As digital and social media grows, PR moves to center of marketer toolbox

By Robert Wheatley

Forever and a day, measurement in the PR world has been all about output and not so much about outcomes. Certainly you can understand why this might be the priority back in the pre-Internet days, when PR communication was routinely grounded in outreach to conventional media gatekeepers.

The lack of absolute control over message frequency, timing and content was always balanced by the intrusiveness and power of third-party “endorsement” delivered through positive print and broadcast stories. But marketers felt the lack of full-control meant the measurement matter was more about clipping assessments (impression goals) and ad equivalencies (value) than persuasive outcomes on target audience behavior.

A recent story from the Center for Media Research reviews the increased demand for ROI measurement tools for PR and the shift in view from measuring output to outcome. This got traction a few years ago when Procter & Gamble developed a proprietary measurement model that confirmed PR was driving sales results.

Now in the age of digital and social media, we find that content and conversation are the twin towers of engagement, as interruptive forms of media fade a bit in salience and thus persuasiveness. The Internet is really an ideal platform for PR forms of messaging and subtle selling – conversation and education, speaking through others who come to the table with audience credibility already in their pocket.

So now outcomes loom large in assessment of PR strategies. Unique media evaluation tools and dashboards, focus groups and polling are replacing clip books as required protocols for measurement.

In my view this trend removes the last impediment to completing the ongoing transformation of PR from below-the-line communications “layer” to tip of the spear strategy in effective brand communication. Growing use of these measurement tools will only serve to solidify and confirm the effectiveness of PR strategies.

What do you think?