A PR pro, journalist and client walk into a bar. The PR pro reads the room and finds the perfect spot, the journalist studies the dynamics, and the client checks their watch, questioning the ROI of relationship building.
This scene captures PR's essential, but hard-to-measure, skills. Today's PR pros are strategic advisors, crisis counselors and reputation architects, yet they struggle to articulate their value. The hesitation to hire PR goes deeper than budget, it's about viewing PR as tactical rather than strategic. As one Fortune 500 CMO puts it:
"We don't hire PR firms for their media lists or writing skills. We hire them for their judgment, their instincts, and their ability to see around corners."
Behind every measurable win lies crucial but hard-to-quantify skills. When a PR pro prevents a scandal or lands the perfect story, it's not just luck. It's relationships, judgment and deep human understanding developed over years. These instincts can't be taught or automated. They compound over time, creating exponential value that distinguishes veteran pros from newcomers.
The question is: How do we measure the “science” of intangible PR work?
A Partner to the Business
While metrics matter, the best PR pros excel at "impossible-to-spreadsheet" skills. A survey by the World Economic Forum and FleishmanHillard says 60% of execs see brand and reputation driving over 40% of market value. In light of this, three abilities set practitioners apart: spotting industry patterns early, understanding business fundamentals and reading organizational dynamics. These skills transform PR pros into strategic business leaders.
To track pattern recognition, monitor campaign pivots and business wins from trend predictions. Document identified industry shifts, actions taken and opportunities secured through trend-jacking initiatives.
Commercial awareness can be shown through before-and-after metrics for business outcomes influenced by PR, such as leads, traffic and conversion rates. Document when business model understanding improves campaigns, like developer content driving a measurable increases in trial signups.
For relationship intelligence, measure sentiment data from meetings and content using AI tools. Track improvements in decision-making efficiency when organizational dynamics are correctly read, such as reducing approval times from weeks to days.
Emotional IQ and Strategic Thinking
The best PR work happens between the lines—reading unspoken client needs, knowing when to push back or adapt and navigating difficult conversations. While these skills resist measurement, they convert PR pros from vendors into trusted advisors who drive real business impact.
Client whispering success can be quantified by tracking any reduction in revision rounds and maintaining a "reading between the lines" log that compares initial client requests with underlying needs. For example, when a client requests press releases but needs lead generation, document how shifting to targeted trade media triples qualified leads. Track "preemptive solutions" by documenting instances where you addressed unstated needs before they became explicit requests.
Relationship management metrics should include monitoring client satisfaction scores around difficult pushbacks, tracking retention rates where expectation management was needed versus industry averages, and documenting "trust equity" incidents where honest pushback led to increased investment or expanded scope. Measure the average length of client relationships with and without strategic pushback.
Strategic counsel effectiveness can be evaluated by monitoring changes in client satisfaction scores after strategic interventions, tracking implementation of recommendations, measuring success rates of difficult conversations, and calculating the value of crisis prevention efforts.
Grow Your Career in PR
Veteran PR pros have an instinctive feel for timing, knowing when to pitch, spotting crisis signals, and crafting messages that resonate. Their empathy anticipates audience reactions and can detect any coming shifts. These skills can't be reduced to a checklist or automated by AI. They come from experience and deep understanding of human psychology and media dynamics.
News cycles can be assessed by tracking the ratio of successfully placed stories during optimal windows. Measure coverage outcomes when announcements are delayed or accelerated based on intuition and compare results of stories timed with news cycle intuition versus client-requested timing.
Message resonance can be evaluated through message pull-through rates, social engagement metrics, and a "resonance scorecard" comparing predicted versus actual message impact. Document how cultural awareness leads to successful message pivots and improved coverage.
Strategic empathy measurement tracks sentiment shifts around messaging adjustments, gaps between predicted and actual public response, and early warning system value. For example, measure how early sentiment detection enables proactive responses that minimize negative coverage.
Become an Invaluable Resource to the Media
While 85% of PR work involves media relations (Redline Digital), 71% of pros expect earning coverage to get harder (Inbound Blogging). Success requires a sixth sense: knowing when stories are ready, understanding journalists' preferences, and building authentic relationships beyond just pitching. These skills come from experience and emotional intelligence, not templates or automation.
Pitch timing effectiveness can be measured by tracking response rates across different timing windows and comparing performance of pitches based on journalist preferences versus standard timing. Calculate a "pitch efficiency rate" comparing successful placements to follow-ups needed, and document "hold back wins" where strategic timing led to better opportunities.
Relationship quality can be monitored through journalist response times, tracking exclusive stories, and measuring coverage quality from relationship-based versus cold pitches. A "relationship depth score" can be calculated based on journalist-initiated contact, background conversations, story collaborations, and response speed.
Story matching success can be evaluated by comparing success rates of "instinct-matched" journalist pitches and tracking "first choice" placement rates. Measure correlation between predicted and actual coverage success, while documenting "angle adaptation wins" through analysis of original versus final angles and placement quality improvements.
As brand and reputation drive company value, PR must evolve beyond traditional metrics. While soft skills resist measurement, we can now track these crucial intangibles with practical frameworks.
Lindsey Bradshaw is the owner of Bradshaw Comms.