Previous research found that data analysis is becoming in a new important capability for public relations and communications professionals, but at the same time, this capability is a challenge because the lack of knowledge from professionals about how to analyze the data available for them (Vergara & Tsetsura, 2018).
By Luis F. Vergara
Big data analytics is defined as technologies (e.g., database and data mining tools) and techniques (e.g., analytical methods) that a company can employ to analyze large scale, complex data for various applications intended to augment firm performance in various dimensions (Kwon, Lee, & Shin, 2014).
According to Weiner & Kochhar (2016), Big Data provides many new applications for the public relations profession—not only allowing practitioners to better analyze operating environments both internally and externally, but also expanding opportunities to move past traditional communications approaches to create better objectives, more strategic positioning and audience targeting, and to uncover more opportunities to quantify and enhance PR’s contribution to business success and its influence on the bottom line. Big Data are evolving traditional public relations functions—permitting growth, greater efficiency and improved efficacy (Weiner & Kochhar).
My opinion
Public relations and the communications profession has been revolutionized by data analytics, allowing brands to create and deliver more targeted messaging.
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