How Do You Measure PR Success?

The real answer always comes back to what you were trying to achieve. The measure of PR success is whether the actions undertaken have delivered the goods.

These objectives can best be determined in a PR plan which, along with target audiences, would include means of communication and budget parameters.

Research can be used to obtain a measurement of the opinion or attitude held by the target audience at the commencement of activities, with an assessment of the change after a period of time providing an indication of the level of success.

However, in many circumstances, particularly those on a very tight PR budget, this research approach is a waste of money considering the likelihood that the research will show the public profile of the organisation, product or issue to be extremely low to non-existent.

It should also be remembered when measuring PR success that the PR consultant does not have ultimate control over the delivery of the service or product by the client, only the means of delivering the message.

Within a PR program there are numerous examples that will tell you very quickly if the activities are working sufficiently to justify the expenditure. For example, how successful the effort has been to correct an inaccurate or misleading story to produce a positive response, a successful function or a specific promotion which has fulfilled the objectives.

Another measure of success is when a 'credible core message' - a phrase developed to describe an organisation or its products - is repeated back to you or published in the media.

The development of core phrases is a difficult task, particularly for those who are closest to the company and subsequently have a distorted 'rose-coloured' view about it.

This is an area where a public relations consultant can fulfil a vital role in providing an objective outside view in presenting the organisation and its products or services to those who are vitally important to future growth and prosperity.

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