Introduction to Public Relations Chapter 8: Evaluating Public Relations Effectiveness Copyright © 2012 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-2 EVALUATION IN PR Evaluation answers the following questions: What have we accomplished? What remains to be done? What benchmarks can help us next time?

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-3 PR EVALUATION o Traditional Evaluation o Output measurement (how many brochures printed?) o Survey of distribution system (how many circulated?) o Number of potential audience impressions (hits, # of reads, reach)

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-4 THREE LEVELS OF EVALUATION EFFORTS Preparation - evaluates the quality of the message. Implementation - evaluates the quantity of messages sent and received. Impact Analysis - measures the amount of the audience that attended to or acted upon the message.

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-5 EVALUATION CAN OCCUR AT EVERY STAGE Evaluation can be involved in every phase of the program: Preparation Phase In-Progress Monitoring Outcome Evaluation

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-6 EVALUATION PROVES PR VALUE Evaluation can demonstrate the value of public relations to the client.

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-7 IMPACT ANALYSIS The total impact that a campaign has on the public This is determined by analyzing: Audience Coverage Audience Response Campaign Impact Environmental Mediation

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-8 AUDIENCE COVERAGE Evaluates whether the intended audience received the message Coverage is measured by: Surveys Audience ratings Practitioners translate media time into dollars based on advertising rates to gauge value (“Earned Media”)

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-9 MESSAGE MEASUREMENT o It is important to test the message before it is distributed to the intended public. o You can Pre-test messages by using: Focus groups Survey Research Field or Lab Tests o Or, you can Post-test messages by using survey techniques to determine change in attitudes or behaviors

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-10 AUDIENCE RESPONSE Tests whether the copy is written for the correct audience

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-11 FOUR TYPICAL MEASUREMENTS Distribution – Percentages of issues delivered within X hours Awareness – Average recall or recognition of content Understanding – Percentage recalling and comprehending a story Readability as measured by Gunning, Fog, Flesch, etc. indices.

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-12 CAMPAIGN IMPACT The cumulative impact of the campaign based on all the sum of its parts Were opinions, attitudes, cognitions or behaviors changed? And to what extent?

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-13 ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIATION Examines environmental factors that can affect campaign impact Interprets data in relation to the historical, social, or political events

Introduction to Public Relations Evaluation 8-14 SOURCES OF MEASUREMENT ERROR There are several factors that may taint the measurement of a campaign’s success: Volume is Not Equal to Results Estimate is Not Measurement Samples Must Be Representative Effort is Not Knowledge Knowledge is Not Favorable Attitude Attitude is Not Behavior