*PR Value, a term commonly used in some markets, is typically calculated by multiplying the Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) by a number. AVE itself is derived by measuring editorial space and multiplying it by the advertising rate of that media outlet.

Picture this: You’ve just launched a major campaign. The numbers look fantastic – hundreds of news articles, millions in PR value (AVE), countless social media impressions. Your boss is thrilled, the client is ecstatic, and everyone’s celebrating what looks like a massive success. But here’s the million-dollar question: Did any of these numbers actually matter?

It’s like having thousands of social media followers but no one engaging with your posts. In PR, we call these “vanity metrics” – numbers that make us feel good but, like a sugar rush, leave us empty-handed when it comes to real business impact.

Take PR Value, for example. Born in an era when print was the main medium for publicity, it tries to put a price tag on media coverage based on ad rates. It’s like judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree—as it fails to capture the nuances of modern media consumption.

The world has changed, and so has the way people consume information. According to the 2024 Reuters Digital News Report, the global average of people accessing news via social media is around 47%. In Indonesia, this number is even higher, with 60% of Indonesians getting their news from social media[1]. They’re not reading morning papers – they’re scrolling, swiping, sharing, and engaging with content that speaks to them. They’re having conversations, forming opinions, and making decisions in ways that PR Value (AVE) could never capture.

So why are we still clinging to these outdated measurements? It’s like navigating Jakarta’s streets using a map from the ’80s—you think you know where you’re going, but you find yourself lost due to the countless road changes that have completely reshaped the city.

Why Visibility Isn’t Enough

In today’s communication landscape, attention alone isn’t enough. Audiences crave personalized, interactive content that speaks directly to their interests[2]. Vanity metrics-like impressions, reach and PR value-might look impressive, but they tell an incomplete story and fail to capture the true PR impact of a campaign. A campaign reaching millions means little without meaningful interactions.

Real success lies in engagement metrics – measured through, for example, quality social shares, thoughtful comments, and purposeful click-throughs. As PR professionals, our challenge isn’t just creating engaging campaigns but measuring their true impact.

The Hidden Risks of Vanity Metrics

While vanity metrics might paint a rosy picture, relying solely on these numbers can lead to serious consequences[3]: 

  • False Sense of Success
    High PR value numbers can be misleading. They may not reflect real audience engagement or even whether the right audience was reached at all.
  • Misdirected Effort
    Prioritizing quantity over quality can misallocate resources. For instance, sending out press releases to as many outlets that may not be relevant might boost the number of media mentions but fail to truly engage the target audience.
  • Lost Sight of the Bigger Picture
    Vanity metrics can distract from the ultimate goal: driving business impact. High coverage volume might feel good, but is it building trust, enhancing reputation, or driving meaningful audience engagement?
  • Oversimplified Audience Insights
    Vanity metrics lack the depth to provide insights into audience sentiment and behavior, making it difficult to assess the truePR campaign impact

By shifting our measurement focus from vanity metrics to genuine engagement metrics, we can ensure that our efforts are not only visible, but impactful.

Measuring What Really Matters

In communication terms, this means focusing first on Outcome – the real changes we aim to achieve. Did perceptions shift? Did people take action? Did they become advocates for your brand? These are the metrics that directly tie to business impact. When a campaign drives sales, changes behaviors, or strengthens reputation – that’s when we know we’re creating real value.

Before we achieve the Outcome, we need to drive engagement, which is Outtake. Here, we measure how audiences respond to and interact with our content. It’s not just about them seeing your content; it’s about them engaging with it meaningfully.

But here’s the thing – while Outcomes and Outtakes are our north star, we shouldn’t completely dismiss Outputs. Think of Outputs as the foundation of your communication efforts. They’re like the essential ingredients – not the end goal, but still necessary for success. Measuring your Output – the content you create, the messages you distribute, the channels you utilize – helps you understand the effort required to achieve those meaningful Outtakes and Outcomes.

The key is balance. While we need to track our Outputs to ensure we’re putting in enough effort to reach our audience, we shouldn’t get caught up in these numbers alone. They’re just the beginning of the story, not the whole narrative.

Connecting the Dots with AMEC

This is where the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework (IEF), comes in. Grounded in the Barcelona Principles, the IEF helps us link Outputs (effort) to Outtakes (engagement) and ultimately Outcomes (effect) which contributes, fully or partly, to the organization objectives (impact). By following this logical progression, we gain a complete picture of how our communication efforts lead to real business results—ensuring that every step is measured for its contribution to meaningful change.

In today’s fast-evolving media landscape, clinging to vanity metrics like PR Value (AVE) is like trying to navigate the future with yesterday’s tools. Shifting our focus to what truly matters doesn’t just improve measurement—it helps us prove our strategic value. When we measure the right things, we move beyond tracking success to driving it.

In a world where attention is the new currency, we can’t afford to be distracted by numbers that merely look good but don’t lead to real results. Let’s measure what matters, because that’s what transforms good communication into great impact.

Written by Felicia Nugroho (Director, Analytics & Insights) and Syanditya Yanuar Utama (Analyst)

Source:

  1. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Digital News Report 2024. June 2024. Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-06/RISJ_DNR_2024_Digital_v10%20lr.pdf.
  2. We Are Social. Digital 2023 Report. January 2023. Available at: https://wearesocial.com/id/blog/2023/01/digital-2023/.
  3. AMEC. The Definitive Guide: Why AVEs Are Invalid. June 2017. Available at: https://amecorg.com/2017/06/the-definitive-guide-why-aves-are-invalid/.