Global Leaders Aim to Prove Communication Industry's Value

LONDON, May 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A worldwide campaign is being launched in June to show how public relations measurement can result in improved brand equity, corporate reputation, employee engagement, stock price and other business objectives.

The first step is a survey into the attitudes of communicators towards programme measurement - and the new thinking which is needed to get business leaders to place more value on public relations activity.

The results will be presented in a session called the Measurement Agenda 2020 at the European Summit on Measurement in Lisbon ( http://www.regonline.co.uk/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=921595), on June 9. The campaign is being led by AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communications and the Institute for Public Relations, who are organising the Lisbon conference.

David Rockland, a Director of AMEC and partner at Ketchum and CEO of Ketchum Pleon Change, will moderate the Measurement Agenda 2020 debate.

He said: "This is a major initiative to learn what we need to do to prove the value of communications to CEO's and Finance Directors who do not know how to put a proper value on their PR spend."

Rockland said the industry needed learn from management consultancies to arm client organisations - from Heads of Communications to Chief Marketing Officers - with analytics and language that are consistent and easily understood by CEOs and Board Directors and show the true impact of public relations on their business.

He said: "AMEC and our partners realise this is not something that can be achieved overnight. We are looking to Lisbon to establish initiatives which may take some years to complete. Some will be in the field of marketing analytics where PR has lagged other disciplines in applying those approaches."

AMEC is asking for the views of other global communications bodies in a 2020 campaign survey which will be presented in Lisbon. Taking part in the survey will be; Public Relations Society of America (PRSA); ICCO; IPR Measurement Commission; the Council of Public Relations Firms; Public Relations Consultants Association of India; Middle East PR Association;; Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA); UK Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA); Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and others.

Communications professionals taking part in the Lisbon Summit will discuss the survey findings and vote to establish the main elements of the 2020 Measurement Agenda.

Rockland said the industry had taken a "huge step forward" in the adoption of the Barcelona Principles ( http://www.amecorg.com/amec/Barcelona%20Principles%20for%20PR%20Measurement.pdf) framework at its conference in Spain last year. He said the industry needed the 2020 approach to put in place new strategic initiatives to reach senior executives in client organisations.

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Barry Leggetter, Executive Director of AMEC, said, "We have the momentum of change behind us. We must not miss this opportunity to finally and fully embed programme measurement as an essential part of every PR campaign."

A powerful line-up more than 40 expert international speakers includes Facebook, Microsoft, FedEx, Philips, The Independent/Independent on Sunday, European Newspaper Publishers Association (ENPA), Council of Europe, BBVA, Oxfam, Organic and Jorge Portugal, advisor on Innovation for the President of the Portuguese Republic.

The European Summit will be held in Lisbon from June 8-10. Booking details can be found on the Summit website. ( http://www.regonline.co.uk/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=921595)

About AMEC

AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication has grown to become a global trade body for agencies and practitioners who provide media evaluation and communication research. AMEC's purpose is to define and develop the industry on an international scale with better professional standards for both companies and individuals.

About the Lisbon European Summit: The three-day conference is designed for communications and public relations professionals and academics to share the latest thinking about measurement and evaluation of public relations programming. The European Association of Communication Directors is the Official Supporter of the Summit. Manchete is the event's Portuguese National Partner.

About the Institute for Public Relations

The Institute for Public Relations is a global, independent non-profit foundation headquartered at the University of Florida. It bridges the academic and professional communities supporting public relations research and mainstreaming this knowledge into practice. Further information is available at http://www.instituteforpr.org.