Metrics vs Meaning: Measuring the True Impact of PR & Communications Campaigns

Abbie and Adrian talk about bridging the gap between what can be measured and what truly matters in communications and public relations.

They discuss how the phrase "what gets measured gets managed"—often wrongly attributed to Peter Drucker—can be misleading since not everything that truly matters can be quantified and counted.

Abbie shares her experiences from earlier in her career, reminiscing about the era of clip books, where the success of PR campaigns was measured by the volume of media coverage, rather than the content or its impact.

They conclude that while measurement tools and technology have certainly advanced, the core challenge remains: identifying the right metrics that resonate with the client’s goals and demonstrate the value of a campaign in achieving business success.

Read the transcript and notes for this episode on our website.

Key Takeaways

• Effective PR measurement requires aligning communications strategy with overarching business goals to accurately assess impact and success.
• Modern tools and analytics enable the measurement of various aspects of PR campaigns, but there is still a challenge in capturing intangible impacts like brand awareness.
• PR & communications professionals must align their measurement strategies with the actual business objectives to demonstrate real value to clients.
• Misalignment between client expectations and PR outcomes can result from failure to ask the right questions at the start of a campaign.
• Continuous dialogue between PR agencies and clients is crucial for demonstrating value and securing long-term partnerships.

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Need to hire a PR firm?

We demystify the process and give you some helpful advice in Episode 19: "How to Hire a Public Relations Agency in Arizona: Insider Tips for Executives and Marketing Directors"

Credits

Copper State of Mind, hosted by Abbie Fink and Dr. Adrian McIntyre, is a project of HMA Public Relations, a full-service public relations and marketing communications firm in Phoenix.

The show is recorded and produced by the team at Speed of Story, a B2B communications firm, and distributed by PHX.fm, the leading independent B2B podcast network in Arizona.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like the PRGN Presents podcast, hosted by Abbie Fink, featuring conversations about PR, marketing, and communications with members of the Public Relations Global Network, "the world’s local public relations agency.”