Debra Bethard-Caplick

Graduate Research Project

University of Maryland, University College
PO Box 34930
Chicago, IL 60634
P: (773) 625-3782 F: (773) 625-3784
dcaplick@ameritech.net

Survey on the Use of Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation

To: Public relations practitioners

Your assistance is requested with this research project, which is in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for a masters degree. Please answer all of the questions in this form and fax or
email it by Friday, July 21, to the address listed above. If you would like a copy of the results,
please provide your contact information to me at the address above in a separate message, in
order to protect your confidentiality. If you have any questions, you can reach me at
dcaplick@ameritech.net, or 773-625-3782.
Thank you for your valuable assistance.
Debra Bethard-Caplick
Graduate student, University of Maryland University College.

Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation Survey

This survey is an attempt to determine what measurement and evaluation methods are currently in use in
the profession of public relations. Please take a moment to indicate your answers below.
1.

For classification purposes, please indicate where you work:

Independent practitioner

2.

Small agency (2-10 people)

Medium-sized department (11-20 people)

Medium-sized agency (11-20 people)

Large agency or department (20+ people)

Do you currently or have you in the past two years used outside companies for measurement of your
public relations activities?
(circle one)

3.

No

Unsure

Yes

No

Unsure

Does your department or organization specifically allocate funds for research, measurement, or
evaluation on a regular basis as part of its total annual budget for public relations programs and
activities?
(circle one)

5.

Yes

Do you currently or have you in the past two years conducted measurement yourself?
(circle one)

4.

Small department (2-10 people)

Yes

No

Unsure

Which of the following statements comes closest to describing how your department or organization
currently handles public relations research, measurement and evaluation projects? (PLEASE SELECT
ONLY ONE RESPONSE)
Little or no research/measurement/evaluation work is done.
Most of the work is done internally.
Most of the work is done by outside counsel and/or suppliers.
Assignments tend to be evenly divided between doing them internally and using outside counsel and/or
suppliers.
Other (please specify) __________________________________________________________________

6.

During the next two years, do you anticipate that the volume of public relations research, measurement
and evaluation studies that your department or organization carries out annually will:
Increase by10% or more
Increase by 1-9%
Remain approximately the same.
Decrease by 1 - 9%)
Decrease by 10% or more

7.

8.

What proportion of your total annual budget for public relations is allocated for research, measurement
or evaluation projects?
Less than 1%

10 -14%

1 - 3%

15 - 19%

4 - 6%

20% or more

7 - 9%

Dont know/not sure

Which of the following measurement methods are you currently using? Please place a mark in the
space to the left of those you are currently using, or have used within the previous two years. For only
those you have indicated using, please indicate whether you believe that method to measure output,
outtakes, or outcomes, according to the following definitions:

Output: The immediate results of a particular PR program or activity, for example, the number of news releases sent
out, the number of articles generated, the number of those who might have seen or heard the story, inquiries
generated, etc.
Outtake: A determination of whether the targeted audiences received the messages, paid attention, understood them,
or retained them.
Outcome: Whether attitude and behavioral change occurred in the target audience.
Please make your choices below:

Item/Element Measured
Publication/broadcast of story

Output

Outtake

Outcome

Media outlet category (daily/weekly paper, wire service, local vs.

national TV,etc.)
Use by targeted journalist
Targeted geographic area (region, state, ADI markets, etc.)
Source of story (media pitch, news release, press conference,
unsolicited, etc.)
Story form/type (hard news, feature, product review, editorial,
etc.)
Presentation (text only, graphics, charts, photos, color, etc.)
Column inches/broadcast time without multiplier use
Column inches/broadcast time with multiplier use
Reach (also called opportunity to see)
Advertising value equivalency
Message content analysis
Targeted media (byline, specific broadcaster, etc.)
Message readability/understandability
Total number of placements or media impressions

Item Measured
Total circulation or potential audience reach (opportunities to see)

Output

Outtake

Outcome

Client target audience or potential audience reached

Client/company mentions
Client product/service mentions
Competitor mentions
Competitor service/product mentions
Client/Company share of voice compared to competitors within
story
General issues covered
Client messages covered
Competitor messages covered
Spokespersons mentioned/quoted
Tone/stance toward client or company (also called slant)
Headline tone/stance/slant
Content favorability/unfavorability
Call to Action (phone/web/mail inquiries traceable to story
Cost of message placement/distribution (news release distribution
fees, brochure printing, etc.)
Number of media representatives attending event/press
conference
Target audience response (via Web response, phone inquiry,
postcard return, etc.)
9. If there are other items you measure that are not included here, please write them in the
following spaces and provide a brief explanation of what they measure. Also, please check to
indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Item Measured

Output

Outtake

Outcome

10. Which of the following techniques do you or your department use to measure or evaluation
public relations results. Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure
outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Measurement Method Used
Focus group

Output

Outtake

Outcome

Mall or shopping center intercept

Mail surveys
Pre- and Post-test (Before and after polls)
Surveys using sophisticated data collection and analysis
techniques, such as conjoint or factor analysis
Publicity tracking or media monitoring studies
Studies that systematically analyze or track consumer
inquiries, requests or complaints
Studies that use experimental designs comparing test
groups to control groups
PR/communication audits
Readership/readability studies
Qualitative depth interviews with opinion leaders
Studies that involve model building
Literature searches and information retrieval projects
Studies that involve secondary analysis of existing data
Content analysis studies
Studies involving psychographic analysis in addition to
demographic analysis
Studies involving observation, participation, roleplaying, or similar techniques
11. If there are other measurement methods you use that are not included here, please write them
in the following spaces and provide a brief explanation of what they measure. Also, please
check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Item Measured

Output

Outtake

Outcome

12. What measurement methods would you prefer to use, if you were not constrained by time and
budget considerations? Please list them in the following spaces and provide a brief
explanation of what they measure, if they are not currently listed in the first set of questions.
Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or
outcomes.
Item Measured

Output

Outtake

Outcome

13. Please indicate your agreement with the statements below, where 1 is strongly disagree, 4 is
neither agree nor disagree, and 7 is strongly agree. Public relations measurement methods:
Strongly
Disagree

Neither
Agree nor Disagree

Strongly
Agree

Are easy to use

Measures what I want to measure

Produces usable data

Is understandable by clients/non-PR managers

Answers my questions about program success

Is usable in future strategic planning

14. Please indicate how well you agree with the statements below, where 1 is strongly disagree,
4 is neither agree nor disagree, and 7 is strongly agree.
Strongly
Disagree

Neither
Agree nor Disagree

Strongly
Agree

I use measurement and evaluation for strategic

planning purposes

My current evaluation methods measures what I

want to measure

My current measurement methods produces usable

data

I use measurement/evaluation to justify budget

requests
Strongly
Disagree

Neither
Agree nor Disagree

Strongly
Agree

I use measurement/evaluation as a political defense

against other departments

I use measurement/evaluation to educate executive

management on the role/value of public relations

I use measurement/evaluation to educate colleagues

on the roles/value of public relations

I use measurement/evaluation to educate colleagues

on the attitudes/opinions of key stakeholders

Thank you for your assistance in completing this survey. If you would like a copy of the results,
please send your name and address, email or fax number in a separate mail or email (to
preserve your confidentiality) to:
Debra Bethard-Caplick
PO Box 34930
Chicago, IL 60634
dcaplick@ameritech.net
Fax: 773-625-3784

In order to protect the confidentiality of your

responses, please do not return this survey in
the same envelope with your contact
information. Survey responses should be
mailed/emailed/faxed to the address at left
by Friday, July 21.