A core course in Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Strategic Communication program is Data Analysis for Managers. This course covers theory and application of statistical and quantitative techniques to various types of business data, with an emphasis on interpreting data analysis results from a manager’s perspective.
Big data analytics, the process of using aggregate data streams to develop actionable insights, is increasingly driving public relations and communications. It enables professionals who work in communication management to act decisively and quickly, armed with more intelligence than ever.
How Communication and PR Professionals Derive Insights From Data Campaigns
Modern analytics software programs aggregate and organize a wealth of data from myriad sources, depending on the user’s needs. These sources can include census data and external statistics on financial, economic and lifestyle trends as well as internal company data covering metrics like costs and sales. For strategic communication and public relations applications, most usable data falls into these categories:
- Outputs: Information that communication departments produce and disseminate, along with resulting media coverage in an effort to affect a target audience
- Outtakes: Inferences audiences draw from strategic communications
- Outcomes: Behaviors measured by awareness, understanding and preferences
Making intelligent use of outputs, outtakes and outcomes depends on having subject matter expertise, critical thinking, statistical mastery and skill with sophisticated data analysis tools (software). These are among the competencies developed in a strategic communication MBA program.
Using Big Data for Communication Management
Effective communication management requires leveraging big data across multiple strategic functions. From understanding what drives success to evaluating campaign performance, data analytics enables PR and communications professionals to make informed decisions and achieve measurable results. The following areas demonstrate how communication professionals apply big data analytics to enhance strategic effectiveness:
Parsing Correlation vs. Causation
Data scientists in communications seek to understand many business factors, from brand perception to revenue. They also want to know what motivates target audiences. Without data of substantial quality and quantity, professionals often mistake correlation for causation. What can lead to failure is the inability to discern which factors correlate to success and which ones cause success.
Conducting Landscape Analyses
Before formulating a strategic communications plan, managers must conduct landscape analyses to understand the context in which they operate. Landscape analyses examine marketplace developments, media trends and competitive PR moves. Working with big data, analysts can synthesize these factors with economic indicators, societal trends and business performance numbers to produce actionable insights that drive effective communications.
Developing Strategic Communications Plans
Data analytics helps professionals develop measurable communication objectives, initiatives, campaigns, tactics and tangible outcomes. By leveraging data insights, organizations can create effective strategic communication plans and achieve consistent results over time through accumulating, defining and understanding factors such as audiences, positioning and behavioral responses to messaging.
Evaluation of Communication Campaigns
The difference between what professionals can learn from PR or communication campaigns using analytics versus knowledge gained without data-driven insight is staggering. Professionals who leverage data analytics can see relationships (correlations) between the initiatives, campaigns and tactics employed, as well as pinpoint and measure the outcomes of specific maneuvers to achieve predictable success, repeating what works and avoiding what does not.
Essential PR Skills and Qualifications for the Data-driven Communications Career
Data analytics maximizes potential for success in communication management while minimizing risk. It provides insights into future outcomes before organizations invest resources, enabling strategic decision-making based on evidence rather than intuition.
Modern-day public relations and corporate communications roles require professionals who can interpret data, derive actionable insights and measure campaign effectiveness. Organizations that harness this power can successfully adapt to a changing business landscape that relies increasingly on big data. PR career paths now demand both creative communication expertise and analytical capabilities, a combination that Southeastern’s MBA in Strategic Communication develops through comprehensive coursework in data analysis, strategic messaging and communication management.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online MBA with a Concentration in Strategic Communication program.