Evaluation 

• serves to ensure quality.
• It increases transparency in the assessment process.
• enables conclusions to be drawn about the ‘What has it achieved?’ (ROI).
• provides valuable insights for future actions.
• highlights where adjustments are needed.
• enables comparison with advertisements (advertising value equivalent, AVE).
• And much more.

A bespoke approach works best

To make informed judgements about the success or failure of a campaign, analyses of current and target performance, a clear briefing and the precise identification of the target audience and core messages are essential. Equally crucial is the choice of the appropriate evaluation method. If PR is intended as a sales-supporting measure, KPIs and business metrics are suitable for measuring success. If the aim is long-term image building or increasing brand awareness, social science survey methods such as questionnaires and interviews are appropriate. Whilst press clippings can be counted quickly and click figures easily recorded, in-depth interviews, media response analysis or focus groups are more labour-intensive. 

The ideal approach lies in precision. Just as every campaign should be tailored to the target audience and the desired effect, the evaluation method must also be chosen accordingly. Only then can it yield sound insights that enable the optimisation of the next steps. We therefore recommend addressing the issue of performance monitoring as early as the briefing stage for PR activities, defining measurable objectives, and determining the evaluation method and the budget available for this purpose. This ensures that evaluation is on the agenda from the outset and does not get lost at the end due to a lack of time and budget.

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Service: Product communication