PR measurement has long been a constant challenge for PR practitioners. Despite the existence of robust frameworks, such as AMEC‘s, that provide a consistent, evidence-based structure for measuring the impact of communications campaigns, the reality is that properly measuring PR activities remains a complex issue.
While PR is essential to reputation building, crisis management and trust building, the evolution in measuring its impact has not received the same attention or kept pace with other disciplines such as marketing. And this continues to affect the perception of its value on many occasions.
On the one hand, PR is not an isolated discipline. Communication campaigns intertwine activities in media, branded, digital marketing actions and social networks, influencers, events, etc.; which complicates the attribution of results in isolation. In addition, they often deal with intangibles such as perception, reputation and trust, which are inherently difficult to quantify.
And while metrics exist to measure exposure and engagement (such as press release reach or social media interactions), these outputs do not fully capture the deeper, longer-lasting impact a PR campaign can have on brand perception or purchase intent.
Obsolete measurement methods
Another significant obstacle is that professionals and brands that hire these services sometimes continue to use obsolete measurement methods, either due to lack of familiarity with new measurement tools and techniques, organizational inertia that prefers to stay in the comfort zone, or because there is a limitation of investment to do so.
Yes, effective measurement requires resources in terms of time, money and personnel, and brands often have difficulty investing in access to advanced measurement systems or in the necessary training to implement more sophisticated techniques, which leads them to prioritize easily accessible and low-cost metrics, even though they do not offer a complete or accurate view of the impact of a campaign.
Added to this is the pressure to show quick results with short-term metrics, rather than prioritizing the evaluation of long-term results, such as a change in brand perception or customer loyalty. And all of this undermines the ability to demonstrate true strategic value.
Overcoming these barriers requires a systematic and collaborative approach between agencies and brands to apply consistent frameworks based on key metrics.
But it also requires the right allocation of resources and investment in measurement. In other words, in addition to clearly defining the objectives of each campaign and the activities necessary to achieve them, design, clearly define the parameters that will be crucial to measure for the organization and, based on this, ensure the necessary resources in terms of tools, resources and time, as well as collaboration with other departments that must provide information, which will allow this to be done effectively.
Correct allocation of resources and investment for measurement
It is necessary to adopt an approach that goes beyond the measurement of immediate results(outputs), which is where measurement is still often focused.
Again, this implies a commitment to measuring outcomes and long-term impact as well. But to do so, brands must be patient and understand that, although immediate results can be valuable, the real impact of PR is reflected in deeper and more lasting changes that often require time to manifest themselves, such as, for example, the variation and evolution in brand perception, the improvement of reputation or change of activity towards a specific topic:
- The outputs are the immediate and tangible results of communication activities. For example, the number of press releases sent or the number of publications in networks, the coverage obtained, the number of visitors to the website, etc.
- The outkakes are the initial reactions of the target audience to the messages received, the degree of interest generated, the attention they pay to the message, whether they understand and retain it, and whether, upon retention, they correctly relate the messages. For example, the percentage of people who remember the key message, the level of understanding of the content shared, the number of downloads of a document, the number of people who requested more information, etc.
- The outcomes are the results, the medium-term effects, if the public relations efforts resulted in opinions, attitudes or changes in the behavior of the target audiences. For example, change in brand perception, increase in purchase intent, improvement in corporate reputation, change in attitude towards a specific issue, etc.
- And finally, impact is the long-term change attributable to the campaign, in the organization or in society. For example, increase in market share, change in public policy, improvement in relevant social indicators, sustained increase in sales or revenue, etc.
It is important to understand that effective PR measurement is a collaborative issue and not just the responsibility of communications agencies where brands have an active role to play, and to embrace new methodologies, invest in measurement and work closely with their PR teams to establish clear objectives and metrics for success.
Work together to design customized measurement frameworks that align with your specific business and strategic objectives and through this collaboration ensure that campaigns are not only effective, but can also clearly demonstrate their impact for the business.
Effective PR measurement is a matter of collaboration
There are also practical solutions to overcome today’s challenges.
On the one hand, technology plays a key role in improving measurement. Big data and machine learning offer unprecedented opportunities to analyze large volumes of data and extract valuable insights to gain a more complete and accurate view of campaign impact. And as there is no one-size-fits-all solution, that collaboration determines the customized measurement systems that will best suit the specific needs of the campaign and organization to ensure that all PR activities are measured in a consistent and meaningful way and again match the resources needed to make it happen.
And finally, as the PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model is widely adopted in communications campaigns if the goal is integrated work, so too must be measurement. If changes in reputation, influence, increase in brand awareness are demonstrated, then yes, communication conversations will be strategic and yes they will be on the board of directors.
So, professionals and brands must drive this change with a commitment to measurement and continuous evaluation, making sure that everyone in the organizations is aligned with this approach.
*Article written by Mónica González Ortín, Country Manager of Axicom
