What Does PR Success Actually Mean in 2025?
When people think about PR, they often think about headlines. Magazine features. Splashy articles.
And for a long time, that was the main measure of success:
➡️ Get featured.
➡️ See a sales spike.
➡️ Mission accomplished.
But in 2025, PR is so much bigger—and harder to measure with just one number or moment.
Because PR today is about what it has always stood for at its core: Public Relations.
It's not just about press.
It’s about how the public relates to your brand. How they share it. How they perceive it. How they talk about it when you're not in the room.
Publicists have existed long before the job title did—and they'll continue to exist, no matter what the future looks like.
Because here’s what PR really does, no matter the era:
1️⃣ Shape perception
2️⃣ Spread the word
3️⃣ Get your story in front of the right people
Long before there were magazines, newspapers, or TikTok, people still needed to share important messages.
And they always found a way.
From town criers shouting news in the marketplace, to court heralds announcing royal decrees, to carrier pigeons delivering critical information across distances—humans have always created systems to spread messages, shape perception, and reach the right people.
It’s one of the reasons our company is called Birdie—named after the carrier pigeons that, for their time, were cutting-edge communication technology (we’re inspired specifically by the pigeon Cher Ami if you’re ready for an amazing rabbit hole to go down…) The tools evolve. The need to connect people to the right message at the right moment never goes away.
The Met Gala Photographed in 1960 (Source)
Another brilliant example: Eleanor Lambert. In 1948, this pioneering fashion publicist founded the first-ever Met Gala as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She knew instinctively that getting the right designers, celebrities, and high-society figures into one glamorous room would do more than raise money—it would elevate American fashion on the world stage.
Lambert didn’t just organize events. She crafted public perception, shaped the future of American fashion, and created institutions like New York Fashion Week and the International Best Dressed List—movements that still impact the industry today.
The platforms have changed. The principles haven’t.
Today, in 2025, PR success is still about how the public hears about you, relates to you, and carries your story forward.
Let's talk about what that actually looks like now—and how to measure success in a way that reflects the world we're living in.
Step One: Define Your Version of Success
There’s no universal “win” in PR.
You have to know what you're aiming for first.
Some examples:
Are you trying to shift brand perception?
(Example: You don’t just sell Christmas ornaments—you sell collectible fine art.)Are you trying to increase awareness?
(In a specific region, with a specific demographic, or just across the board?)Are you trying to build credibility?
(You’re in a crowded market and you need people to see you as the real deal.)
Without clear brand goals, no amount of press or buzz will feel like enough.
Clarity first, then coverage.
Step Two: Understand Why Old Metrics Aren't Enough Anymore
In the "old days," PR success was usually measured by:
Impressions (How many people could have seen it?)
AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) (How much would it have cost to buy this coverage as an ad?)
Here’s the reality:
We don’t like to measure that way because the value of the placements we secure for clients is often equivalent to $50–$100K in ad spend. So getting even one major placement in a year can make hiring PR support more cost-effective than buying ad space directly.
AND… impressions don’t tell the whole story. Just because a magazine has 1 million readers doesn’t mean 1 million people read your feature. We’re more interested in measuring the real impact on your brand—on credibility, perception, conversation, or trust.
PR isn't transactional – it’s relational. And relationships aren't built in a single moment—they're built over time.
Step Three: What We Actually Measure
At Birdie, here’s what we focus on when evaluating PR success:
Brand Perception Shifts:
Are more people understanding what you actually do? How are they talking about you after coverage hits?
Brand Awareness Growth:
Are you seeing more direct traffic, more organic search, more inbound inquiries?
Credibility Indicators:
Are you now mentioned alongside major players in your industry? Are you being introduced differently (“They’ve been featured in Vogue/Forbes/etc.”)?
Quality Relationships:
Are editors, influencers, and industry players starting to come to you because they've seen you talked about elsewhere?
Organic Sharing and Amplification:
Are real people sharing your story without being paid to? Are people reposting, quoting, referencing your brand?
Long-Tail Conversations:
Are you seeing lasting buzz weeks or months after a placement—not just a one-week spike?
The Bottom Line:
PR isn't about a single splash anymore.
It’s about the relationship you're building with the public over time—and how you show up consistently, credibly, and meaningfully.
Press is a tool. Relationships are the win.
And the smartest brands in 2025 are playing the long game.
