Measurement Focus: The Difference between Outputs and Outcomes
Plus Ripped from the Headlines Crisis Analysis:
What happened at the PGA Championship in Louisville, KY?
This Week …
Deep Dive: Defining Outputs and Outcomes
Clarity Rating Scale: #1 World Golfer Arrested … What Happened Next?
Before We Go …
1. Deep Dive: What is the difference?
In last week’s newsletter, I interviewed Monique Farmer about her tips on strategic communications measurement. She discussed the importance of knowing the difference between outputs and outcomes. This article takes a deep dive to explore the concepts:
Without precise measurement, organizations cannot fully understand the effectiveness of their communications efforts or make informed decisions about future strategies. Central to this process is the clear differentiation between outputs and outcomes, two distinct metrics that serve as indicators of performance and impact.
Outputs
Outputs refer to the tangible, immediate results of communication activities. They are the direct products of your efforts and are typically quantifiable. Outputs measure the reach and frequency of communications but do not necessarily indicate any change in behavior or attitudes among the target audience.
Examples of Outputs:
Press Releases Issued: The number of press releases distributed to media outlets and how many resulted in accurate news coverage.
Social Media Posts: The report of posts made across various social media platforms and the level of engagement.
Event Attendance: The number of participants who attended a webinar, conference, or event.
Newsletter Distribution: The number of newsletters sent out to subscribers and click rate.
These metrics provide a snapshot of the volume and frequency of communications activities but offer limited insight into their effectiveness or impact.
Outcomes
Outcomes are the broader, long-term effects of communication efforts. They measure the changes in behavior, attitudes, knowledge, or conditions resulting from your communication strategies. Unlike outputs, outcomes are more challenging to quantify and require more intentional methods of assessment.
Examples of Outcomes:
Increased Awareness: A higher level of awareness about a specific issue or brand among the target audience, often measured through surveys or polls.
Behavioral Change: A shift in the behavior of the target audience, such as increased participation in a program or greater adoption of a recommended practice.
Attitudinal Shifts: Changes in public opinion or sentiment towards an organization, measured through focus groups or sentiment analysis.
Policy Influence: Evidence of policy changes or new regulations influenced by the communication campaign.
Measuring both outputs and outcomes is essential for comprehensive evaluation, enabling organizations to see the full scope of their communications efforts, from immediate actions to long-term impacts. It allows for strategic adjustments, ensuring resources are focused on effective activities. Measurement also ensures accountability, showcasing the value of communications to stakeholders, and fosters continuous improvement, driving innovation and strategy refinement. In strategic communications, this dual measurement approach is indispensable for assessing effectiveness, demonstrating impact, and making informed, data-driven decisions.
2. Clarity Rating: Scale of 1 to 5
On the Hot Seat: Scottie Scheffler: #1 ranked golfer in the world, arrested before Friday’s round of golf at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Overview
On Friday, Scottie Scheffler was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, near the Valhalla Golf Club, the venue of the 2024 PGA Championship. Scheffler was attempting to enter the golf club in a player-courtesy vehicle when he was stopped by a police officer who was directing traffic due to an unrelated pedestrian fatality nearby. According to reports, when the officer reached inside Scheffler's vehicle to open the door, Scheffler accelerated, causing injuries to the officer's wrist and knee. Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals. Scheffler was released on his own recognizance shortly after and managed to return to the course in time for his 10:08 a.m. tee time.
Scheffler’s Crisis Communications Outtakes
Lawyer’s Statement: Steve Romines
“In the early hours of the morning in advance of his tee time Scottie was going to the course to begin his pre round preparation. Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area it was a very chaotic situation He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player’s vehicle with credentials visible. In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer’s traffic signals resulting in these charges. Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed. He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle. We will litigate this matter as needed and he will be completely exonerated.”
PRO: The lawyer quickly jumped in to the news cycle and offered details from Scottie’s perspective that started to help show a second side to the arrest. I have bolded the most helpful aspects of his statement.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
PRO: In this statement, he’s accesible and engaging with the public. It has a calm tone even as he paints a picture of chaos. It’s easy to envision an environment where miscommuication could occur. He shows appropriate sympathy for the man killed. His statement is aligned to the lawyer’s statement and was released soon after the lawyer’s statement … helping to continue to offer his side of the incident.
Scottie’s Press Conference:
Here are outtakes aligned to the themes that help explain what happened, minimize the incident, and start the recovery process:
SETS THE SCENE: It's dark; it was raining, there's a lot of stuff going on. They had just had an accident. I didn't know what it happened at the time, other than there was an accident. I didn't know that it was fatal.
GRACIOUS: My sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Mills. I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.
MATURITY: The officer that took me to the jail was very kind. He was great.
HE’S HUMAN:
We had a nice chat in the [police] car, that kind of helped calm me down.
In jail, he saw himself on TV, as ESPN was covering the ordeal.
HUMOR: I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell – that was a first for me.
DISTILL WITH CONFIDENCE: My situation will be handled. It was just a big misunderstanding.
How Did it Play?
Scottie Scheffler relayed what happened with a poise that belied what he endured. Hours before, Scheffler said he could not stop shaking. He was confused, worried, scared. He believed he might have been in shock. And yet Scheffler went out of his way to thank the men that arrested him for their service. This is one different cat.
Yet, it was Scheffler’s demeanor afterwards, eloquently attempting to downplay the situation without adding fuel to the flame, that was perhaps his best work of the day.
Scottie Scheffler may see charges dropped after arrest during PGA Championship
Clarity Rating Score for Scheffler Press Conferencet: 5
Scheffler and his team, so far, have handeled the unfortunate incident clearly, calmly, and with exactness. Scottie is accessible. He walks a fine line with confidence he did nothing wrong, while offering a first-hand account without pointing fingers at the police. He offers sympathies to the family who was killed.
Scottie and his team have exhibited excellent crisis communications and receive The EO Report’s top rating of 5.
The Clarity Rating measures effective communications on a scale of 1 to 5 using this criteria:
1: Blurry, Indistinct
2: Slightly Focused, Needs Adjustment
3: Moderately Focused, Fair Clarity
4: Well-Focused, High Clarity
5: Razor-Sharp Focus, Crystal Clear (Are we clear?)
Before we go:
NYT: Dowd: The Truth Hurts — Especially When Bill Maher Dishes It Out
He thinks we should stop acting as if we’re heading to a civil war and start talking to each other. He loves his stand-up gigs in red states. “We have to see each other not as mortal enemies,” he writes, “but merely as roommates from hell.”
My idol is Jonathan Swift, so I think that satirists — the other “Swifties” — should be given a long leash. Sometimes they’ll miss the mark, sometimes they’ll be offensive. But we need our jesters to hold up a mirror to our society, now more than ever.
I asked him if he ever felt as though he were beating his head against the wall. He does. But, he said dryly, he’s willing to tie himself to the mast and “keep sailing onward.”
It’s graduation speech season, and Harrison Butker kicks things off. (See what I did there?) He is the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he drew significant criticism for suggesting that women's primary roles should be as wives and mothers. Here are four takes:
Today Show: Nuns at Benedictine College respond to Harrison Butker’s controversial speech
Spectrum News: Sen. Josh Hawley defends Chiefs kicker Butker's speech for 'standing up for your convictions'
Yahoo News: Maria Shriver Slams Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker: ‘Demeaning to Women’
The Hill: Whoopi Goldberg on Harrison Butker remarks: ‘These are his beliefs and he’s welcome to them’ (And that privilege goes to each American, including Colin Kaepernick.)