Understanding a Media Perception Audit

Perceptions consumers have of a company and brand are often shaped by the media. To better understand how your company is perceived, consider performing a media perception audit. A media perception audit is a tool that a company can use to determine how its image, message or product is being perceived by the media, the gatekeepers of consumer information. Information is obtained by conducting one-on-one interviews with editors that a company can then use to better understand how it can improve, shape or refine its image, message and/or products.

The media perception audit consists of two reports:

• The first describes how a company is perceived versus its competitors. This report helps confirm, or disconfirm, that its marketing programs are working efficiently.
  

• The second defines how a company perceives itself versus how it is perceived by the media. A company’s self-perception drives many internal factors, thus a media perception audit can help a company adjust its operations to maximize profitability.

STEPS TO CONDUCTING A MEDIA PERCEPTION AUDIT

1. Identify key media to be included in the audit
2. Create survey questions and conduct phone interviews with the media
3. Develop summary of findings (your reports)
4. Incorporate your findings into your PR plan

SAMPLE MEDIA PERCEPTION AUDIT

1. Identifying Key Media

The first step is to identify key media who cover the brand or would potentially cover the brand. Let’s take our fictitious company from the last post, Votre Vie Water, a zero-calorie, antioxidant, calcium, vitamin and electrolyte enhanced bottle of flavored and non-flavored water. A portion of proceeds benefit the Clean Water Association and Recycle This! (both fictitious charities). Let’s pretend it’s a year later and distribution has gone national. Potential media might include editors from Women’s General Interest, Health and Fitness, Major Dailies, Blogs/Online, and Green Publications.

2. Creating Survey Questions/Conducting Media Interviews

Now that we have our list, we need to create sample questions. We don’t want the questions to be leading, but we want to ask questions that will deliver us with answers we want. It’s great to start out with generic questions about the brand that other similar brands might contain as well. Toward the end, it’s OK to ask about your brand. Sample questions for Votre View MPA might include:

• Are you familiar with vitamin enhanced waters? If so, what brands come to mind?
• Have you ever reporter on vitamin enhanced waters? If so, what brands?
• Have you ever written or reporter about the benefits of flavored waters?
• What do you think are the most important added vitamins or minerals a beverage should contain?
• Are you familiar with Votre Vie? Have you ever purchased Votre Vie?
• Are you familiar with Votre Vie’s charity initiatives?

3. Preparing Your Findings

After you’ve contacted each reporter and asked them the questions, it’s time to prepare a summary of your findings. What I like to do first is create a graph of each question that includes percentages from each question making it easy to view those findings. Additionally, it’s important to list feedback, including actual quotes, that might be of use. Sample feedback might include:

• Almost all reporters were not familiar with either of the charity initiatives, but were open to learning more about it.
  

• One reporter noted that she would be very interested in a taste test of Votre Vie versus other brands.

4. Incorporating Your Findings

Once you’ve compiled your media feedback, you’re ready to address any factors that may require change. If you discover that the media are not understanding the benefits of your brand, then consumers probably aren’t either. Perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board and conduct another SWOT Analysis (see previous post). Additionally, you may have uncovered reporters who mentioned they might be interested in covering a particular angle.