ROI on PR Campaigns

Although it has traditionally been used in relation to capital and sales, it could be argued that public relations’ return on investment should not be measured by quantitative results alone, but should include qualitative outcomes.

In a recent marketing measurement survey conducted by Ifbyphone (a market leader in call analytics and automation), a significant percentage of marketers (82%) reported that they have no way to evaluate the return they receive from PR, and identified PR campaigns as the most difficult initiatives to measure.

That’s unfortunate because a good PR strategy delivers real results to the company’s bottom line!

PR is about heightening company/product/executive awareness and promoting a positive reputation. How does one measure buzz in a bottle? Media coverage does not equate directly to ROI — making the cash register ring. But to borrow a phrase from Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

No mathematical formula to connect PR directly with the short and longer-term business impact on brands currently exists. Truth is, the ROI of PR is very different from that of advertising, but it is no less valuable. For example, when your company is quoted, profiled or has executive bylined columns published in influential media outlets, the endorsement of media are of great, but indeterminate, value.

Smart clients keep their marketing toolboxes well-stocked with an array of equipment. Public relations should always be included.