PR measurement takes centre stage at AMECMM 2017

THE issue of deploying  the  relevant  measurement  in  public relations space, in this part of the clime,  will again, be brought to the fore at this month’s edition of the Association for the Measurement and  Evaluation of Communications’  (AMEC)  Measurement Month, a global programme of activities spotlighting attention on the importance of PR measurement in the practice.

In recent times, the issue of measurement in PR practice, has continued to elicit comments and emotions from clients and practitioners in the industry, with many stakeholders attributing the slow pace of development  in the practice to lack of adequate measurement for PR practice in this part of the world.

For instance,  while stressing the need for an appropriate PR measurement in the country recently at a public forum,  a public relations practitioner and chairman of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), Mr Yomi Badejo-Okusanya  had advised PR practitioners to up their games by adopting measurement in PR practice.

He argued that for the practice to maintain its relevance in the integrated marketing communications industry in the country, practitioners must begin to think about the strategy to adopt in measuring the impact of their jobs on the clients’ campaigns.

Not a few stakeholders therefore  see this  event, which will  centre on discussion and education on AVE, Valid metrics, Barcelona Principle 2.0 and the current trend to eradicate AVE,  and  which will be hosted by P+ Measurement Services, the first independent PR Measurement Agency in Nigeria, as one of such  positive responses to such calls.

According to the host agency, the idea of PR measurement “is a simple one that benefits members, clients and the industry, since it  puts measurement on a world stage.”

The agency, which is also the only indigenous member of the International Association for the Measurement and  Evaluation of Communication in Nigeria, also announced its Lead Consultant, Mr Philip Odiakose,  as the facilitator of the forum, being hosted in Nigeria for the first time.

According to the agency, the forum had become imperative in order to clear some misconceptions and address  gaps, in the area of measurement in the practice.

“In Nigeria there has been a misconception on AVE being a measurement tool and the Barcelona Principle a measurement method. There is a need to close that gap through education in the communications industry in Nigeria,” argued the agency.

The event scheduled for the September, this year,  will have its thematic focus woven around  executive discussions, podcasts, workshops and  filling the gap between understanding the value of PR measurement and doing something about it.