In recent years it has become increasingly clear that public relations work is an important source of added value.
This naturally also applies to startups: investors must be convinced, customers won, and strategic partners found.
At the same time, PR initially generates costs that are not directly offset by a monetary countervalue.
This makes it more difficult to determine the contribution of PR to value creation.
For PR managers, this is a difficult balancing act: how can investments be justified?
How can they use human and financial resources effectively and efficiently?
In short: how can the value contribution of public relations be measured?
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Communication measures differ fundamentally from products or services that can be priced.
Instead, downstream target values are to be considered whose effect on the company only becomes apparent later.
But how do you measure trust and reputation?
A comparison of PR costs with purely economic parameters is not sufficient or effective.
In addition to input and output, it contains two further target variables so-called outcome and outflow.
The input, i.e.
the cost side, comprises all production factors that the company brings into the communication process.
This includes internal personnel costs as well as expenses for agencies and other service providers.
The output comprises the results of the internal transformation process, both internally and externally.
This happens in the outcome, which looks at the actual contact quality.
The model differentiates between the direct outcome and indirect outcome.
What contribution does communication generally make to the added value of the entire company?
Usually, this can only be achieved through extensive surveys conducted by market research agencies.
Such expensive controlling instruments are not available for startups.
Startups therefore often act within a so-called OKR target framework.
It respects targets and deadlines while adapting to circumstances.
It promotes feedback and celebrates wins, large and small.
Most important, it expands our limits.
It moves us to strive for what might seem beyond our reach.
OKRs are a tool for making decisions, coordinating measures and weighing them against each other.
The goals or objectives are the what.
They are aggressive, clear and tangible, and they must make a clear contribution to the companys success.
The key results are the how.
They describe measurable milestones, i.e.
results, and not activities.
Each unit of the organization sets itself quarterly qualitative goals, which are backed up with quantitative results.
This results in a cascade of objectives and each individual employee works consistently towards the company objectives.
The degree of achievement is checked weekly; under certain circumstances, goals are reformulated or resources are reallocated.
Doerr emphasizes:
OKRs are a shared language for execution.
They clarify expectations […].
They keep employees aligned, vertically and horizontally.
[…] OKRs are neon-lit signs.
They demolish silos and cultivate connections among far-flung contributors.
By enabling frontline autonomy, the give rise to fresh solutions.
And they keep even the most successful organizations stretching for more.
OKRs thus help to focus on a few central goals.
They document progress and relate the current and target situation to each other.
OKRs think big, not small.
They set ambitious goals that are deliberately formulated in such a way that they cannot all be achieved.
OKRs are a valuable tool for companies of all sizes to map and align target hierarchies.
However, they are particularly suitable for the agile environment of startups.
For PR, the OKR system is associated with challenges.
Instead, potential targets are more appropriate, but strictly speaking they run counter to Grovs principles.
It helps to control communication.
This is its great strength.
Comparative values are also needed in PR.
This is exactly what is often lacking.
Without any measurement, however, no comparative value can be determined.
For the OKR system to really make sense, surveys among the stakeholders would therefore also be useful here.
Startups are therefore particularly dependent on appropriate communication controlling.
It does not create less but also no more.
OKRs force employees to question their daily actions every day and to go creative and unusual ways.
They do not replace extensive market research and do not prevent the wrong goals from being sometimes pursued.
Between megalomania and blind activism, they are a compass that is often neglected in PR.
Story byLydia Prexl
Lydia is a PR professional who is passionate about writing.
