Goodwill Industries, Southwest Airlines, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will be the main participants in the study sponsored by IPR and CyberAlert, LLC.
GAINESVILLE, Fla., August 4, 2015 – In its efforts to develop and promote standards and best practices for research, measurement, and analytics that contribute to ethical, strategic, and effective public relations, the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) Measurement Commission has launched a research study to create a validated standard coding document for social media analysis that tests the standards developed in 2013 by the Conclave on Social Media Measurement. The Conclave, a 40+ member group, came together in 2011 to address the lack of standards around social media measurement and published guidelines for social media measurement in 2013. These standards can serve as a benchmark for other public relations practitioners and media measurement companies to compare their results.
“Much like the related work to achieve standards in traditional public relations measurement, the work to create and test standards for social media coding is an important step to creating a common language and approach for our profession to utilize,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Communication & Outreach. The airline has been participating in the Conclave on Social Media Measurement since its inception and signed on as an early supporter of the social media standards.
Currently, one of the biggest challenges of analyzing social media is the lack of any form of universally accepted and agreed upon measures and processes that can be used to gauge their performance. Variation in professional research practices often leads to uneven research quality, inconsistency, and confusion. Nancy Monroe, chief, division of marketing communications for The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said, “I see the importance of setting social media standards for analysis and I am excited to be a part of the effort.”
The Conclave established general parameters for measuring sentiment, opinion and engagement, but stopped short of providing validated processes. In addition to the IPR Measurement Commission, groups involved in the process include WOMMA, the Digital Analytics Association, PRSA, IABC and CIPR. The IPR Measurement Commission is composed of researcher-practitioners and thought-leaders in public relations research, measurement, and evaluation drawn from all segments of the global public relations industry—corporations, government, nonprofits, public relations agencies, research firms, and academia.
Dr. Julie O’Neil, associate professor and director of the School of Strategic Communication graduate program, Texas Christian University said, “The standard coding document must be sufficiently clear to ensure a high degree of consistency, regardless of who is using it.” Katie Paine, CEO of Paine Publishing who is also a project member, said, “In order to ensure such clarity, the coding document will be tested and validated by human analyst/coders.” Rounding out the research team is Michelle Hinson, director of public relations measurement for CyberAlert and chair of the Measurement Commission.
“We look forward to engaging with the IPR Measurement Commission and CyberAlert to gain an even greater insight into the motivations and interests of our shoppers, donors and public supporters throughout our social enterprise,” said Beth Perell, vice president of communications and information management, Goodwill Industries International.
ABOUT IPR MEASUREMENT COMMISSION
The IPR Measurement Commission is composed of researcher-practitioners and thought-leaders in public relations research, measurement, and evaluation drawn from four segments of the global public relations industry: corporations, government, and non-profits; public relations agencies; research firms; and academia. Their mission is to develop and promote standards and best practices for research, measurement, and analytics that contribute to ethical, strategic, and effective public relations
ABOUT CYBERALERT
Founded in 1999, CyberAlert is a worldwide media monitoring and measurement service that offers one of the most comprehensive media coverage plans in the industry. CyberAlert® 5.0 monitors 60,000+ online news sources in 75+ languages worldwide while CyberAlert Print covers over 25,000 news sources. Services also include CyberAlert TV, CyberAlert Radio, and CyberAlert Buzz (our social tool). CyberAlert offers a no-risk 14-day free media monitoring trial of all its services. Media Monitoring News is CyberAlert’s weekly newsletter that publishes a roundup of the best PR and marketing insights and articles.
ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill is one of America’s top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2014, more than 426,000 people in the United States and Canada used Goodwill’s intensive one-on-one career services to prepare for employment. In addition, more than 24 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.
To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org, use the Goodwill Locator app at goodwill.org/apps, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 45th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 47,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest operates more than 3,600 flights a day, serving 95 destinations across the United States and six additional countries. Southwest service to Belize City, Belize, begins Oct. 15, 2015, and Liberia, Costa Rica, on Nov. 1, 2015, both routes are subject to foreign government approval.
Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s most recent data, Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The Company operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, the majority of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate-to-gate connectivity while over the United States. That connectivity enables Customers to use their personal devices to access streaming music provided by Beats Music or to view video on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV compliments of our valued Partners. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some airlines may allow free checked bags on select routes or for qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply. In 2014, the airline proudly unveiled a bold new look: Heart. The new aircraft livery, airport experience, and logo, showcase the dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what’s important in their lives.
From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as “The Southwest Effect,” a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic whenever the carrier enters new markets.
With 42 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier’s performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2014 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at SouthwestOneReport.com.
Book Southwest Airlines’ low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
ABOUT U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We guide the conservation, development, and management of the nation’s fish and wildlife resources. We accomplish this by enforcing federal wildlife laws, protecting threatened and endangered species, managing migratory birds, restoring nationally significant fisheries, conserving wildlife habitat, supporting international conservation efforts, and by distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to state fish and wildlife agencies.
By assisting in the development and application of an environmental stewardship ethic for our society, based on ecological principles, scientific knowledge of fish and wildlife, and a sense of moral responsibility, the Service works as a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation.
The Service also manages the National Wildlife Refuge System is the nation’s premiere system of lands managed specifically for wildlife and wildlife habitat. With 563 refuges and 38 wetland management districts covering over 150 million acres plus more than 418 million acres of marine national monuments, it is unrivaled as a conservation tool the world over. In addition, the Service’s Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Program plays a vital role in conserving and managing fish and other aquatic resources, including about 70 National Fish Hatcheries.
The Service employs approximately 9,000 people at facilities across the nation, with its headquarters based in Washington, D.C., and regional and field offices.
For more information on the Service and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/. Connect with our Facebook page, follow our tweets, watch our YouTube Channel and download photos from our Flickr page.
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Contact: Michelle Hinson
Michelle.hinson@rocketmail.com
352-871-4575
