08 — Research, Data & Analytics
Measure. Strategize. Deploy. Adjust.
Every program we run sits on a measurement layer. Consumer data and performance analytics tied into a clear monthly story you can take to the board.
The problem we solve
The standard agency dashboard reports on activity. Not on whether the work moved the business.
Posts published, releases distributed, impressions captured. None of those numbers answer the question that actually matters in a board meeting: did the work move the business?
Communications has always been hard to measure. It’s gotten easier. Branded search trends, share of voice tools, attribution platforms, and decent first-party analytics now make it possible to draw a credible line from earned media to pipeline. The catch is that you have to actually do the work — set up the measurement properly, pull the right data on the right cadence, and interpret it without either overclaiming or underselling.
“The win isn’t a prettier dashboard. It’s better decisions made faster.”
How we work
An honest measurement layer underneath everything.
Most engagements start with a measurement audit. What’s already being tracked, what isn’t, where attribution is breaking, and what the gap is between what your team is measuring and what your CEO is asking for. From there we set up the measurement layer.
- 01
Baseline establishment.
Pre-engagement benchmarks across the metrics that matter — branded search volume, share of voice, organic traffic, conversion rates, pipeline contribution from organic and earned channels.
- 02
Tracking infrastructure.
Analytics setup or cleanup, attribution model alignment, UTM hygiene, share-of-voice tooling, sentiment monitoring, brand health tracking.
- 03
Consumer research.
Quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, social listening — built when the strategic question requires it, not as default deliverables.
- 04
Reporting and interpretation.
Monthly reads with the data and the so-what. Quarterly deep dives that connect the work to business outcomes. Annual reviews that look at the trend lines instead of the spikes.
- 05
Optimization.
What’s working, what isn’t, what to scale, what to kill. Reports that nobody reads aren’t worth writing.
What’s included
From baseline to board-ready reporting.
- Measurement strategy and KPI definition.
- Tracking and attribution setup or remediation.
- Share of voice and competitive benchmarking.
- Branded search and brand health monitoring.
- Consumer research design and execution (when needed).
- Monthly performance reporting with strategic interpretation.
- Quarterly business reviews tied to revenue outcomes.
- Annual planning and forecasting support.
Who it’s for
Marketing leaders whose CFO is asking harder questions.
Best fit for marketing leaders whose CFO has started asking harder questions about communications ROI, for brands transitioning from activity-based to outcome-based reporting, and for teams that have invested in PR or content for a year or more and want to understand what it actually returned.
Also a strong fit when paired with our other services — most of our retainer clients have analytics built in by default, because the rest of the work gets sharper when measurement is honest. Less of a fit if your team needs a single one-time research project and isn’t planning ongoing measurement support.
What success looks like
Audit and baseline in 30 days. Useful rhythm by month four.
The first 30 days are audit, setup, and baseline establishment. The first real reporting cycle lands in month two. By month four or five most clients have a measurement rhythm that’s actually useful — reports the leadership team reads, metrics that drive real strategy decisions, and a defensible answer to the question what is this work returning?
The win isn’t a prettier dashboard. It’s better decisions made faster.
Related practices
These work especially well together.
Start a conversation
Let’s talk about what this could look like for your brand.
Two business days. Honest answer. Even if we’re not the right fit.
Contact the team