P.R.O.O.F. Public Relations or Opinionated Fluff?

Raise your hand if you know what public relations is! (Am I going crazy or do I hear crickets?)

We know most don’t, but let’s talk about the long-term effect of this. If we work in organizations who don’t know us, what makes us think they need us? I’d like to say, “their loss” and move on, but it’s our loss too. If they don’t need us, they don’t hire us.

Time to put our problem-solving hats on. We wear a lot of those, don’t we?

Proving ourselves sounds exhausting, but I say “proof” is the magic word. Good news! Dr. Walter K. Lindenmann explains exactly how to measure what PR does in his 2003 article titled Guidelines for Measuring Effectiveness of PR Programs and Activities. Applying his strategies make it easy to show how obviously necessary public relations is.

Setting Specific Measurable PR Goals and Objectives

This must come first, and it can be complicated, Lindenmann says. The difficulty lies in establishing a clear distinction between an organization’s PR programs, marketing strategies and advertising; however, it can be done if each element of a PR program is clearly defined.

Measuring PR Outputs, Outtakes and Outcomes

OUT. OUT. OUT. If we don’t pay attention to how our brand interacts on the outside, we know nothing. Three elements worth noting:

1.     Outputs can be white papers, media frequency or press conference dynamic. These can be measured immediately. How many people were at the news conference? Did our spokespeople gain us media coverage?

2.     Outtakes consider how effectively our messages are received. Are they retained?

3.     Outcomes assess our calls to action. Did our message influence behavior? Did it change behavior? According to Lindenmann, measuring these is most important.

Though different, these all consider how often and how positively our audiences perceive us.

Measuring Business and/or Organizational Outcomes

This is what our employers want to see. How do our PR goals align with the overall goals of the business? In short, do our efforts maximize profits? Of course they do. We know that, but we must show how our plans will directly contribute to the organization’s desired objectives. 

So, I encourage you, fellow PR pros, stand your ground. As Aibileen from The Help would say, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” and you can prove it!