5 PR Measurements for Fast-Growing Companies
Key Takeaways
- Identify the “Why” Behind PR: Understanding the core purpose driving PR efforts is crucial for aligning strategies with long-term and short-term business goals. This clarity strengthens communication strategy and ensures PR tactics evolve alongside company objectives.
- Focus on Quality Metrics: Rather than overwhelming clients with extensive KPI dashboards, effective PR measurement should focus on 3–4 key metrics that directly support business outcomes. This makes insights clearer and keeps efforts aligned with real company goals.
- Integrate Data with Emotional Intelligence: Successful PR measurement blends data-driven analysis with contextual and emotional intelligence. This ensures strategies remain responsive to social, cultural, and market dynamics.
5 PR measurements for Fast-Growing Companies
Here’s a question we get asked a lot, in the quick, nimble world of hyper-growth companies how do we measure PR?
A top-tier PR agency should always begin by asking, “how will you measure success?” As a modern boutique PR firm, the team at Avaans Media always ask about future goals. This is critical to can tie results to meaningful business objectives. We also ask this question because results drive our PR pricing, which is built around your objectives, not ours.
Unlike traditional models, modern PR measurement has evolved. Every year since 2010, PR professionals meet in Barcelona and set the Barcelona Principles as a framework for measuring the effectiveness of PR and communication. We based our PR measurement philosophy on these modern PR measurement principles: Barcelona Principles 3.0.
These 5 PR measurements for fast-growing companies provide insight into how we work and provide a roadmap for PR success, no matter what your objectives.
1. DETERMINE THE “WHY” BEHIND PR
The “why” behind your PR strategyis the foundation for clarity, alignment, and momentum. There may be a 5-year goal in mind, or a sales goal for the next year. Goals for hyper-growth brands may be dynamic and far-reaching. Having long-term and short-term goals as a fast-growing company is perfectly acceptable.
Why It Matters
Your “why” might be long term, or immediate. For example,a PR campaign for venture capital attraction is different from a company preparing for an IPO. And if a company wants to improve revenue growth, the PR strategy for that would be different as well.
How to Apply It
Share your goals openly and regularly with your professional PR team. As goals change, so should the PR strategies and tactics. It’s important PR efforts reflect both positioning for today and tomorrow. The “Why” is where the communication strategy is built and it’s a critical piece to PR success. Once you determine your overall “why,” a top PR agency will then know what levers to pull for a quality PR campaign
2. PR MEASUREMENT IS ABOUT QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
It’s tempting to rely on PR dashboards with hundreds of KPIs , but more data doesn’t always mean better insight. With the advent of AI, gathering and interpreting your KPIs will be much easier. However, until that day happens, your PR KPIs should reflect 3-4 metrics that reflect the goals of the company.
Collaboration is Key
Work with your PR agency to determine which KPIs truly matter. If you’re unsure why something is being measured, ask. Modern PR is collaborative and iterative. As goals evolve, so should the metrics.
Pro Tip
Include metrics that include both outputs (coverage achieved) and potential impacts (business outcomes) for fast-growing companies, because that’s where the real story lies.
3. DATA AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TELL THE PR MEASUREMENT STORY BEST
Your PR measurement should include data points, but it should also include context and insight. Data without insight is practically meaningless for hyper-growth brands.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence
PR data and the importance of that PR measurement will have different meanings against, social, cultural, and corporate contexts. Splashing numbers across a page is the simple part. Modern PR measurement requires emotional intelligence to surface real insights and actionable strategies.
The Result
When there are radical changes, your PR firm should dive deeper to provide meaningful insight and assure correct changes were made proactively and the KPIs reflect the insight and analysis.
4. PR MEASUREMENT IS HOLISTIC
Why silo PR, one of the most important strategies for fast-growing companies? Modern PR includes SEO considerations, social media, paid media, and earned media, online and offline.
Breaking Down Silos
Insist that your modern PR firm collaborate with other agencies and departments or at the very least that they keep one another informed of campaigns and their goals. Aligning earned, paid, and owned strategies ensures that all marketing channels amplify each other.
Comprehensive Measurement
As a CMO, it’s also critical that you share the OTHER KPIs you measure in advertising, social media, and owned media so the communication measurement incorporates the entire picture. This holistic measurement provides a more accurate picture of brand momentum.
5. TRACKING FOR SMARTER, MORE ETHICAL GOALS
Everyone understands SMART objectives (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound), but modern PR agencies are adding ETHICAL and REVOLUTIONIZING to make objectives SMARTER.
Smarter PR
PR professionals have professional ethics set forth by organizations like PRSA. Journalists also have a set of professional ethics. But those ethics are only the beginning, because modern PR agencies should consider digital ethics (security, disclosure) as well as social and cultural ethics, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Transparency Contextualizes Data
Today’s PR strategies involve many levers—from earned to paid opportunities. Transparency ensures stakeholders understand what drives results.
Educate teams and executives on which outcomes are paid placements versus earned media. Understanding the distinction allows more accurate measurement and budgeting.
Transparent reporting fosters stronger relationships between brands and agencies—and leads to smarter, more confident decisions.
The Future of Measurement
PR measurement should always be contextural and advance both the brand AND society. These modern-day ethics aren’t only for purpose-driven brands, they are for all stakeholders who care about the brand. It’s more critical than ever that modern PR firms incorporate SMARTER goals and outputs that enhance brand value over short-term bursts which may actually hurt a brand’s reputation. The next generation of PR isn’t just about results—it’s about responsibility.
FINAL THOUGHT: PR MEASUREMENT THAT EVOLVES WITH GROWTH
PR measurement will remain as dynamic as your fast-growing business, customers, and culture. These five goals for hyper-growth brands provide guidance and help you achieve real success with PR.
At Avaans Media, we’re committed to being best-in-class in providing PR measurement with genuine insights that apply to your business. Contact us today for a meaningful discussion about PR measurements for today’s business goals.
