Analytics agency NEWTON Media and communications agency Ogilvy have won a prestigious international award in a media analytics competition. Comprehensive material used as part of a campaign for the promotion of modern schizophrenia treatment were shortlisted by this year’s jury in the categories Best use of social media measurement and Best use of integrated communication measurement/research. The project nominated in the latter category won third prize. NEWTON Media remains the only company in the Czech media market ever to have received the AMEC Award and has reasserted its leading position.
The registered project, initiated and created primarily by the communication agency Ogilvy, captured the jury’s attention with the topic itself. They appreciated the detail and care with which the agency addressed the undoubtedly challenging topic of the public’s perception of schizophrenia and patients suffering from this mental illness. Furthermore, the jury also positively evaluated the integrated approach – using the experience of a renowned PR agency and accurate data processing by NEWTON Media analysts who processed data from both conventional media and social networks.
“An analysis of schizophrenia’s media portrayal is a great example of the synergy of a PR agency and a media analytics agency. I consider our joint project to be an example of a meaningful connection between media communication know-how and a contribution to critical thinking in the media. We are convinced that cooperation such as this is mutually beneficial and we would be glad to have the opportunity to work with other PR agencies on other similar projects,” says NEWTON Media CEO Petr Herian.
Both the submitters and creators of the analyses were aware that in order to effectively communicate the topic it is necessary to understand the public opinion and the media’s stance regarding the given issue. Together, they identified the most stigmatizing moments and tried to uncover everything that stands behind them. By looking at the situation and revealing the links between forms of communication and stigma, the campaign was able to draw attention to the communication risks and try to improve the social status of patients through spreading information on modern treatments.
“I’m glad that the decision made by AMEC Awards officials confirmed the importance of the contribution of a complex approach to data analysis and the utilization of appropriate metrics. Not all agencies realize this, and instead use simple output monitoring as a substitute. However, these outputs represent only a fraction of what a quality analysis can reveal. A quality analysis can be used to point out the simplistic clichés with which the media often support established stereotypes, and instead encourage journalists to take an interest in new perspectives,” observes Corporate PR Account Director Ogilvy Naděžda Šeráková.
Her words are mirrored in articles containing the conclusions of the analytical part of the campaign and the journalist’s new approach to the topic, including the choice of more appropriate expressions and illustrations. The project, titled 100 Thousand Invisibles (Breaking Schizophrenia Myths), was financed by the pharmaceutical companies Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck and Eli Lilly, according to whom the acquired data can be utilized in the future when assessing the evolution of the wider public’s attitudes, or planning other destigmatizing campaigns.
This year, apart from managing to win the bronze award for the joint project with Ogilvy, the NEWTON Media group obtained the gold award for the fourth year in a row. This time, the award was obtained in the category Best measurement in the public and not-for-profit sectors for NEWTON Media’s project Kliping, Not-for-profit measurements as a vehicle to reposition Kliping from media monitoring to media analytics company. In previous years, the NEWTON Media group succeeded with a similar mapping of the media portrayal of the Czech National Bank’s foreign exchange regulation, domestic analysis for TESCO, and last year they presented an analysis of gender balance in news prepared by the Slovenian company Kliping.
“We greatly appreciate it whenever our professional organization receives recognition, because it provides valuable feedback regarding the quality of our services. Both of this year’s awards are the best possible culmination of the AMEC Global Summit, the largest international congress for experts on communication measurement, a significant event which we had the honour to host for the first time in the Czech Republic,” concludes NEWTON Media CEO Petr Herian.
