Evaluation of Public Relations Campaigns: A Case Study of Selected Public Relations Practitioners in Kenya
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Date
2023-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Daystar University, School of Communication
Abstract
Evaluation of public relations (PR) campaigns is critical for the professional advancement of the PR industry. Best practice recommendations have endorsed the need to move beyond outputs and focus on outcomes, but available research has shown a discrepancy between theoretical best practice and actual implementation. The aim of this research was to contribute to the knowledge of PR campaigns evaluation in Kenya through providing insight into the elements of PR campaigns, approaches used to evaluate PR campaigns and perception on evaluation of PR campaigns among selected PR practitioners in Kenya. Using semi-structured interviews, twenty-seven senior Kenyan PR practitioners were interviewed. The findings indicate that all participants identified evaluation of PR campaigns as important but acknowledged that it was complex. Some participants had some form of systematic planning to evaluate PR campaigns while others recognised using formal and research-based approaches. However, majority of the PR practitioners focused on the output level of PR campaign evaluation. The study recommends PR practitioners to take responsibility in applying more formal evaluation approaches, since the general perception was that the responsibility for better evaluation approaches rested on the industry versus individuals. It also recommends practitioners to embrace evaluation throughout a PR campaign, as opposed to a summative process, and to use the findings to replicate success. PR professional organizations should also keep their members accountable while practitioners take advantage of available resources to advance their knowledge on evaluation of PR campaigns. Additionally, PR agencies should participate in the dialogue towards better evaluation of PR campaigns considering this study identified them as key stakeholders in delivering results that focused on both outputs and outcomes.
Description
MASTER OF ARTS
in Communication
Keywords
Public Relations Campaigns, Public Relations Practitioners
Citation
Kiboi, W. J., (2023).Evaluation of Public Relations Campaigns: A Case Study of Selected Public Relations Practitioners in Kenya: Daystar University, School of Communication