Measuring the Value of PR

Measuring the value of PR for your organisation can be a difficult challenge, with an array of options to suit most requirements (and budgets).

This article is designed to give you an idea of what to ask pr companies in order to understand what options they offer, and to help you make sure you get the type of measurement you’ll need.

Some background &mdash measuring the value of PR

In talking to your PR partner about how to measure the value of PR, you’ll almost certainly be presented with quite a few options, some of which they will provide for free, others they will want to charge for

Free options may include:

Basic monthly press coverage analysis:

Amount of coverage
Circulation of publications
Advertising Cost Equivalent (what it would have cost to gain the space amount of column inches in each publication had you bought the same amount in advertising)

Paid for options may include:

Competitor analysis (how you are performing in the press compared to your rivals)
Attitude and awareness research (what the people you are trying to reach actually think)
Focus groups

Sample Questions to ask your PR Company &mdash Measurement and Evaluation

What kind of measurement and evaluation options do you offer as part of your fee?
What do you measure &mdash output/coverage/attitudes/value? Please be specific.
What other options are there as paid-for extras?
How often do you provide detailed media coverage analysis?
How is your evaluation used to inform the PR strategy?
What happens if the measurement shows that objectives have been missed (or exceeded?)