Public relations measurement

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Public relations measurement is the science that evaluates and anlayzes the results of a public relations program. It is part of the broader field of public relations research and includes survey research, on-line research and media content analysis. Fundamentally, it consists of measuring one of three elements of a PR campaign: outputs, outtakes and outcomes.

Contents

[edit] Elements of a PR Campaign

[edit] Outputs

Outputs are the specific tactics that are used in a PR campaign. Output metrics are usually short-term and not very deep. For example, the amount of press coverage received or exposure of a particular message.

[edit] Outtakes

Outtakes are what your audiences take away from your program, as measured by changes in attitude, belief or awareness. Outtakes can have more impact and be more far reaching than outputs. For example, determining if those to whom the activity was directed paid attention to, comprehended and retained particular messages.

[edit] Outcomes

Outcomes are the behavioral and business results of your efforts. Measurement of outcomes may include questions such as; did the program or activity change opinion and attitude levels, and possibly behavior patterns? Outcome metrics might include: changes in sales, an increase in market share, attendance at an event, increased efficiency, or click throughs and downloads from your web site.

[edit] Guidelines for Measurement

The Institute for Public Relations offers the following guidelines for measuring public relations:

  1. Establish clear program, activity, strategic and tactical objectives and desired outputs, outtakes and outcomes before you begin, to provide a basis for measurement of results. PR goals should tie directly to the overall goals of the organization.
  2. Differentiate between measuring outputs, outtakes and outcomes.
  3. The measurement of media content, while of great value, needs to be viewed as only a first step in the PR measurement and evaluation process. It can measure possible exposure to PR messages and actual press coverage; however, it cannot, by itself, measure whether target audiences actually saw the messages and responded to them in any way.
  4. There is no one, simple, all-encompassing research tool, technique or methodology that can be relied on to measure and evaluate PR effectiveness. Usually, a combination of different measurement techniques are needed. Consideration should be given to any one or several of the following:
    1. media content analysis
    2. cyberspace analysis
    3. trade show and event measurement
    4. polls and surveys
    5. focus groups
    6. experimental and quasi-experimental designs
    7. ethnographic studies that rely on observation, participation and/or role playing techniques.
  1. Be wary of attempts to precisely compare PR effectiveness to advertising

effectiveness. The two forms of communication are quite different from each other and the fact that placement of advertising messages can be controlled, whereas placement of PR messages usually cannot be controlled, needs to be taken into consideration.

  1. PR effectiveness can best be measured if an organization's principal messages, key target audience groups, and desired channels of communication are clearly identified and understood in advance.
  2. The PR measurement and evaluation process should never be carried out in isolation, by focusing only on the PR components. Wherever and whenever possible, it is always important to link what is planned, and accomplished, through PR, to the overall goals, objectives, strategies and tactics of the organization as a whole.

[edit] Major PR Measurement and Evaluation Components

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For any PR evaluation research to be credible, five major components of the process need to be taken into consideration:

  1. Setting Specific Measurable PR Goals and Objectives

[edit] Setting Specific Measurable PR Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives have to come first. No one can really measure the effectiveness of anything, unless they first figure out their criteria for measurement. The public relations practitioner, counselor and/or research supplier ought to ask:

  • What are or were the goals or objectives of the specific public relations program, activity, strategy or tactic?
  • What exactly did the program or the activities hope to accomplish through its public relations component?

These questions are not always easily answered, since it is often difficult to separate public relations programs and activities such (publicity efforts, distribution of informational materials, the holding of special events or shows, etc.) from marketing communications (point-of-purchase promotional activities, coupon redemption programs, special contests and give-away activities, etc.) and from advertising (paid print and broadcast messages, cyberspace commercials, etc.)

In setting PR goals and objectives, it is usually important to recognize that measuring PR effectiveness per se - that is, the management of an organization's overall communications activities with its target audience groups or publics - can be quite difficult to do unless the individual elements or components of the program are clearly defined. We suggest that instead of trying to measure PR as a total entity, steps be taken to measure the effectiveness of individual or particular PR activities, such as measuring the effectiveness of specific publicity efforts, or a particular community relations program, or a special event or trade show activity, or a government affairs or lobbying effort, or a speaker's program, or an investor relations activity, and so on.

Also see Content analysis and Media evaluation

[edit] External Resources

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