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Business owners and managers should measure the results from any business activity receiving scarce company resources. The same holds true for PR.
As long as business leaders understand what PR can deliver, they can understand how to measure its effectiveness over time. As with most investments in a business, results can take time – they are seldom immediate.
PR establishes and preserves reputations, helps to develop, manage and strengthen relationships and delivers business results.
Reputations are hard earned, but easily lost. They are based on trust. Relationships aren’t much different; whether in your personal life or in your business.
Most PR professionals agree there are three deliverables to be expected from a comprehensive strategic communications program that is carefully considered, developed and implemented.
1.Improved Efficiency: Clear, concise and consistent communications with customers, investors, employees, elected officials, media and other stakeholders can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your business operation. If time equals money in your business, money can be saved.
2.Business Development: When PR is fully integrated with a business’ sales and marketing activities, high quality business leads result. PR can’t close a sale, only your team can do that. PR can deliver more quality opportunities.
3.Catastrophic Cost Avoidance: Often referred to as crisis communications, carefully managing through unexpected business disruptions by communicating strategically and aggressively can avoid a catastrophic loss of business and preserve and protect your reputation.
With clear objectives, key messages, defined communication channels, identified audiences and a clear understanding of how to measure success, businesses can expect and measure a return on their PR investment.
PR News (12.15.08) shares the following as often used to determine a company’s or brand’s reputation and relationships and to measure the effectiveness of a strategic communications program:
• Outputs: Analysis of the favorability, prominence and placement of what is said in online and offline media. Recently, online monitoring tools have improved and are required due to the volume of Web-based information sources.
• Outtakes: Through the use of research, measuring your target audience’s ability to recall your key message and assimilate key facts about your company or product.
• Outcomes: Assessing new leads, increased sales, increased stock value or significant changes in awareness and understanding of how you are differentiated from your competition.
• Outgrowth: The relative strength of your reputation and relationships compared both before and after a communications program.
At Vehr Communications, we can help you to understand how to measure or assess the value of your PR program. Check out our Web site to learn more about us. We would love an opportunity to meet you.
Vehr Communications, LLC: Reputations. Relationships. Results. That’s PR. That’s what Vehr Communications does. Firmly anchored in Cincinnati and with strong global connections, Vehr Communications provides strategic communications services to a broad range of private and public sector clients. To learn more, please visit www.vehrcommunications.com or call 513.381.8347.
