We will share how to truly evaluate how well your company is marketing itself. When it comes down to actually evaluating PR initiatives, organizations aren't exactly sure. Marketing and PR is considered > intangible in terms of its ROI and associating an actual matrix to its value. Companies know that they need it but consider it a gray area when it comes to setting expectations for their in-house team as well as for their public relation agency, if they have one. Here are just a few of the questions we will consider along with the importance of why we are considering them: Is your company vision clearly mapped out for today and for future products and/or services as a context for all company communications? Have you developed your company's key messages for each unique audience and defined competitive differentiators? Are you utilizing a matrix to measure the overall success in communicating the company's key messages effectively? Are you getting placements in at least 50% of relevant editorial opportunities? How do you know? In producing third-party endorsements, customer testimonials, and success studies, how are you marketing them? Are you actively seeking award opportunities? How many awards have you received so far this year? Have you conducted a perception study to understand how your key constituents perceive your company? We will provide a "How To" PR guide and explain the importance of measuring the results. PR performance measurement encompasses a measure of business value, of strategic alignment and of marketing efficiency. It can seem too abstract to fit easily into a concrete measurement like it does for sales but through our 10 plus years of PR experience, we definitely have seen the PR measurement matrix evolve. Our presentation will help organizations get a handle on setting PR expectations as well as how to successfully fulfill those expectations. We are excited to share with the group through our experience, industry research and customer stories on how organizations are able to evaluate what PR investments they should make along with how to measure their outcome and success.

1. Marketing & PR Food for Thought By Valerie Harding Ripple Effect Communications [email_address]