PR measurement might always play second fiddle

I'm about to write something that could have me labeled a heretic ... or worse.

But what the heck -- here goes:

I'm not a big believer in measuring the effectiveness of public relations programs.

Well, perhaps I should rephrase that. I believe measurement can be valuable in certain situations. I just don't think it will ever be a priority for clients or agencies. Why?

Reason No. 1 -- most traditional measurement tools are BS. For example, I've always hated advertising equivalency values, because they are just fake numbers dressed up to look pretty.

Reason No. 2 -- many communications efforts don't lend themselves to accurate measurement, or require extensive investments of time or effort to facilitate data collection.


Too much trouble

Here's an example: We once promoted a breakthrough mobile phone for a wireless client, garnering significant media coverage.

The phone sold well ... but was that a result of the coverage we earned, because the sales force did a good job of showing the phone to customers, or because of the accompanying advertising effort?

The client company could have instructed sales people to ask each person who purchased the phone about their motivation, but that would have required a tremendous coordination effort with no guarantee that the data would be accurate.

So no measurement was done, but I think most reasonable people would say that the media coverage was of benefit.


Easy to measure

Now, here's an example of a program that was measurable:

A client asked us to promote the use of its reverse auction system to purchasing agents throughout the company. We developed and implemented an extensive effort to showcase the value of the system using real-life examples.

Throughout the course of the campaign, usage of the system rose dramatically, and the savings achieved through reverse auction purchases tripled the investment in the communications program.

But most programs aren't going to be so cut-and-dried. And most clients don't want to pay for -- or invest the time in -- measuring results that are more difficult to obtain or that really don't tell you whether messages were received and understood.


Old-fashioned intuition

I know most serious PR pros scoff at this, but the truth is that we often have to trust our instincts and good sense when it comes to the effectiveness of a communications effort.

When measurement is possible, great. But it will likely always play second fiddle to good old-fashioned intuition.

And now, some words from the other side:

Shel Holtz: PR measurement and math-challenged communicators

KD Paine: Yes, Shel, there is a measurement Santa Claus

Andy Lark: PR not measuring up

Susan Getgood: Grab bag: PR measurement

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