This is a short video clip from Episode 109. Listen to the full episode here on You Tube or on any podcast directory.
Professor Anne Gregory is former leader of the Global Alliance, with CIPR. She's been recognized by both the PRSA and CPRS in Canada... but today she's both frustrated and sad over the stagnation in public relations (PR) evaluation methods. She laments that even after decades, many CEOs still focus on superficial metrics like media mentions, reflecting a vanity-driven approach to PR.
Gregory criticizes the PR profession for not effectively demonstrating its true value to the C-suite, emphasizing that traditional metrics, like media impressions and equivalent advertising value, are not the most meaningful indicators of PR's impact.
She warns that unless the PR industry shifts its focus from counting outputs to demonstrating real organizational impact, it risks becoming obsolete, especially with the rise of automation. Gregory advocates for a reevaluation of PR's role, emphasizing the importance of understanding and aligning with stakeholder values and expectations. She argues for a more holistic approach to PR evaluation, focusing on an organization's purpose, leadership behavior, treatment of stakeholders, and the nature of its communication, to truly assess and demonstrate the value and impact of public relations in a meaningful way.
