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Medianet Insights AMEC Measurement Month

The OOO Effect

A Medianet Insights Masterclass

 

Outputs, outtakes and outcomes. The 3 O's of media evaluation.

As part of AMEC Measurement Month, Medianet Insights’ Jacquie Hanna (Head of Insights and Strategy) and Chrystal Glassman (Account Manager) explore AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework through a series of videos, using the Barbie movie's marketing campaign as a case study.

They discuss the framework’s three key stages—Outputs, Outtakes, and Outcomes—highlighting how it helps measure and showcase the impact of communication strategies. The masterclass addresses challenges like data overload and simplify the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communications (AMEC) best practices with relatable examples. It also covers what AMEC is and its role as the global body advocating for best practices in communications measurement, relevant to professionals across PR, marketing, media, and more.

Chapter 1: Outputs

Outputs, simply put, refer to what is "put out" into the world. They encompass the distribution and exposure of PR activities and the initial reception to them. This includes media stories, social media posts, press conferences, interviews, and any public-facing content shared by an organisation. These outputs can be measured using various metrics, such as the volume of media and social media coverage, audience reach and engagement, clickthrough rates, bounce rates, unique visits, and more.

Chapter 2: Outtakes

Outtakes, simply put, represent what is "taken away" from the outputs. They focus on measuring the reaction and response to communication activities, including attention, awareness, sentiment, and tone surrounding public-facing outputs. Outtakes evaluate aspects such as whether media stories were covered positively, whether key messages aligned with organisational objectives, and whether spokespeople effectively addressed negative issues or amplified important messages—offering valuable insights into the communication’s effectiveness. However, many organisations stop their analysis here. They might compile data on reach and volume, conduct a high-level analysis of themes, sentiment, and keywords, and examine basic social engagement metrics, such as likes or dislikes. These stats are often summarised in a slideshow, prematurely concluding the evaluation process.

Chapter 3: Outcomes

Outcomes assess the longer-term impact of communications and how well they align with and achieve core organisational objectives. They focus on understanding shifts in brand awareness and perceptions. By examining all three stages—outputs, outtakes, and outcomes—organisations can evaluate the effectiveness of their proactive and reactive strategies, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate successes.

Chapter 4: The Barbie Effect

This part of the masterclass explores the impact of the Barbie marketing campaign using AMEC’s "OOO" (Outputs, Outtakes, Outcomes) framework. Our speakers analyze the campaign’s unprecedented marketing strategy, which included a $150 million budget and vibrant promotions like the Malibu Dreamhouse on Airbnb and social media virality, resulting in massive engagement and record-breaking box office success.
 
Beyond the immediate outputs, they highlight outtakes such as themes of female empowerment, sisterhood, and cultural resurgence of “girl power,” despite some backlash from conservative voices. Long-term outcomes reveal profound business successes, including a 33% rise in Mattel’s stock and a societal shift in Barbie’s perception—from an outdated beauty standard to a progressive symbol of empowerment. The campaign's broader influence tied into global events like the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Taylor Swift’s tour, amplifying themes of female representation and celebration.
 
By evaluating the campaign through the "OOO" framework, the presenters conclude that while Barbie’s impact might not have changed the entire world, it significantly shaped societal attitudes and perceptions.

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