Let us be honest — if I had a naira for every time a CEO said or thinks PR is a “cost center,” I would probably have built a second agency by now.
And I get it — PR feels intangible to some folks in the C-suite. It is not always as direct as “We spent X and sold Y.” But here is the kicker: PR is the only business function working daily to maintain the public reputation of the brand that the CEO wakes up every day to lead.
Without PR, a brand’s reputation could crumble quietly while the finance team celebrates balance sheets. So when next you hear someone say PR doesn’t bring value, kindly show them this article — and maybe offer them a bottle of water too, because they are clearly thirsty for the truth.
Having stated the value of PR, let us start this conversation with a bit of PR truth serum. If you have ever presented a beautifully designed PR report and watched your CEO flip through it with all the enthusiasm of someone reviewing a phone book in 2025, I feel your pain. And I have lived it. With over 15 years in PR measurement, research, and media intelligence — and having worked across different markets in Africa — one recurring silent theme has always echoed from boardrooms: “This is great, but what exactly does it say about me?”
You do be surprised how fast a CEO’s interest sparks when they see their name with a performance score next to their competitors.
Now, before you roll your eyes and scream “vanity metrics,” hold on. This isn’t about stroking egos or creating a separate report that worships leadership. It is about relatability.
One of the major reasons why some executives see PR teams as a cost center — and why they struggle to sign off on measurement budgets — is because they simply can’t connect with the report. Yes, the brand got 500+ mentions.
Yes, the sentiment was 80% positive. Yes, you landed an exclusive in a top-tier publication. Yes, you have raised brand awareness.
But guess what? If nothing in that report speaks directly to the leadership’s role in that performance, you are missing a critical link.
PR isn’t only about brand exposure and reputation — it’s also about brand leadership visibility.
At P+ Measurement Services, I can’t count how many times PR professionals have said to us during cold calls, “Our CEO isn’t buying into the PR measurement thing; he thinks it is fluff.”
And honestly, I get why. When a report is full of brand numbers but doesn’t show how the leadership contributed or is being perceived, it loses the executive audience quickly.
That is why in the early years of our agency, we developed a proprietary framework (P+MCA) that captures CEO-specific performance metrics — not just the presence of their names in headlines but how they rank in sentiment, thought leadership, share of voice, and positioning versus competitive CEOs.
You want sign-off on your Measurement and Evaluation budget? Show your CEO how they perform against other CEOs. Then step back and watch the magic.
There was a time we worked with a leading insurance brand in South Africa. The PR team had been practically begging their CEO to take up a keynote speaking slot at an industry event, but the man was adamant: “Not now.” Frustrated, the team approached us for help. We produced a CEO-focused performance audit — showcasing not just his media presence but a comparison of his leadership metrics against rival insurance CEOs. When he saw his score at the bottom of the table, his reaction was priceless: “How can I be last on this scoreboard?” The very next week, he was asking the PR team for the event lineup. That moment right there? That’s what we call data doing the heavy lifting.
Let the data speak where words fail. CEOs don’t argue with numbers.
This doesn’t just help you secure leadership buy-in for PR campaigns; it opens up strategic conversations around executive positioning, thought leadership, and industry influence. One of our proudest long-term engagements came from that South African experience — we have supported that team since 2018, helping position their CEO from media-shy to media-smart. Data made that happen.
And this isn’t just relevant for CEOs with PR-phobia. It is vital for CEOs who sit on multiple boards. A chairman might be squeaky clean in one company and still drag your brand into crisis by association. I remember working with a multinational FMCG brand in Nigeria whose chairman also served on the board of a financial services company. When the latter entered crisis mode, the FMCG brand was dragged into headlines it didn’t ask for. Why? Because media doesn’t separate leadership roles — it connects them.
Your CEO’s reputation isn’t siloed. If they sit on multiple boards, so do their risks.
Including CEO-specific metrics and competitive insights helps PR professionals spot reputational risks early.
It also helps pre-empt crises. When you know how the media is talking about your leadership, and how that compares with others, you have the leverage to act — not react. And that, dear PR pro, is the difference between being seen as a “cost center” and a strategic partner.
This is your call to upgrade your report. Brand performance is great — but leadership performance? That’s where the real power lies.
So next time you are struggling to justify your PR strategy, your measurement and evaluation budget, or why your CEO should attend that industry event — don’t argue. Just present the data. Let it tell the story, and let P+ help you craft one they can’t ignore.
*Philip Odiakose is a leader and advocate of public relations monitoring, measurement, evaluation and intelligence in Africa. He is also the Chief Media Analyst at P+ Measurement Services, a member of AMEC, NIPR, AMCRON, ACIOM and Founding Member of AMEC Lab Initiative
