Measuring PR success - AVEs rejected

published 2001

Measuring PR 'value' on the basis of advertising value equivalents was in vogue a few years back. It was something product and brand managers in particular could relate to; and more often than not it showed a favourable comparison between fee charged and coverage obtained.

But it's been on shaky grounds for some time and now the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) has joined overseas PR and advertising bodies in rejecting the use of Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) in measuring editorial success.

AVEs measure the space generated by PR editorial in a publication, and calculate how much that space would cost in advertising rates.

Here's some differences between editorial and advertising space: 

Editorial	Advertising
Appears only if the media feels it is 'newsworthy' or relevant to its audience	Is paid for an carefully placed in selectively targeted media
The original message may be changed or added to as part of the editorial process	Says exactly what the company wants to say
Is viewed by the readers as the opinion of the media or journalist	Is recognised by the reader as paid-for
May be used in a wide variety of media beyond the initial media the material is sent to	Is restricted to the media paid for