From Intuition to Analytics: Maksym Bielawski on How to Measure Communication Effectiveness and Optimize Campaigns

07.08.2025

Maksym Bielawski

In modern communications, success is determined not by the number of publications, but by the ability to make data-driven decisions. Systematic media monitoring, clear KPIs, and continuous campaign optimization are the three pillars that support an effective strategy. Maksym Bielawski, Vice President of Energy Club and former Director of Integrated Communications at Naftogaz of Ukraine, spoke about how to measure results, react to trends, and prove the value of communications to business during his lecture “Analytics” as part of the “Communications and Interaction in Energy” course.

Drawing on his extensive experience in organizing communication and analytical work in the energy sector, the expert emphasized that professional communication is impossible without measurement.

“One of the key tasks of media monitoring is to identify trends in comparison with the previous period. We need to understand how a particular information campaign or a specific track that we are communicating is progressing,” noted Maksym Bielawski.

The Modern Communicator’s Toolkit

The lecturer defined three key terms:

• Media Monitoring: A systematic, ideally daily, process of analyzing and measuring the results of communication activities.
• KPI (Key Performance Indicators): Measurable metrics that are tied to strategic goals (e.g., audience reach, share of negative mentions).
• Campaign Optimization: The process of improving communications based on data obtained during monitoring.

To automate these processes, the speaker recommended using professional monitoring systems such as LOOQME and YouScan, which allow for real-time tracking of news feeds, and determining the tonality and reach of publications.

From Data to Action: The Optimization Cycle

According to Maksym Bielawski, data analysis not only allows for measuring success but also saves resources and enables a timely response to crises. He shared several lifehacks for effective optimization:

• Segment the audience: Analyze who reacts to your messages (age, gender, region) to make communication more personalized.
• Conduct stress tests: Before launching an important campaign, simulate how society might react to your messages and prepare a post-communication plan.
• Analyze tonality: Tracking the ratio of positive, negative, and neutral mentions allows you to anticipate trends and adjust campaigns in advance.

“When strategic communications were launched, I always personally conducted real-time monitoring and tried to adjust the communication according to the stream I had on my monitor. And I’ll tell you frankly, this helped to reduce the share of negative messages,” the expert shared.

The lecture provided participants with a clear algorithm for building data-driven communications. A systematic approach to monitoring, correct KPI setting, and constant optimization allow communicators not only to prove their effectiveness but also to become full-fledged strategic partners for the business.

About the course: The course “Communications and Interaction in Energy: Strategies for PR, Marketing, GR and Lobbying in Ukraine” from Energy Club is designed to enhance the communication capabilities of companies, promote their competitiveness, and support the sustainable development of Ukraine’s energy sector.