‘Reasonable’ metrics offer straightforward way to prove PR value to C-suite

When explaining the value of a public relations campaign to a company’s C-suite, it’s essential to use metrics that are reasonable, meaningful and easy to measure.

“Data is the language of business, and that’s what will enable your internal clients to understand what you do and a little bit more about how you do it and how precious it is,” the late Mark Weiner, an author and longtime communications analytics consultant, said during a PR Daily Media Relations Conference. Tragically, Weiner, 68, passed away in December.

Weiner, who co-presented with David Cantor of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said that a common myth in PR is that its impact is impossible to measure because it’s seen as “an art, not a science.”

“Well, I can tell you that Sotheby’s evaluates art every day and they sell it for big money, so somebody’s paying for that art,” he said. “It’s because they recognize the value.”