Ben Chodor, President, Intrado Digital Media

The way public relations professionals measure campaigns and calculate return on investment (ROI) has changed significantly in the last decade. The ongoing digital disruption that started as social media has become a far-reaching force reshaping media and advertising platforms, and metrics. As a result, the evolution of PR measurement has accelerated – away from vanity metrics like impressions and advertising value equivalency (AVE) toward lead-generation and customer engagement. This shift is happening because, even though vanity metrics look good on paper, they have a limited probable impact on business performance and revenue.

As significant as this change is, the PR industry has been slow in adopting meaningful metrics that drive revenue and move businesses forward. PR’s marketing counterparts have taken the lead in adopting measurement tools, technology, best practices, and KPIs that not only justify their value and budget, but also appeal to the C-suite. Overhauling an outdated PR measurement strategy is often fraught with challenges – from the fear of what newer, more-accurate data will show (e.g. what if that New York Times coverage didn’t raise brand awareness?), to adopting new tools and tech, to gaining executive buy-in. However, this shift is critical to the future of public relations – especially as marketing metrics and technology continue to rapidly advance, and PR pros are called to align corporate communications outcomes against marketing results.

Here are three ways to start the move towards a data-centric PR approach:

1. Shift from Outputs to Outcomes & Impact: Traditional output metrics track activity (e.g., total number of social posts, media reach, press releases issued, AVE, etc.) but fail to address the effect or impact of PR campaigns. These ‘vanity’ metrics often fail to prove any demonstrable sales lift or brand growth and when it comes time to invest budget in PR, they fall short as performance indicators. Communicators must begin to measure outcome and impact metrics like trust levels, website traffic, higher rankings for specified keywords – and ultimately, sales leads and revenue. Outcome and impact metrics help PR professionals understand how messages resonate with target audiences and demonstrate results around business and organizational objectives.
2. Integrate Measurement Across Your Workflow: One of the mistakes PR teams make is putting measurement at the end of their program, using it as a one-time recap of efforts. This is shortsighted, as there are opportunities to improve at every stage of a campaign – from message development to media analysis – with data and insights gathered from the appropriate metrics. PR software plays an important role in this process, from media monitoring to sentiment to messaging analysis. The integration of specific goals, cohesive messaging, smart tactics, and continuous measurement make success a more likely outcome.
3. Earn C-suite Respect: A survey conducted by Notified and PRWeek asked: Who is more effective at demonstrating value to the c-suite? 75% of respondents said marketing, and only 25% said PR. While marketing and sales’ efforts can prove to be directly attributable to business value, PR has a more challenging time doing so. For PR to get a seat in the boardroom, it’s important for communicators to understand what matters most to executives, based on overarching business goals. Although PR teams may not be able to track an earned media placement back to sales, they can analyze outcomes — how a campaign directly shaped perceptions, increased brand awareness and protected reputation., This can include reporting on contributions to brand advocacy, reputation (including sentiment and share of voice), and staff retention. In 2021, as brands are called to take a stand on social issues, PR can also begin to measure the impact of purpose-driven messaging on public perception and whether the company’s mission, vision, and values are resonating with internal and external stakeholders. 

It is clear that the PR industry has reached a tipping point, and 2021 will likely be a year of progress – pushing communicators towards innovation in their use of data, measurement, and monitoring technology. Customer and investor sentiment, key message penetration, and even stock price – it’s all measureable as part of a data-centric PR effort.

Read more about why a data-centric approach to public relations is no longer optional, and how to move from tracking outputs to measuring outputs and impact in our newest e-book, How to Quantify Your PR Impact.