For more than 60 years, PR evaluation has been a key issue for practitioners, academics and researchers (Lindenmann, 2005). The UK Public Relations industry has seen a number of initiatives spotlighting evaluation including PR Week’s ‘Proof’ campaign, the on-line PRE-fix (Planning, Research and Evaluation) facility, and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Excellence Awards and Research and Evaluation Toolkit. Additionally, from an academic perspective, several models of PR evaluation have been developed (e.g. Cutlip et al., 1994; Lindenmann, 1998; Gregory, 2001).
The importance of context
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Owen Hargie
Dr Owen Hargie is Professor of Communication, University of Ulster, and Associate Professor, University of Chester, England. He is a Chartered Member, Registered Practitioner, and Associate Fellow, of the British Psychological Society, and elected member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters. He has published 20 books and acts as consultant on communication throughout the world.
Mairead McCoy
Mairead McCoy lectures in public relations and public ffairs AT the School of Communication, University of Ulster, Ireland. Her main research interest lies in PR evaluation. She has also worked in market research and is a member of the International Communication Association.