Public relations professionals struggling to measure success

A recent study from the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has revealed many public relations professionals are struggling to incorporate best-practice when measuring the effectiveness of their work. Even though an average of 8 per cent of PR budgets is spent on measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategies, very few are relying…

A recent study from the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has revealed many public relations professionals are struggling to incorporate best-practice when measuring the effectiveness of their work.

Even though an average of 8 per cent of PR budgets is spent on measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategies, very few are relying on industry standards. Of those surveyed, only 32 per cent are using benchmarks established by a professional organisation.

While these measures suggest many companies are struggling to achieve adequate measures for their PR efforts, the survey also provided a further breakdown of the different responsibilities individuals were adopting.

The vast majority of PR experts are working in media relations (95 per cent). However, there is also strong growth in areas like social media, with 78 per cent reporting they are both monitoring and participating in a company’s social media strategy.

Crisis management and handling an organisation’s corporate image also featured highly, with these cited by 80 per cent of respondents as areas where they have primary responsibility within a company.

Less-common areas of responsibility included data analysis and philanthropic work for a business. Only 20 per cent of respondents oversee these areas.

Within in-house positions, the average size of a department was between 10 and 20 staff, including administration positions. While very few have less than 10 staff (only 7 per cent), only 11 per cent of respondents fell between 20 and 30 personnel within the department.

Finally, public relations professionals in Australia have a clear skew towards the marketing department, with over half (57 per cent) working within this team rather than as a distinct entity. Only 28 per cent of respondents have complete control over an organisation’s PR and communications efforts.

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