The goal of virtually all public relations is to help an organization achieve its business or performance objectives. How does PR do this? It begins by setting measurable objectives of its own.

Measurable objectives in public relations do two things:

1. They facilitate and support business objectives, thus demonstrating that PR activities support the business or performance goals and are thereby "strategic"
2. They enable PR practitioners to show they have achieved what they set out to achieve, and thereby demonstrate accountability

This paper offers specific guidance in creating objectives that are valuable to the business and measurable.

This is a Gold Standard paper that has been selected by the Commission on Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation for its expert contribution to the theoretical structure of measurement and evaluation. These preeminent papers have become part of the core curriculum for public relations practitioners, clarifying, systematizing and informing the way we think about research, measurement and evaluation.