Picture this — a brand launches a major PR campaign, lands multiple media clippings, and floods the group chat with links. The team celebrates, the client smiles, and someone says, “We nailed it!”

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But then comes the million-ringgit question: Did this actually move the needle for the business?

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Sounds familiar?

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It’s a common scenario. PR teams are often celebrated for media coverage — the number of articles, the headline placements, the photo in print. But what happens when someone higher up asks, “So… what’s the ROI?”

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The Problem with Vanity Metrics
Media clippings, AVE (advertising value equivalency), and impressions have long been the default way to show PR’s value. While these numbers help paint a picture of visibility, they don’t tell the full story.

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They don’t show how perceptions shifted, whether stakeholders were influenced, or how your message actually resonated with the people who matter.

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It’s a bit like having a packed event but no idea what anyone thought of the speaker.

Looking at PR Impact Differently
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but maybe it’s time we started thinking beyond the usual numbers. Here are a few things we’ve seen some brands exploring — and they might just spark some ideas for your next campaign too:

• Measure What Matters
  Track outcomes, not just output. Did your campaign change public sentiment? Did it spark conversations? Did it support business objectives — such as driving consideration, nurturing trust, or reinforcing brand values?
  
  
• Stakeholder Sentiment
  Use post-campaign surveys or sentiment analysis to assess how different stakeholders — from customers to internal teams — perceived your brand narrative.
  
  
• Website Traffic & Search Uplift
  A surge in branded search queries or website traffic after PR exposure often signals heightened interest — even if there’s no “clickable” media coverage. People hear, then they Google.
  
  
• Social Listening (backlink to Maybank - DEX website)
  What are people saying — not just liking or sharing? Use social listening tools to understand the quality of conversations sparked by your PR story. Are you shaping narratives or simply adding noise?
  
  
• Business Alignment
  Is your PR work aligned with business goals — reputation management, thought leadership, investor confidence, or community engagement? The real ROI lies in how your communications support these broader ambitions.
  

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Conclusion:
Media coverage will always have a role to play, but it’s time to move beyond the press clipping scoreboard.

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The value of PR shouldn’t be measured only in numbers, but in the strength of narratives built, trust earned, and minds changed.

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At the end of the day, maybe the real value of PR isn’t just about how loud you’re heard — but what sticks after the noise fades.

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