My time working in the PR industry has taught me many things, not least among them an understanding of the demands, politics and pressures surrounding PR budgets… Indeed it was this in some ways that led me to join Metrica for, while I am passionate about PR, it is a never ending frustration that its credibility, along with the advice of its practitioners, is consistently challenged. 

It is therefore with a supportive intent that I make time to speak to Metrica’s clients about how they are doing, to find out how we might help with any pressures or constraints they may be facing. In doing this I am realistic about the challenges I may uncover, especially at a time when the economy is troubled and particularly where PR measurement in the past has very often been perceived as an ‘extra’ rather than a ‘must have’ element of a PR programme.  

In a nut shell I have been expecting to hear about 'unfortunate' decisions to make cut backs on measurement. In actual fact though, thankfully for us as a business and the profession as a whole, what I have actually been discovering is that evaluation budgets are being ring fenced and protected despite diminishing PR budgets. While this makes perfect sense (PR has never needed to prove itself so much as in the current downturn) I still feel very encouraged that this could be read as a further indication, beside a flourishing evaluation industry sector, that measurement is increasingly recognised as a vital, basic component of any PR programme. 

The fact is, as PR has risen up the business agenda so too has the demand for decent metrics, proof that it deserves that budget clearing by the CFO and to be on the CEOs to-do-list. Of course, just as PR had started settling in with its C-level companions social media has come along to stir things up: “…the bean counters are coming out from behind their spreadsheets, tipping up their green eyeshades and casting their gaze over the marketing department. They are asking tough questions like, "You want to spend how much on Social Media?" And just what is a Social Medium?"  

So continues the charming note I received from the organisers of the eMetrics Marketing Optimisation Summit: “This is the year where measurement stops being interesting, novel or cool, competitive edge stuff. This year, it's about survival… 2009 is the year they are going to have to speak fluent Marketing ROI in order to keep their jobs.” 

And that last point really is the point – and our clients know it, luckily for them and, frankly, luckily for us too. On a more optimistic note though, if a silver lining can be found for PR in the recession, finally something is forcing both PR practitioners (with precious little budget) and the holders of their purse strings, to acknowledge that evaluation is vital to the entire PR process. What excites me about this is that measurement, as standard, is exactly what the PR industry needs in place to shush its sceptics, demonstrate that it is accountable and so become respected for the highly skilled profession it is.