Most marcomms pros can't prove value of their work, research finds

Just one-third of marcomms professionals track the commercial impact of their work and align their activity with commercial goals, while 66 per cent are focused on driving high volumes of coverage, according to new research from PR reporting tool CoverageBook.

The survey of more than 350 senior PR and marketing professionals globally found that 31 per cent have seen budgets cut in the last year.

Despite this, half of the survey respondents (50 per cent) believe cuts would have been less likely if they could better prove the commercial relevance of their work.

Of the 143 UK-based PR and marketing professionals surveyed, less than half (41 per cent) said they consider new business and sales when measuring the impact of their work.

These numbers dropped further when they were asked about measuring how much investment their work generates – considered by just 14 per cent of UK practitioners.

A much bigger emphasis is placed on outputs and audience when it comes to success metrics, with 96 per cent of global respondents citing target audience as a key measurement criterion, and 66 per cent citing high volumes of coverage.

CoverageBook said its latest research comes at a time when clients are putting increased scrutiny on PR teams to demonstrate impact.

It added that while the PR industry is “finally putting outdated metrics like AVE to bed” – now used by just seven per cent of those surveyed – there is no consensus on updated methods to prove the value of comms.

Indeed, when asked about the biggest challenges they face in measurement, 54 per cent of all survey respondents cited the lack of a universal measurement framework, while 52 per cent mentioned a lack of measurement tools.

Commenting on the survey results, Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the CIPR, said: “These findings show how PR practitioners are putting more time into measurement and evaluation, but the lack of a common approach is costing us credibility.

“With one in three PR budgets being cut and a sluggish economy, we need to be more effective than ever in telling our story, and communicating the impact and value of our work.”