Applying a unified public relations evaluation model in a European context.

Abstract

The evaluation of public relations programmes has been a topic of keen interest to the public relations community for many years. A number of three level/stage models have been proposed to describe and explain the evaluation process. They have not been successful in terms of practitioner acceptance and have been criticised for being unrealistic and lacking feedback mechanisms. More recently the short-term and continuing models have been developed in response to these criticisms. This paper suggests a Unified Evaluation model which uses an established analysis of the communication/persuasion process as a framework to integrate and unify existing models that describe the public relations evaluation process. The proposed testing of this model in a European, transnational context is then outlined.