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

Contemporary public relations practice has developed over the last several decades from the weak third sister in marketing, advertising, and public relations mix to a full player. To help you keep up to speed with the exciting changes and developments of publications, this book has been updated to provide you with the necessary understanding of the problems and promises of public relations research, measurement, and evaluation. As a public relations professional, this book will guide you through the effective use of methods, measures, and evaluation in providing grounded evidence of the success (or failure) of public relations campaigns. This second edition takes a best practices approach--one that focuses on choosing the appropriate method and rigorously applying that method to collect the data that best answers the objectives of the research. It also presents an approach to public relations that emphasizes the profession's impact on the client's return on investment in the public relations function.

David Michaelson has over 30 years' experience conducting research for numerous Fortune 500 companies, universities, and philanthropic organizations. He has an extensive background in communication testing, message development, measurement of communications effectiveness, and branding. Along with Dr. Stacks, he is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles on public relations measurement and evaluation. He received his PhD in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and is a research fellow of the Institute for Public Relations.

Don W. Stacks received his doctorate from the University of Florida and is Professor of Public Relations in the Department of Strategic Communication in the University of Miami's School of Communication. He has authored or coauthored eight books and over 200 articles, chapters, and presentations on communication topics. Dr. Stacks has been recognized by the Public Relations Society of America as its Professor of the Year and received the Jackson Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Research Prize.