Finding Solid Ground: Using PR to Transcend the Intangible

Today’s blog post comes to us from Nallely Moreno of GLOBALHealthPR Mexico partner, PR Partners.

Quantifying the social impact of any discipline is not easy, and public relations is no exception. Globally, when it comes to establishing specific parameters to properly measure social impact, there are still “gray zones.”

Nonetheless, as communication professionals, we should strive to achieve objective outputs with every strategy and tool we use. It starts with reaching a single reader, viewer or follower, and can extend far into the collective social conscience. Even though the impact is unpredictable, this communication ultimately provides access to information that can be quantified and valued in any number of ways:

• Generation of quality content
• Investment in professionalization and training of journalists and media
• Coverage of a known fact from a new perspective

Most importantly, collaborating on a client project as equals allows us to build that sense of community. The end result: A simplification of complex scientific, technological, medical, industrial, financial or corporate languages found by listening to the clients’ needs and guiding them through the complexity of modern life.

Here in Mexico, the public relations industry has grown on average 9.1% in the past six years, and is worth about $1.9 billion Pesos ($150 million USD)[1] annually. There are over 5,000[2] PR consultants in Mexico focused on raising awareness on behalf of companies, and the impact of their advocacy comes with a high level of credibility and for an affordable price.

Throughout my life I have sought to contribute positively to society. Undoubtedly, PR has been the best means to achieve this goal. From my perspective, the contribution of marketing to society has endless possibilities, and a great potential for multidisciplinary approaches. Leading the Healthcare Business Unit at PR Partners, I have witnessed the value and impact of public relations on Mexican society and industry, and strongly believe we still have much more to do to support healthcare and improve the quality of life from infants to seniors.