The SA PR Measurement Landscape Report, Proof over Perception: The Evolution of PR Standards in South African PR, released recently, found that 60% of PR practitioners have strategic-level access to organisational decision-making.
Without strategic access, practitioners cannot begin to add strategic value.
This is significant for measurement because without strategic access, practitioners cannot begin to add strategic value.
Practitioners need strategic access to align the communication goals with the overall business goals. But for this to happen, they need to have strategic access, and for this to happen, they need to be part of the business’s organisational strategy.
Strategic access is a prerequisite for mature PR practice, which is a prerequisite for measurement maturity.
“If you have no idea what the business goals are, it is because you don’t have strategic access, and then there’s no way you are going to add that value that you are supposed to be adding,” says Dr Tersia Landsberg, (PhD) communications specialist, Co Communications.
AMEC Barcelona Principles 4.0
The fact that over half of practitioners have strategic access bodes well for measurement.
The report shows that 64% of practitioners are aware of the AMEC Barcelona Principles, while 66% of those aware are actively implementing them.
However, 34% who understand the principles haven’t implemented them, often citing budget constraints, suggesting a gap between awareness and practice maturity.
In previous years, we thought that maybe the digital landscape was becoming too complex, and it was not sustainable to implement the principles in this rapidly changing environment.
“But this year the figures are back up, and this gives me the idea that we’re settling, after four years, into a more comfortable place where we are willing to experiment with these principles and look at what the global standard is and then aim to and reach and compete with that,” says Landsberg.
North Star
She adds that it’s very heartening to see formal measurement evaluation practices.
“This year, we are seeing a fantastic increase in measurement maturity with measuring outcomes at the highest level ever.
This year 79% is measuring outputs, compared to 70% last year, while 57% are measuring outtakes, compared to 53% last year, and 60% of respondents are measuring outcomes, compared to 47% last year.
“That is massive progress, especially when measurement maturity is hallmarked by strategic alignment in goals.”
Oresti Patricios, CEO, Ornico, the report owners, says that the AMEC Barcelona Principles serve as our North Star.
“Goal-setting must be insight-driven, measurement must focus on outcomes, not outputs, and methodologies must integrate both qualitative and quantitative data.
“These aren’t bureaucratic guidelines; they’re the minimum standard for professional credibility.”
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