New speaker, Andrew Smith, added to #PRFest line-up

Using data and analytics to inform strategy

There is no shortage of data available today to help inform and shape communications strategy. However, that is also the problem. Deciding what information is valuable and which metrics are appropriate has become ever more challenging. Andrew’s session will look at some practical tips and techniques to help PR practitioners develop better approaches to using data to gain true analytical insight and to help deliver more impactful and effective communications programmes.

About Andrew

Andrew Smith is Managing Director of escherman, a specialist digital PR, SEO and analytics consultancy. With a career spanning 31 years of public relations and journalism, he has developed and implemented many highly successful strategic PR and marketing communications programmes for some of the world’s biggest brands including IBM, CapGemini, MySQL, Apple and Checkpoint.

He is a co-author of ‘Share This’ and ‘Share This Too’, practical handbooks to the biggest changes taking place in the media and its professions. Commenting on the first volume, Lord Sugar said: “This book is a useful guide to using social media effectively”.

Andrew is a trainer in social media, analytics, SEO and digital marketing for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the Public Relations & Communications Association (PRCA), the Media Trust, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA), the Amber Group, Understanding ModernGov and the SMi Group. He has consulted or provided training to representatives of over 600 organisations in the last six years including the Department of Environment (DEFRA), NHS, Specsavers, Sky, Wellcome Trust, and many others.

Andrew has been a consistent PR innovator, being among the first UK practitioners to exploit email (1990), the World Wide Web (1994) and Twitter (2007). Described as the “de facto godfather of PR blogging”, he is a regular speaker and media commentator on the integration of PR with social media, search optimisation and analytics. He is a member of the CIPR’s Foresight Panel and the ICCO Innovation Panel. He also holds the Google Analytics Individual Qualification.