Why Public and Media Relations ROI Can’t Always Be Measured

Public relations is often one of the hardest investments for law firm leaders to measure. While some executives measure ROI based on clicks, open rates, and conversions, public and media relations success is tied to outcomes that don’t show up neatly in a dashboard. Trust. Credibility. Reputation. These are the intangibles that shape client loyalty, attract top talent, and sustain firms through crises.

In this episode, host Jennifer Simpson Carr and Furia Rubel’s executive vice president Sarah Larson unpack why the most meaningful PR and media relations results resist traditional measurement—and why that’s not a weakness but a strength. They challenge leaders to move past the “attribution trap” of spreadsheets and AVEs and reframe the conversation around what really matters: reputation equity and long-term influence.

Why PR ROI Isn’t Just About Clicks

Law firm leaders often want to see immediate results from PR: clicks, impressions, dashboards, and reports that look clean on a spreadsheet. But as Sarah explains, the true value of PR often lies in long-term trust, reputation, and credibility—intangibles that don’t show up neatly in quarterly metrics.

The “Attribution Trap”

Too many firms fall into what is called the “attribution trap”—forcing PR professionals to justify their work solely through short-term data. Jennifer points out that this obsession with numbers can cause leaders to miss the bigger picture: how PR shapes perception, builds client loyalty, and supports reputation equity over time.

Sarah shares a compelling consumer example: one customer became a lifelong buyer of Dr. Bronner’s not because of ads or promotions, but because of the company’s social media post about employee benefits. The takeaway? Humanizing content resonates and drives loyalty, even if it can’t be tied directly to conversions.

What Law Firms Should Measure Instead

While some metrics matter, Jennifer and Sarah emphasize that firms should expand their definition of success. Key indicators include:

• Brand lift over time: Is awareness of your firm growing steadily?
• Executive visibility: Are your leaders being invited to publish, speak, and be quoted?
• Stakeholder validation: Are clients and peers recognizing your presence in the media?
• Crisis resilience: Has your firm built enough trust to earn the “benefit of the doubt” in a crisis?

As Sarah notes, “If you’ve been putting into your reputation bank over time, then when a crisis happens, you have something to draw on.”

The Long Game of PR

Jennifer and Sarah stress that law firm PR is about shaping perceptions and building reputation over years, not weeks. From thought leadership pieces and speaking engagements to trusted media relationships, every effort builds a picture of what makes your firm distinct. And sometimes the most powerful measure of success is simple but telling: when clients say, “We saw your firm in the news, and it made us proud to work with you.”

The Takeaway for Law Firm Leaders

Law firm leaders should reframe how they talk about PR success internally. Instead of asking, “How many clicks did we get?” ask:

• How is PR building trust for our firm?
• Are we shaping the perception we want in the marketplace?
• Have we created a bank of reputational equity that will serve us in times of both opportunity and crisis?

The firms that thrive will be those that invest in building credibility and trust—not just counting clicks.

Resources:

• Why your best PR can’t be measured (and why that’s actually fine) – PR Daily article: https://www.prdaily.com/why-your-best-pr-cant-be-measured-and-why-thats-actually-fine/