A Practioner's Guide to Public Relations Research, Measurement and Evaluation

Chapter 1

Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Public Relations

Contemporary public relations practice has developed since the mid-20th century from the weak third sister in the marketing, advertising, and public relations mix to gain status as a full and equal player in the corporate suite. Part of that development can be traced to a change in the way public relations is practiced. The early days of public relations functions—limited to media relations and “press agentry”—have evolved into a sophisticated array of communications where public relations is no longer an afterthought, but is an integral part of the communications mix.

A central reason for this change in the perceptions of and stature of public relations in the communications ...