The Acronyms That Help PR Pros Stay Focused
By Marcia Paterman Brookey, M.A., APR,
August 2025
The most striking line on return on investment (ROI) I’ve read wasn’t in a business book — it was in literature.
In Herman Melville’s classic “Moby Dick,” while the crew is swept up in Captain Ahab’s all-consuming pursuit of the infamous white whale that took his leg, first mate Starbuck cuts through the frenzy with a single line: “(...) I came here to hunt whales, not my commander’s vengeance. How many barrels will thy vengeance yield thee, Captain Ahab? It will not fetch thee much in our Nantucket market.”
That’s ROI mindset — straight from 19th century fiction. It’s a reminder for PR and marketing practitioners (and leaders): Passion is powerful, but strategic planning delivers.
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Marcia Paterman Brookey, M.A., APR,
Marcia Paterman Brookey, M.A., APR, is Global Oracle Alliance senior marketing manager. She has over 15 years of experience in marketing and public relations both in Brazil and the United States.
