How to measure the value of your PR efforts

By: Will Herman, Manufacturing Team Lead

Attending an evaluation session with a client many years ago, among other metrics referenced, I enthusiastically noted the advertising value equivalent (AVE) of the coverage achieved in the previous quarter. At a time when such measures were still the norm, the figure was an impressive one and I was bemused by the client’s reaction as the sales director made a valiant effort to hold back tears of laughter. It was a salutary lesson. 

The shifting landscape of PR metrics

Today, reporting AVEs based on column inches or broadcast seconds, may well be a thing of the past for most, but the relationship between the credibility of editorial and advertising, something which has never been constant, has become increasingly complex. At the same time, the fundamental difference between the way in which advertising campaigns and editorial are consumed, is a conceptual problem which continues to spark debate while increasingly sophisticated advertorial content underpinned by highly effective story telling blurs the boundaries further still. AVEs, always a blunt tool, may now therefore seem a woefully inadequate measure of value, and yet with advertising and editorial content more closely aligned than ever before, comparisons in value will continue to be drawn. 

With the publication of the original Barcelona principles in 2010 however, came a growing acceptance of the need to move away from the PR professional’s traditional reliance on instinct and experience, towards disciplined PR measurement that excluded AVEs. 

Developing a messaging framework for B2B strategy

The continuing development of the Barcelona Principles saw greater emphasis placed on developing measurable goals as well as measuring outcomes in addition to outputs and provided a basic framework relevant to any business, brand or organisation. It was followed by the launch of the AMEC Framework. Providing a standardised approach to PR metrics covering four key phases: preparation, implementation, insights, and impact, it is the model of choice for the majority of practitioners today.

Preparations: Aligning PR objectives with business goals

Preparation is the key, and it begins by ensuring that PR objectives are aligned with business goals and the organisation’s wider objectives. Defining the target audience should follow, after which the campaign strategy can be developed. In my experience, it pays to be wary of proposals that push the big, creative ideas, before defining a clear strategy… but I digress.

Implementation: Executing your PR strategy

Implementation refers to the tactics deployed such as research, and the production of content such as film, infographics or other collateral, while Insights refers to the quantitative and qualitative measurement of paid, earned and owned media. Insight also encompasses the target audience’s response to the activity delivered and how they engaged with it.

Insights: Measuring engagement with PR metrics

Measuring the effect of this activity is achieved by examining outcomes: has the target audience knowledge or perception changed and has it led to independent endorsement of the brand or campaign message? 

Impact: Linking PR to business success

The final measure is impact and links the overarching business’ objectives to outcomes and could focus on changes in brand reputation, sales or a change in policy, advocated by a trade association for instance.

Planning for long term success

No doubt it will seem blindingly obvious to many, but PR measurement should always be considered and the metrics agreed upon while planning or preparing a campaign proposal. Asking the rather clichéd question: what does success look like, can save a lot of misdirected energy and by focusing on measurement before creating the campaign strategy, a business can have confidence that measurable PR objectives with a clear link to the organisation’s objectives have been set, enabling the value of the campaign to be reported in a meaningful way. 

Even when all this is done, it remains true that any B2B PR programme is best viewed as a longer-term activity. Changing perception, driving behavioural change and building brand reputation all take time. And what almost all are agreed upon, is that the simplest numerical metrics such as AVEs may resonate with financially driven directors, and will continue to assume greater importance when budgets are under pressure, but will rarely be representative of the real value of PR.