May 22 breakfast: How to determine the return on investment for communications

One of the oldest dilemmas in communications is valuating public relations reach, engagement and impact.

All National Press Club members are invited to a professional development session to learn about calculating and expressing the impact of communications in business terms and how to best measure reach and impact. The breakfast session, sponsored by the Club Communicator Team will be Tuesday, May 22, from 8-9 a.m. in the Cosgrove Lounge at the Club. It is free to members, but registration is required by clicking here.

The presenter will be Chris Bender, vice president of the Public Affairs Council, where he oversees the Council’s executive education programs, member services, and research on management practices and emerging issues. He leads the development of customized training and benchmarking services and expanding the Council’s networks for international, political involvement, corporate social responsibility and association public affairs professionals. He has previously worked for the communications agency Adfero and global biotech company Novozymes North America.

Bender will discuss how communications is a business function, not a service one. Public relations help establish or maintain a market by influencing policy and political decision-makers, industry and thought leaders and the general public toward a favorable view of an industry and the organization’s solutions or positions. It’s therefore critical to assess and communicate the effectiveness of communications in terms of bottom-line business impact, or return on investment.

The National Press Club Communicator Team hosts monthly professional development continental breakfasts sessions for journalists and communicators that are free to Club members. A member may bring a guest who pays a $10 fee at the time registration. The fee will be refundable if the guest becomes a Club member.