Can communication measurement be set up without big budgets or complex tools? In this episode of Measurement Mashup, Mario Greiner, press spokesperson for the Agentur für Arbeit Gotha, shows that it’s not only possible—but highly effective. Operating largely on his own, Greiner built a straightforward Excel-based measurement tool that tracks and evaluates press, social media, and public relations activities with minimal daily effort.

Greiner’s system captures which topics were published, in which channels, and with what kind of resonance. It links media outputs to the agency’s operational goals, such as career counseling or short-time work, and quantifies visibility through ad equivalency values. His approach demonstrates how communicators can convincingly justify their impact—sometimes even showing they generate more media value than their position costs.

The episode covers how the tool evolved, how it supports better internal consulting, and why voluntary adoption among peers worked better than top-down enforcement. Greiner also shares future enhancements, like more nuanced social media metrics and tracking for event impact. His key advice: start small, focus on usable metrics, and grow your system iteratively.