in the book, Paine discusses seven main steps she uses every time she develops a measurement program.

Step One: Define Your Goals and Objectives. You must include a date, budget, and desired audience rather than just the desired outcome. Most problems come when groups have mixed objectives.

Step Two: Define Your Environment, Audience and Influence. Social media has torn down the wall between marketing and sales; everyone is much closer in contact with the customer, no matter the department. 

Step Eight: Be as happy as these stock photo models
about your awesome new measurement program!

Step Three: Define Your Investment. Ideally, you should be spending between five and seven percent of your marketing budget on measuring that specific program, opposed to the 4.5% average. 

Step Four: Determine Your Benchmarks. Choose benchmarks so that you can track the results of a specific event, rather than random dates that will not give an effective read of your progress.

Step Five: Define Your Key Performance Indicators. Because you are super awesome, your objectives have all been very specific and measurable- which means that you need to pick a way to measure them, whether it be through shares through social media, event attendance or sales. 

Step Six: Select the Right Measurement Tool. Measurement tools are what you use to collect data. You will want to find something that is appropriate for what you want to do and is affordable.

Step Seven: Analyze Data. Measurement is a continuous improvement process; this means that you cannot wait until the end of your timeframe to reflect on how you did. Paine includes ideas for different tactics in the book.

All of this information may seem intuitive. However, I am the type of person that likes to make checklists and write things down, so I think that it is awesome to have a resource like this that I can go off of. It is also important as a company to have a clear idea of what you want across the board, and having a plan cut into clear, basic steps will help promote larger awareness.

Until next time!

Kathryn

I'll See You Tomorrow

I have been thinking about my friend Jessica a lot lately.

Jessica Eaton was a freshman double majoring in Musical Theatre and International Theatre Production. She was Props Master for Two Gentlemen of Verona and a crew member for Holiday Spectacular. I worked with her every day in the scene shop and I understudied her in Taylor 2, which she eventually had to give up because of injury. November 18, 2015, she killed herself. It was a rainy Wednesday morning, just two days before Thanksgiving break. Nobody expected it. We had just seen her the night before. We thought everything was fine.

I could choose to be angry at the university, and I was for a short time. Though we boast a 1:12::Teacher:Student ratio, we have a 1:1500::Counselor:Student ratio. It takes at least two weeks to get in to see a counselor. There have been two suicides in less than two years and nothing on campus has changed.

It has been just over four months and I still think of Jess every day. Sometimes I think I see her walking on campus or I think of a joke she would make during work. I still have her as a friend on Snapchat. I was by no means her best friend; honestly, I did not know much about her. But she was part of the theatre family and someone I loved. Honestly, I have never felt closer to her than I have in these past three weeks. I wish I could find a way to reach out to her and talk to her. I think I know what she was thinking, but that does not matter anyway. I just want to know that she is okay.

D.F. Wallace once compared suicide to jumping out of a burning skyscraper. The people on the ground keep telling you not to worry, help is on the way, but they don't feel the heat of the fire right behind you. In the end, it is not that you wanted to jump; it was the lesser of two fears. No matter how hot your fire burns, please know that you are irreplaceable and leave an impact.

Until next time!

Kathryn

April 1997 - November 2015

Apple Release

Apple is announcing a new release tomorrow but interest is surprisingly low. Despite the mass success of the iPad Pro, iPhone 6 series and the Apple Watch, sales have begun to level off. Typically, Apple fans are chomping at the bit every time the company introduces a new product or upgrade. Real die-hard fans have a habit of purchasing every new product as soon as it comes out, even if their current model is in perfect working condition. Apple is notorious for their strong brand loyalty, making this lack of interest somewhat concerning.

As someone who uses an Apple laptop but an Android smartphone, I have a somewhat unique perspective on the Apple brand loyalty. Personally, I see myself continuing to use Apple laptops for a very long time. I have had my MacBook Pro for about six years and it still works incredibly well. Despite the abuse that I have put it through, it has proven itself to be durable and reliable, which is much more than I can say for the PC that I owned before it. Though I think PCs are absolutely more appropriate for certain professions, I have been extremely pleased with my product. However, I choose to be an avid Android user when it comes to smartphones because I think the interface is more user-friendly and the product is higher quality. As someone who has owned the same MacBook for six years, I think it is safe to say that I am not the type of person to run out and buy a new product every time an update is released. I find it frustrating that iPhone users are practically forced to buy a new smartphone every time Apple releases an upgrade because their device is rendered obsolete, whereas I have had my LG G3 for two years and am not looking to buy a new phone any time soon.

Apple is in dire need of an exciting new product in order to resurrect the fervor behind their brand. Not an update, something entirely innovative and new. The Apple Watch (which I thought was ridiculous but what do I know) sparked a huge movement of smart wrist-wear and garnered great success. Apple is known as an innovative company but the market is moving at lightning speed. Tim Cook will have to take special care to keep the Apple vision alive and relevant.

Until next time!

Kathryn