PR has a bad rep. Is it an art, a science, a skill – or an intuition? Can we measure ROI? The history of evaluating success in public relations is opaque and confused. Shifts in the way in which we measure PR campaigns and activity have left this topic riddled with contradictions and misinformation.

If PR is to be taken seriously and compete against other communications disciplines such as marketing and advertising for significant budgets; we must return to the fundamentals and rethink the ways in which we define success.

The question remains: Is there a way in which we can authentically measure value?

One of the most effective methods is as precise as it is simple – a framework of: inputs, outputs, and outcomes.

These terms (often incorrectly used interchangeably) are used to describe a methodology to plan, monitor and evaluate a campaign or project – one which can be used to drive real impact.

The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) is the world’s largest media intelligence and insights professional organisation, representing organisations and practitioners who provide media evaluation and communication research. Its framework is robust, and significantly more complex than this one. But our potted version can be used as a quick reference tool with brutal simplicity, applying logic, strategy and skill to any challenge or situation.

Inputs

What you ‘put into’ a project to ensure it runs smoothly: time, effort, resources, money, activities. Consider this the research, planning and doing phase – aligning thoughts with action – devising plans and executing them. It requires thinking ahead: How will these specific inputs result in the desired outcomes? What impact do we wish to create?

Outputs

Outputs are the items or activity that we produce as a campaign progresses. They can be as simple as the creation of a website, the writing and issuing of a press release, or the staging and hosting an event. Monitoring the quality and effectiveness of our outputs enables us to restructure our approach and turn our attention to specific issues to be refined to drive the best outcome for the greatest impact. This phase is about understanding and tweaking the effectiveness of your process.

Outcomes

In short: have you achieved what you what you set out to? Outcomes are the short-term or long-term changes created as a result of your outputs; such as influencing behaviour, transforming reputations, driving brand growth. Each of these are valid outcomes which can be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively to gauge impact.

There are many variations on the above framework. It’s a simplistic reduction, but using it will add structure to your efforts and enable you to take the first step in measurement and evaluation. Thorough planning and monitoring of both inputs and outputs always ensures stronger outcomes, leading to desired impacts.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]