Will PR Measurement Become Mainstream?

 

The International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) has just vowed to “make measurement mainstream.”

Stuart Smith, global CEO of Ogilvy PR, and David Gallagher, senior partner and CEO, Europe, for Ketchum, said their firms will support the global PR campaign, according to the association.

AMEC, holding its International Summit in Stockholm, announced it will commit to:

• Develop and launch a new measurement framework to reflect the reality of integrated communications.
• Invest in a global PR and education campaign to reaffirm its support for the Barcelona Principles and the new integrated measurement framework and educate the market about the importance of measurement.
• Work harder with all its partner PR associations and others to make measurement mainstream.

Alex Aiken, executive director of communications for the U.K. government, used the phrase, “making measurement mainstream” in his own presentation at the summit.

Many public relations experts say PR measurement is the future of public relations. Measuring the impact of PR activities improve strategies and calculates PR’s contributions to the organization.

In the past, PR measurement meant counting clips, gauging media circulation, and comparing the value of earned media to advertising through advertising value equivalency (AVE). However, PR can now take advantage of media monitoring services to monitor media mentions, measure how positive or negative the coverage was, and determine how media mentions influence business objectives.

Despite the availability of “big data” and media monitoring services, analytics and measurement are among the largest skills gap of PR pros. In order to drive successful campaigns and demonstrate their worth to upper management, PR personnel will need to improve their analytical skills, measurement experts warn.

Measurement Gaining More Respect

The association’s new World Media Intelligence & Insights study indicates that more PR professionals are recognizing the importance of media monitoring and measurement. The survey of reports that:

• 86 percent of PR firms now recognize the importance of measurement and analytics, compared with 72 percent a year ago.
• Four out of five AMEC members believe PR consultancies are increasingly building measurement services into their overall client offer.
• Most of AMEC’s PR agency members (89 percent) agree that their firms see measurement as a key business priority.
• Most AMEC members (65 percent) agree that clients and stakeholders are putting more emphasis on insights gleaned from monitoring media.

The study also notes that over one in four client-facing members say that all or most of their clients still insist on an AVE score. Demand for AVEs is strongest in certain areas, including Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Sunny Outlook among Measurement Specialists

The study also reveals optimism in the measurement industry. It finds that:

73 percent of member companies reporting an increase in their social media measurement business.

74 percent of AMEC members report stronger revenue growth than 12 months ago.

Almost a quarter forecast growth in excess of 10 percent per year.

Almost half (48 percent) say industry consolidation will generate new business opportunities, 29 percent say it will have no impact, and 70 percent believe they are well-prepared to cope with the consequences of consolidation. Only 12 percent feel industry consolidation poses a threat to their business.

Most (64 percent) think the consolidation will continue in the coming year.

Bottom Line: More PR agencies and other key stakeholders recognize the value of media monitoring and measurement, according to a new survey. A campaign by an international association (AMEC) seeks to convince the uninitiated about the importance of media measurement to demonstrate the value of PR in meeting corporate goals.