The Media Image Survey
Coming To Grips With The Media Agenda
Media agenda setting theory has a crucial role to play in a business arena where image and reputation have become more important for corporate success than ever before. That's the word from Wadim Schreiner, managing director of Media Tenor. He says Media Tenor's approach to media analysis is underpinned by media agenda setting theory, a field of mass communications research that emerged from the US during the 1970s. This approach allows the company to objectively gauge the complex ways that the media agenda shapes public opinion.
Companies with the Best Media Reputations in SA Revealed
Johannesburg, South Africa - 18 November 2004: SABMiller has emerged as the listed company with the best media reputation in South Africa in the first annual Media Image Survey, the first comprehensive study of media coverage attracted by JSE-listed companies. The results of the survey, a joint initiative from Idea Engineers, Axius Publishing (publishers of Convergence magazine) and Media Tenor were announced on 18 November 2004.
How to subscribe
Request for subscription and/or more information Click here to download the subscription document which allows you to: Purchase the full Media Image Survey Report. Learn more about my company?s media performance and would like to purchase a Detailed Media Analysis of my company . Subscribe to the quarterly Media Tenor International Research Report. Be included in your newsletter/press release update. Keep informed about further Media Image Survey activities. Know more about the services of Media Tenor, Idea Engineers and Axius Publishing.
Methodology
Building a reputation is a long-term target for any corporate organisation that needs to be sustained continuously, costing time, effort and lots of money ? particularly if organizations who invest in advertising and other communication activities. One of the critical points of corporate communication is the so called ?free? publicity through editorial space in media (although ?free? is usually much more work-intensive than advertising). Creative, continuous coverage in the media, sustained in terms of quality and volume, is sure to achieve a high awareness amongst the desired target audiences. Traditionally, this media reputation has been measured in terms of advertising revenue figures or small polls, which is by no means an indicator or a reflection of true press work. For the first time, Media Tenor and Idea Engineers have surveyed the leading 21 business and mainstream media, both print and broadcasted, for a period of 12 months, from 1 January 2003 until 31 December 2003 and established which companies manage to achieve volume, quality and diversity in its press coverage. In achieving this, 16 804 articles containing 393 041 statements on JSE companies and/or CEO?s were meticulously analysed by analysts according to Media Tenor?s internationally acclaimed methodology, according to criteria created by Media Tenor and Idea Engineers. The media set included Business Day, Beeld, Citizen, The Star (incorporating the Business Report), Sowetan, Pretoria News (excluding Business Report) and This Day, The Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, City Press, Rapport; Financial Mail, Finance Week; SABC news in Afrikaans, English, Zulu/Xhosa, Sotho, e.tv news as well as Business Tonight on SABC. The aim of this survey is to identify the companies that managed to receive continuous coverage by the media, not in form of paid-for advertising or advertorials, but in real, ?independent? editorial content. The survey identifies those companies that have achieved balanced reporting in the media across a wide range of categories, and as such have built considerable reputation for their brands over the year. As a point of departure, Media Tenor analysed and screened every report in the said media that was set on a daily basis according to mentions of JSE listed companies and/or CEO?s of those companies. Statements that were counted included information with: at least five lines (or seconds, in case of television) with a subject and an individual topic as well as a source making the statement. For every change of subject, topic and/or source, a new statement was coded. The rating was based on two variables, firstly the one side the context of the individual statement (rated as negative, rather negative, ambivalent, rather positive, positive or neutral) and secondly the explicitness of the statement as expressed by the source, using words or phrases underlining an agreement or disagreement. The combination of contexts as well as explicitness of the given contexts, constituted the overall ?rating?. Individual issues stated in statements were regrouped into a set of 30 reputation factors, as developed by Media Tenor and Idea Engineers in consultation with leading media experts. The accuracy of the analysis was verified in weekly validation tests and daily spot checks. In total, four categories were applied consistently: Volume. Rating. Share of own voice. Number of reputation factors addressed. For every analysed month, Media Tenor selected the top 30 companies in terms of volume (number of statements received in the media). Companies not amongst the top 30 for a month did not receive any points for that month. The decision was based on the theory of awareness threshold. This theory sets a requirement in order to reach a specific number of people, where the most important factor is the pure volume of coverage. The company with highest volume was given thirty points, the company with lowest volume amongst the top 30 was awarded one point. In the case of equal volume, the higher point was shared. Based on the thirty companies selected for the month, a weighted rating was established, determining the prevalence of either positive or negative coverage. The company with the best weighted rating received 30 points, the company with the lowest weighted rating received one point. In terms of criterion three, own share of voice, Media Tenor established the share of self generated quotes versus those of other sources. The higher the share of own quotes in the media, the greater the possibility of managing ones own media agenda. Again, the company with the highest share of own source communication received thirty points. In the final and fourth criterion, number of reputation factors addressed, the number of a possible thirty image factors communicated was taken into account, where 1 ? 30 points were awarded. For the entire month, an average was established. These criteria were repeated on a monthly basis, resulting in a total of 96 companies making it into the overall list of companies that have managed in one or more months to be amongst the top 30 companies. Overall, the winners managed to have continuous coverage on a monthly basis and those companies that excelled during peaks were thus penalised. For the category ?CEO communication?, only two criteria were applied: monthly volume of coverage of the CEO as well as his weighted rating. Statements that were taken into account, included: statements on CEO?s rather than by CEO?s, although statements made by CEO?s were also attributed as a statement on the CEO, with him/herself as a source. Again, the winner managed to sustain the coverage month-by-month to be on top of the list. In terms of the categories for BEE, CSI, Innovation and HR, the proportion of coverage on the stated issues in comparison to the companies total volume was taken into account. The sample consisted only the top 50 companies in terms of volume over the complete period of one year.
Taking Control of Your Media Image
Companies that want to ensure the strongest returns from their reputation management investments need to understand how the media agenda impacts on the way that publications and broadcasters cover their stories.
© 2012 Media Tenor South Africa
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