Looking for Surrogate Endpoints in Comms

We talk a lot in comms about outcomes, but it’s not always clear what those should be—or how to measure them.

That got me thinking about surrogate endpoints. In clinical trials, they’re measurable markers—like tumor shrinkage or viral load—that can stand in for harder-to-track outcomes like survival or long-term health. They’re not perfect, but when chosen carefully, they offer a credible way to show that progress is happening, even if the full story takes longer to unfold.

There’s something in that for us as communicators. A lot of what we do isn’t directly visible. It’s relationship-based, timing-sensitive, and often about preventing problems before they escalate. So how do we show impact when traditional measures fall short?

Take media coverage. We’ve all worked with a CEO who says they want to see a front-page story in the New York Times. But with the media landscape so fragmented, that ask doesn’t always make sense anymore—if it ever really did.

Instead, the real value might come from asking different questions. Who are we trying to reach? What do we want them to take away? And what’s the best channel for that?

A good communicator might come back with a completely different strategy—targeted trade coverage, a credible Substack newsletter, or a business content creator with the right audience. That kind of shift requires judgment, creativity, and a strong grasp of how influence actually works today.

Those outcomes might not look like traditional success—but they’re smart, strategic, and rooted in reality.