This question is more pertinent than ever when
organisations of almost every kind are under pressure to perform at their
highest despite the economic climate.
Here’s how I see it.
PR strategy must contribute to organisational success.
Except it’s not all that simple. Measuring the value
of PR has been a bugbear for our industry, well, forever really.
In the past, the weight of the cuttings book seemed a
fair indicator of a campaign that had done well, and this ‘volume’ metric
evolved into the pseudo-science of AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalent) in which
we argued that the value of each piece of ‘free’ editorial was worth one/three/name-your-figure times the price of the media space if it had been purchased for an advert.
More sophisticated ways of measuring the quality of
coverage, however, are a step forward. By tracking our success in reaching specific audiences with key messages
designed to influence the way we view the organisation, we can begin to assess the success of a campaign. Balancing
qualitative and quantitative measures is important. But these are still
‘outputs’ – what we need to try and do is measure ‘outcomes’. Are we having the
intended affect? Are we contributing to a change in opinion or behavior?
The great and the good of the international PR
community, including the CIPR, got their heads together in 2010 and came up with seven key factors
which should shape best practice. These are known as the Barcelona Principles:
1. Importance of goal setting and measurement
2. Measuring the effect on outcomes is preferred to
measuring outputs
3. Effect on business results can and should be
measured where possible
4. Media measurement requires quantity and quality
5. AVEs are not the value of public relations
6. Social media can and should be measured
7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to
sound measurement
Success starts with excellent planning and strategy. A
wise and successful businessman I know, Stewart Barnes, explained that
“Strategy is doing the right things. Tactics are doing things right.” True of
business planning, true of PR planning too. There’s little point in delivering
an amazing PR campaign (doing tactics really well) if it doesn’t meet the
objectives of the client.
So here’s my top seven, the Bryars’ Principles of PR planning
and measurement:
1. Understand as much as you can about what success
means for each client
2. Create a strategy that will support the journey to
success
3. Be specific
4. Execute your plans and tactics brilliantly
5. Stay focused on outcomes
6. Don’t get lost in tools – measurement is a
discipline, not a single metric
7. PR rarely functions in isolation – own your part,
share the success
What’s your version?
Sarah Bryars
Chief Executive
