This document discusses questions that should be asked when evaluating public relations activity and measuring success, rather than solely relying on ad value equivalencies (AVEs). The three key questions are: 1) Is the AVE providing the most insightful, relevant information? 2) How do you know what customers are saying about you? 3) Are you the reason you don't know if your communications campaign is working? These questions get at whether objectives were defined and linked to business goals, if PR achieved its objectives, and how closely the PR plan is aligned with current goals and business performance. Relying only on AVEs is not considered the hallmark of success.

1. Top 3 Questions to Measure Ad Value Equivalency

2. When someone asks “What’s the Ad Value Equivalency?” arethey really asking “Did I get a good deal on PR versus spendingon advertising?” Likely no. More often than not, clients want toknow if they made a strategic decision that supports theirobjectives.Following are questions every PR professional or business ownershould ask when considering the relevance of AVEs…2The AVE debate

3. 1. “Is the AVE providing you the most insightful, relevant information?”3Ask …

4. The most important questions to ask when evaluating public relations activityare: Were objectives defined when the communications plan was drafted? Did the objectives link to the business goals? If yes to the above, did public relations achieve the objective/s?The best time to decide how PR “success” will be measured is when theplan is created. Airfoil is dedicated to making sure our clients’ strategies areon point and meeting their business goals. In this scenario, AVEs are not thehallmark of success and businesses have a dynamic measurement model thatcan adjust – quickly, strategically – as goals or the marketplace may.4…then consider this AVE insight…

5. 5Ask…2. “How do you know what customers are saying about you?”

6. Airfoil Research Director Jennifer Becker has looked at customer data longenough to know that people will believe what experience – no matter howlimited that experience -- tells them. Changing this perception isn’t alwayseasy. “Sometimes people’s view of a brand isn’t even based on a real experience,it’s based on an expectation. Today’s 24/7 news cycle makes something oldnews before it even hits. Or does it? Have we asked the target audience ifthey understood it the first time…or the second?” -- Jennifer BeckerSo we encourage clients and businesses engaging in PR to challenge theperceptions, internal or external, and ask yourself, “How do I know?”6…then consider this AVE insight…

7. 3. “Are you the reason you don’t know if your communications campaign is working?”7Ask…

8. Do you have a pulse on the comprehensive health – not just AVEs -- of yourPR plan? Are you continuously evaluating whether yourplan is still aligned with current goals, objectives and business performance?Asking questions is hard, but not asking them might be the reason your planisn’t going according to plan. Sometimes asking questions positions us as thedifficult person in the room, when what we’re really doing is trying to be smarter communicators. Asking questions about the health of your brand isone way to be a better communicator. Using data to answer some of thosequestions is one way to create alignment and bring teams together to workfrom a common goal, following the best path. 8…then consider this AVE insight…

9. We thrive on challenging, meaningful dialogue about whatworks – and what doesn’t – within our industry. In a recentPRWeek,Airfoil Research Director Jennifer Becker faced offagainst an industry peer on whether AVEs are a viable way tomeasure PR. Her, and Airfoil’s, position is that it is not. While supporters ofAVEs as a metric seem to lean on the “Senior management likesnumbers” argument, our experience tells us that “Seniormanagement loves real ROI.”9Final thoughts

10. 101.866.Airfoil / www.airfoilpr.com