by Robert A. Kelly

Could be. In fact, I believe it is. How can you measure results of an activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve goal you set at beginning of that activity?

In my opinion, you can’t. It’s pure success when you meet that goal.

Public relations is no different. The client/employer wants our help in altering counterproductive perceptions among key audiences which almost always change behaviors in a way that helps him or her get to where they want to be.

And why are we uniquely qualified to do that job?

Because everything we do is based on realities that people act on their perception of facts and that we can do something about those perceptions. When public relations activity successfully creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-action those people whose behaviors affect organization, public relations effort is a success.

But before we follow that client/employer on his or her way to that kind of successful public relations end game, a few words about measurement challenge itself.

It’s a large challenge and one that stands between us and achievement of that conclusive indicator showing that our public relations investment has been applied wisely.

Unfortunately, traditional public relations performance measurement methods are subjective and open to varied interpretation because we do not have viable and widely accepted public relations measurement standards.

Instead, as we attempt to evaluate public relations performance now, we must use highly subjective, very limited and only partially applicable performance judgements. Among them, inquiry generation, story content analysis, gross impressions, and even equivalent advertising value.

It’s incredible when you think about it.

Here we are, part and parcel of America’s multi-trillion dollar industrial, educational and organizational collossus and, yet, we cannot demonstrate conclusively – that’s CONCLUSIVELY – that we achieved our public relations program’s behavioral goal.

Why? Because, as of today, it costs WAY too much public opinion survey money to demonstrate conclusively that we achieved public relations perception and behavioral goal set at beginning of program. In many cases, opinion research costs more than entire underlying public relations program. Thus, it’s almost always set aside in favor of “winging it.”

What are we to do?

This article highlights what many professionals already know. We need this final step in public relations problem solving sequence, and we need it badly.

What can be done? I like NASA approach. When money is especially short, these dedicated people repeatedly find a way around problem using an amazing mix of tech- nology innovation, operational creativity and raw determination.

Here, in year 2002, why cannot best minds in fields of public relations, sociology, psychology and opinion gathering attack challenge of PROVING CONCLUSIVELY that a given public relations campaign has – or has not – changed target audience behaviors as planned at beginning

of program, and do so without bankrupting its participants? Until an answer to that question presents itself, let us follow our client/employer as s/he pursues that successful public relations end game.

Take client/employer bedeviled by activists who perceive his or her organization as despoilers of environment, or whose newly introduced kitchen appliance is perceived as unsafe, or who is perceived as profiting from labors of underage workers in its Far Eastern manufacturing plants.

Common to each are negative perceptions which invariably lead to negative behaviors such as calls for more government regulation, legal challenges, falling product sales, declining share prices and boycotts, to name a few.

Secure in knowledge that public relations problems are nearly always defined by what people think about facts rather than actual truth of matter, public relations team faced with such challenges must now mount its attack. In particular to alter counterproductive perceptions and behaviors, and achieve behavioral goal set at beginning of activity.

First, it assesses accuracy of each allegation. If there is some truth to it, immediate remedial action is called for. Even if it is patently untrue, damaging perception remains and must be confronted.

The best thing you can do in this life is to get paid for doing something you would be doing anyway, so building up a small business from a hobby is ideal way to make a living. Not only will you be your own boss, you will also be doing something you love to do anyway - work isn’t like work if you enjoy what you are doing. On top of this, if you are marketing your own products and designs you are far more likely to work harder and have a belief in your product and love you put into producing your work will shine through, not like if you were selling or promoting someone else’s wares.

There are many ways to turn a hobby into a business. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something you make to sell. If you like cooking, why not start a recipe newsletter for other like minded chefs. Or if your forte is fancy cakes or cheesecakes, why not try to get one or two regular customers, for example local coffee bars or sandwich shops, to buy your extravagant confections to sell in slices to customers. Obviously if you are going to do something like this you will have to comply with health and safety regulations, but it is definitely something which is entirely possible.

If you enjoy making crafts, why not sell them via mail order, rather than going down usual route of selling through craft fairs. What about sewing? Are you a good quilter? Could you make exclusive cot quilts and bumpers? Cuddly toys, clothes alterations, soft furnishings? All these pastimes can be turned into lucrative businesses. By working as many hours, or taking as many or as few orders as you like, you can control how big your business grows and at what rate.