Social Science and Human Research Bulletin

Public Relations (public relations (PR)) is increasingly recognized as a strategic communication function that strengthens organizational legitimacy, nurtures trust, and manages reputation in complex social and political environments. In Nigeria, yet it must be acknowledged, public relations (PR) measurement has traditionally relied on narrow indicators such as press clippings, media mentions, and publicity reports. These media-centric methods privilege visibility over effectiveness and fall short of adequately to capture public relations (PR)’s broader contributions to stakeholder relationships, behavioral outcomes, and societal impact. Anchored on Excellence Theory, which frames public relations (PR) as a strategic management function, and the Barcelona Principles of Communication Measurement and Evaluation, which emphasize outcome-oriented, transparent, and multidimensional systematic assessment, this conceptual paper interrogates the limitations of traditional systematic assessment conceptual approaches when examined within the Nigerian socio-political and cultural context. Drawing on both global scholarship and Nigerian literature, it examines the cultural, institutional, and political factors that have shaped local practices and hindered methodological innovation. The study proposes a holistic conceptual approach that integrates international best practices with Nigeria’s contextual realities, encouraging practitioners to embrace methods that combine qualitative and quantitative metrics. It recommends three key steps: abandoning outdated metrics such as Advertising Value Equivalence (AVE); adopting the Barcelona Principles to align communication with organizational and societal goals; and fostering collaboration between academia, practitioners, and professional associations to develop locally relevant standards. By advancing this multidimensional and context-sensitive perspective, the paper contributes to theory-building in public relations (PR) and offers practical insights for redefining systematic assessment when examined within the Nigerian socio-political and cultural context. Ultimately, it contends that rigorous and credible systematic assessment practices are essential for enhancing the profession’s accountability, relevance, and long-term impact.

Public Relations, Evaluation, Media Mentions, Nigeria, Excellence Theory, Barcelona Principles

1. AMEC. (2020). Barcelona Principles 3.0: Principles for measurement of communication. Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication.
2. AMEC. (2020). AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework. Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication.
3. Ekanem, T. (2019). Public relations and stakeholder engagement in Nigeria: Toward outcome-oriented evaluation. Nigerian Journal of Communication, 16(2), 45–61.
4. Grunig, J. E. (2006). Furnishing the edifice: Ongoing research on public relations as a strategic management function. Journal of Public Relations Research, 18(2), 151–176.
5. Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (1992). Models of public relations and communication. In J. E. Grunig (Ed.), Excellence in public relations and communication management (pp. 285–325). Lawrence Erlbaum.
6. Grunig, J. E., & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing public relations. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
7. Grunig, J. E., Grunig, L. A., & Dozier, D. M. (2002). Excellent public relations and effective organizations: A study of communication management in three countries. Lawrence Erlbaum.
8. Macnamara, J. (2014). Emerging international standards for measurement and evaluation of public relations: A critical analysis. Public Relations Inquiry, 3(1), 7–29.
9. Macnamara, J. (2018). Evaluating public communication: Exploring new models, standards, and best practice. Routledge.
10. Macnamara, J., & Gregory, A. (2018). Expanding evaluation to progress strategic communication: Beyond message tracking to open listening. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 469–486.
11. Michaelson, D., & Stacks, D. W. (2011). Standardization in public relations measurement and evaluation. Public Relations Journal, 5(2), 1–22.
12. Nwosu, I. E. (2017). Public relations measurement and evaluation in Nigeria: Trends, challenges, and prospects. Nigerian Journal of Communication Studies, 2(1), 23–38.
13. Okafor, G. (2019). Public relations evaluation in Nigeria: Issues and perspectives. Nigerian Journal of Communication Studies, 23(2), 45–59.
14. Olaleye, I. (2021). Repositioning public relations evaluation in Nigeria: A conceptual framework. Journal of Media and Communication Research, 13(1), 88–104.
15. Oso, L., & Pate, U. (2011). Mass media and society in Nigeria. Malthouse Press.
16. Watson, T. (2012). The evolution of public relations measurement and evaluation. Public Relations Review, 38(3), 390–398.
17. Watson, T. (2013). Advertising value equivalence – PR’s zombie metric. Institute form Public Relations.
18. Watson, T., & Noble, P. (2014). Evaluating public relations: A guide to planning, research, and measurement. Kogan Page.
19. Zerfass, A., Verčič, D., & Volk, S. C. (2021). Communication evaluation and measurement: Skills, practices and utilization in European organizations. Public Relations Review, 47(1), 101–118.