PR Departments undersell their contribution by overlooking measurement

Many Australian PR Departments undersell the contribution PR is making to the business by overlooking a whole range of measurement and evaluation techniques.

In my experience there’s no better way to win more budget for the PR Department, or win the confidence of senior management, than to impose the discipline of measurement, evaluation or return on investment criteria (ROI) around PR.

I’ve written on PR measurement and evaluation in PR Influences in recent years. Some of these techniques are relatively simple to implement; others, of course, are more complex. What is takes to succeed is a disciplined approach.

Some of the reasons why a PR Director or PR Manager might wish to audit, review, improve, or introduce, measurement, evluation or ROI criteria for PR into the organisation include:
• If there is skepticism from senior management about the contribution PR is making to the organisation.
• If PR is assuming a greater role within the organisation – either as a result of your initiatives or at the instigation of management – and increased budgets need to be justified.
• If the PR Department is taking on new projects or fresh initiatives or becoming accountable to different sectors of the business.
• If it’s thought that PR can play a more significant role in the organisation and you want to introduce measurement and ROI criteria as a means of justifying your case.
• If it’s timely to show how PR is contributing to the organisation.
• If there’s a need to make staff working within the Department more accountable and more focused on results.
• If it’s felt that it simply timely to make the point to senior management that PR can be measured!

In completing a review process all the public relations and communications programs, activities and processes undertaken by the Department need to be individually analysed and evaluated.

Through a consultative process measurement, evaluation or ROI criteria will be applied to each.

Typically such an exercise will take 15-20 working days from obtaining a full brief.

Often it can come as a real revelation to senior management that the contribution PR makes can be measured and that ROI criteria can be applied to some projects and activities.

A side benefit of introducing Also, introducing a more results driven approach can have a strong influence on the culture of the PR Department and the behaviour of staff.

If you wish to have a no-obligation chat about your issues, challenges and vision then please contact me.