Did It Work? Setting Objectives That Make PR Measurable

Audience: All levels, particularly account directors and anyone leading an account team

Great coverage, stronger trust, more revenue. All three get offered as proof that a PR program “worked,” but they’re different claims that need different evidence. And knowing what success looks like starts long before the results come in. Join measurement expert Jon Meakin for a session on setting clear, measurable communications objectives that connect PR activity to organizational goals. Learn how to move beyond vague ambitions like “raise awareness” or “build credibility,” establish realistic expectations with clients, and identify the evidence you’ll need to demonstrate progress. As AI takes on more of the execution, the ability to define what PR is meant to achieve—and show whether it did—is increasingly important to demonstrating agency value. This session draws on the PR Council’s new outcomes framework, which gives agencies, communications teams, and procurement a shared approach to defining and measuring what PR is hired to do.

You’ll learn how to:

• Translate business priorities into clear, measurable communications objectives
• Craft SMART objectives that distinguish communications outcomes from organizational outcomes
• Establish meaningful baselines, targets, and timelines for evaluating success
• Identify the metrics, evidence, and data access needed to prove the program met objectives
• Build measurement into client scopes and plans from the outset
• Apply these principles to an existing client program, even when measurement resources are limited