Evaluating PR effects - UK public relations practice, and the need for new effectiveness models

Tom Watson

This article describes the sometimes primitive evaluation methods which have set PR activity in Britain apart from other elements in the communications mix.

Evaluating PR effects

UK public relations practice, and the need for new effectiveness models

Tom Watson

This article describes the sometimes primitive evaluation methods that have set PR activity in Britain apart from other (and more lavishly researched) elements in the communications mix. While a substantial corpus of respectable theory and new practice has evolved in the US, the UK has clung to ideas like counting column inches, and expressing these in terms of 'free advertising'. Noting the profound obstacles to a new objectives-based professionalism - eg short-termism, no client money for research - the author identifies practical ways...

WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands