Some fundamental questions about the place of PR in large corporations continue to echo throughout the industry and C-suites worldwide.
To whom (where) should PR Report?
PR professionals at companies listed on Fortune’s Most Admired list report to the company C-suite, not to the marketing department, revealed a study by the Council of Public Relations Firms (CPRF). PR departments at 63% of Fortune 500 companies, those with $6 billion in annual revenues, report directly to executive offices. That compares to 42 percent of Fortune 20,000 companies, with less than $100 million of revenue. Bigger companies with savvier CEOs who have more public exposure seem to have PR report directly to a C-level executive.
How does PR gain the confidence of top executives?
The first obvious requirement is to give good advice and implement it well. Assuming that, then what?
Most C-level executives are data hounds. CEOs thrive on data analysis; it’s built into their DNA, Ergo: Embracing measurement is essential for PR to win the confidence of the C-suite.
“Measurement should not be something we run away from,” argues Allan Dib, a senior vice president at MSLGROUP. “It should be something we run towards because the right idea and the right measurement plan can help us achieve our clients’ business objectives, win us awards and win us more clients.”
How can PR best communicate its value?
Leta Soza at AirPR offers three steps on how PR can communicate results to the C-suite.
- Determine how much the executives know about PR. Unless your CEO is a former chief marketing officer, you need to educate the CEO about the different channels, formats, and PR measurement. “Use examples to reframe the state of PR today for them, and make sure they know what you’re considering when you evaluate a piece of content or PR initiative,” she says.
- Report only what matters. Find what is important: media or content that help convey key messages, reach your desired audience, generate top-of-funnel business leads, and link directly to business goals. Cite numbers, such as bottom-line figures, and figures on business goals. For example: “Our CNN article drove roughly 4,000 potential customers and nearly 14% of them took some sort of action on bacon.com.”
- Reduce reports. Soza recommends the 70% noise reduction rule. Share just 30% percent of what you originally planned to report. Three slides will influence executives more than 10 slides.
How does PR get on the same page as the C-suite?
Together with the appropriate individuals in the C-suite, define clear objectives before starting any project. Agree on what outcomes to measure and what metrics to use. “There’s nothing worse than blindly tracking for an extended period of time just to find out the results you are reporting are not what your client or C-suite are looking for,” writes Kevin Volz
Volz also offers the following advice for PR measurement and reporting.
- Even if your management requests a simple spreadsheet of data to display results, include a written and visual summary of all media relations efforts as well.
- Do not resist change but don’t make a change without executive approval.
- Always report the most accurate results possible. It is essential to show what is working well and what is not.
Trustworthy reports (supported by data) are an absolutely essential requirement to build PR’s reputation within the organization and the organization’s trust in the advice and skills of PR.
Bottom Line: Gaining the proverbial seat at the table requires PR to earn the respect of the C-suite. Using data-based reports to document the success of PR’s strategies and programs is the most effective way to win the confidence of C-suite insiders.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
