Focusing on Outcomes

On top of my mind -- each and every day -- is the impact our communications activities have. Too often, I hear individuals in the PR profession measuring success based on the number of clips in the packet. But how do we know if a media clip is actually cutting through the clutter and making a difference?

There is a lot of talk these days about metrics. How do we quantify our success. I have long advocated a bold, yet simple, proposition. Don't distinguish between communications goals and overall goals. If the goal is to sell more widgets, then any communications activity should be measured by how effectively it helps boost sales. If the goal is convince a local community to vote for a bond issue, then success is measured by whether that issue is approved.

Getting great clips about how wonderful the widget is is irrelevant if it doesn't help the corporate goals. And making everyone aware of the need for the bond issue is meaningless if it doesn't win their votes.

We have to remember good communications is a two-part exam. Part one is public awareness -- making sure our target audiences understand what we are talking about and are informed of our position. The greater challenge is part two -- public behavior. Good communications results in changing the way people talk, the way they act, the way they shop, and the way they live.

Changing public behavior is the true measure of a successful communications effort. Without it, aren't we all just simply contributing to the white noise?