Ketchum Public Relations has a one-page “scorecard” to help simplify the media measurement process. The Ketchum scorecard is a grid that rates coverage on a point scale based on the following:

• Prominence of client mentioned
• Prominence of position
• Source of item (i.e. did it come from the company’s PR efforts or elsewhere)
• Quality of primary messages
• Quality of secondary messages
• Format of presentation (a feature story with photos vs. a mention of the company)
• Exposure index (how much exposure a story gets in a given media vehicle)
• Favorability index
• Audience reach

While this level of analysis may not be practical or necessary in many cases, it does provide a helpful way to provide clients and senior management with a useful tool to measure the effectiveness of their PR activities.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.