Public Relations Metrics: Research and Evaluation

Citation

Oliver, S.M. (2009), "Public Relations Metrics: Research and Evaluation", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 358-359. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280910980122

This book arose out of some of the papers presented at the 12th International Public Relations Research Symposium in Bled, Slovenia and in its 17 chapters, aimed to explore questions of definition and measurement in public relations (PR). However, therein lies both the book's strength and weakness. Who is the book for? In trying to appeal to all, laymen, professionals and scholars, all of whom the editors acknowledge “think and talk differently about public relations”, the selection must have proved something of a dilemma.

The strength of the book lies in the editors' attempt at tackling the challenge by dividing the book into two parts, the first part being fundamentals of PR research and the second PR methods, cases and specific topics, taking the reader from seat of the pants, trial and error measurement through to scholarly communication research methods as social science. Its weakness lies in one or two of the more descriptive chapters not quite living up to some of the book's more analytical chapters.

Given the book's aim to develop PR as a scientific management discipline, it discusses the issue of metrics from a theoretical angle:

[…]its epistemology and conceptualization […] or deep thinking as distinct from shallow thinking which has been the bane of the public relations learning and teaching industry over the last few decades.

To that end, the editors aimed to contribute to the daunting task of “generating public relations knowledge, its codification and its transfer”, not in an ethnocentric manner, but as a “truly global endeavour” by the introduction of a useful PR research grid.

The book also gives some examples of research projects and the case study on London's bid to hold the 2012 games should draw in the most reluctant student researcher. The case applied a specific measurement tool developed by consultancy I to I's Claire Spencer, to measure the impact and influence of PR on the Games bid. The research team “provided the linkage between communication outputs and outcomes, namely changes in attitudes, perceptions and intended behaviour” during negotiations.

For the more experienced scholar, a number of chapters are worthy of special mention: Jan Kleinnijenhuis, Professor of Communications Science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's chapter on the network approach is a useful addition to typical social science models such as systems theory, stakeholder theory, life cycle theory, rhetorical analysis and social exchange theory.

Ansgar Zerfass, Professor of Communication Management at the University of Leipzig develops the corporate communications scorecard for strategic and operational planning and evaluation with useful figures illustrating how established methods of PR measurement can be linked to overall business objectives. Going beyond “value added” to contribute to the bottom line without loss of control or creativity, he reminds us of Albert Einstein's observation that “[…] not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted, counts”, a cry familiar to every PR director on the main board of a multi‐national company, perhaps.

Other notable chapters include “What public relations is, what public relations does,” by Barbara Baerns, Free University of Berlin, who presents conclusions from a long‐term project on professional PR modelling and evaluation in Germany; Iris Wall and Chun‐Ju Flora Hung from Hong Kong report on a study exploring how crisis response strategies affect the relationship between organisations and publics. Using standard research methodologies, the latter provide data using frequency tables, linear regression coefficients, variable correlations and model summaries in a helpful, how to, format. There are chapters on PR research and evaluation from Portugal, Africa, the USA and the UK.

On a philosophical note, Manfred Ruhl describes three types of epistemological theory namely “commonsense” or lay‐person's PR, “know‐how” or professional PR and “theoretical” or scholarly PR. Which one of Ruhl's types are you dear reader and where would you like to go? This book will take you on an interesting journey whether you read it as researcher or practitioner and so the book earns its place on both academic and professional library bookshelves.