senft&partner initiates working group for adding value through communications

12. Jun 2008

Communications work doesn’t end with the publication of a press release or when the last guest leaves an event. Ongoing, strategic communications require consistent and structured PR controlling, a discipline that is often neglected in the industry. senft&partner has taken matters into its own hands. The Public Relation Verband Austria’s (PRVA) Adding Value Through Communications working group convened under managing partner Susanne Senft for the first time on 27 March. The group is working on the development of a system to evaluate the effectiveness of integrated communications.

As an agency certified to CMS II standard we attach a great deal of value to quality and structured processes. We are now channelling our energies into a more focused evaluation of PR activities in the interest of improved structure and transparency. This chiefly involves process optimisation. How can communication activities be assessed and how can we create a solid platform for consistently improving the standard of our work?
The objective is to identify a model within a manageable budgetary framework that delivers realistic results for companies of all sizes.

The basic principles of the model will draw on theory, but also reflect individual practical experience and inputs from colleagues. The working group is made up of experts from a range of specialist areas spanning everything from listed companies and industry to SMEs, lobbyists and non-profit organisations.

In the first meeting of the working group it soon emerged that the concept of adding value is a broad and complex issue. The complexity of the subject matter makes the task a challenge for everyone as the evaluation process brings together a wide range of disciplines.

At the end of April Susanne Senft will travel to Dubai to find out how PR professionals from other countries are approaching this question. As a member of international PR association IPRN, senft&partner will compare notes with its international counterparts, and assist in bringing together everyone’s expertise.