AMEC launches Measurement Month

With the great interest shown during the first "Measurement Week" in September 2014, AMEC recognised the massive demand to educate the communications industry on best-practices when it comes to PR Measurement, and took the step to extend the initiative to a whole month. As marketing and communications budgets are being cut across the world it is becoming crucial that communicators become more effective, particularly in measuring their campaigns.

Measurement Month is filled with free-to-attend events, webinars, executive discussions, podcasts, workshops and much more, focusing on filling the gap between understanding the value of PR measurement and doing something about it.

"The inspiration for turning the event into Measurement Month was the energy and support we received last year from all over the world. With more time to plan, we are hoping to announce a large number of Measurement Month events this year," says AMEC CEO Barry Leggetter.

As the world's largest professional body for communications research, media intelligence and insights, AMEC is the first point of call for communications and PR professionals to get expert knowledge and advice.

AMEC is arguably most well-known for launching and adopting The Barcelona Principles in 2010 which set a new direction in PR measurement away from the traditional but discredited AVEs (or Advertising Value Equivalent) which compared editorial content to advertising.

The Barcelona Principles in short are:

• Setting communications goals and subsequent measurement are critical.
  
• Media measurement requires quantity and quality.
  
• Advertising Value Equivalents (AVE) are not the value of public relations.
  
• Social media can and should be measured.
  
• Measuring the results (outcomes) of communications campaigns is preferred to measuring media results - the number of articles or broadcast clips achieved (outputs).
  
• Organisational results and outcomes should be measured whenever possible.
  
• Transparency and replicability are critical to sound measurement. Should the measurement be done by an independent using the same methodologies, the results should be the same.

AMEC's new measurement standards, as dictated by these principles, are quickly gaining traction around the world with more than 120 organisations across 48 countries now being members. These measurement principles are also supported by the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), the ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation), IPR (Institute for Public Relations) and many other global organisations and businesses such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, The UK Government, NATO and CARE International.

Francis Ingham, PRCA Director General and ICCO Chief Executive, one of the first supporters of this year's initiative, says, "Measurement Month is an important initiative that educates the industry on PR measurement and we are proud to support AMEC for a second year running in this global programme. We see this as a practical opportunity internationally to get people talking, learning and sharing the latest thinking on evaluation of communications."

As AMEC's only full member in Africa, Ornico - the brand intelligence research company - will host several breakfast talks and case studies in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban with further webinars for Nigerian and Kenyan communicators and PR professionals. The breakfast sessions will be hosted by Ornico's head of operations, Francois van Dyk, who is also a member of AMEC's Professional and Business Development Committee.

Communicators are encouraged to follow #AMECMM on Twitter and also Ornico's various social media platforms on Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn and Twitter @ornicomedia during September 2015 which will give an African perspective but with global insights into public relations and reputation measurement. For more information visit www.ornico.co.za or http://amecorg.com/measurement-month-2015.

Should you require any information around the AMEC events please email az.oc.puorgocinro@vsiocnarf.