A new guide to help clients get better value from public relations
recommends that up to 12 per cent of PR budgets should be spent on
measuring how PR campaigns match up to business objectives.
The guide, published by the International Committee of Public Relations
Consultancies Associations (ICO), claims that on average less than five
per cent of budgets are spent on evaluation.
The report - ’How to get real value from public relations’ - recommends
that a sliding scale is used to judge what percentage of the budget is
used for evaluation. With a budget of pounds 50,000, ten to 12 per cent
should go on measuring the effects of PR. But if the budget is over
pounds 500,000, three to five per cent is sufficient.
The report offers clients advice on setting realistic PR objectives and
makes the point that unless measurable business objectives are set, the
evaluation of the PR results will be inconclusive.
ICO president Peter Hehir said: ’Businesses worldwide are spending over
dollars 20bn on PR advice but comparatively few know if they are getting
value for money.Relying on rough yardsticks or instinct to justify
expenditure on PR is simply not good enough. It’s time our profession
became truly accountable.’
The ICO booklet also warns against using the discredited Advertising
Value Equivalents for media measurement. ’Advertising and PR perform
different tasks,’ says the report. ’And what value can you put on
exposure on the BBC when that space cannot be bought at any price?’
The guide is available from the PRCA, priced pounds 2.50.
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