Various terms have been used to describe media monitoring in businesses over the past years. However, the relevance of this strategic activity has taken on a more critical value in today’s complex web of corporate marketing and communication needs of advancing not just sales and its reputation, but even more so, directing its entire operations.
The act of media monitoring can best be understood to be a standardised method of gathering data from a range of different traditional media (newspapers, radio or television) and new media (social media, online) and breaking the content up into understandable and measurable pieces of information. The relevance of a strategic media monitoring is assured starting in the efficient and effective data collection processes, but even far more essential are the preceding activities since it provides almost limitless opportunities in its diversity of applications.
In Ghana, a few of the top corporate organisations from varied sectors of the economy utilise strategic media monitoring and this is commendable, prominent among the firms that utilise social media monitoring for the purposes of its communications efforts in Ghana, include civil society organisations, prominent organisations in the financial, telecommunications, food industry and also, international organisations.
However, data available in Ghana’s media monitoring industry clearly indicate that many others are yet to recognise its value and take steps to utilise its countless benefits. It is sad for any organisations to have old-fashioned in-house, a merely active paper clippings service as their approach to observing what the media reports on within any time frame. But unfortunately, this is the order of the day in many firms who are unwilling to spend an extra to contract media monitoring firms or create a robust department in-house.
The option to rigorously adopt a comprehensive media monitoring system to aid not just the communications efforts of the firm but even more so, direct and inform its operations is imperative in today’s evolving way of doing business. Even though a robust in-house system development through efficient training of a few staff to undertake media monitoring is feasible, it is appropriate and better advisable to employ the services of a well experienced media monitoring firm.
Such a firm must be technology-driven company, which boasts of research savvy and strategic communications-oriented team and leadership. This will best position them to offer their clientele with exact (both demanded and needed) current updates and varied permutations elucidated from the robust data collected and eventually analyzed.
The mission of a media monitoring firm in providing such top quality services related to collecting and analysing information publicised in media cannot be underestimated and for the sake of their clients’ satisfaction, it’s imperative that they keep developing products, reaching for innovative solutions and upgrading the standards of its services.
Media monitoring is indispensable in the work of marketing and public relations/communications departments. Media monitoring help to provide relevant information that helps organisations to measure the efficiency of the company or brand’s communications, and hence, help gain some knowledge, which allows them to keep mastering their activities and best modify the communications strategy being implemented.
Tommy O’Dell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Studies and a Master’s Degree in Communications, all from the University of Ghana, Legon. He is a senior media analyst and communications strategist.
He can be contacted at odelltom20@yahoo.com with any enquiries, comments and for both technical and non-technical write-up requests.
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