The common dilemma faced by many of us public relations consultants is how do we accurately measure the outcomes of our communications advice and activity?  

We want to clearly demonstrate to clients a good return on their investment but how do we do this when, in the communications world, the results can be intangible? 

Projects involving media profile are straightforward to measure; we audit the resulting media coverage. Internationally, many communications companies use Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) to evaluate editorial coverage.  AVE is calculated by multiplying the advertising rate card value of the media coverage (i.e. column centimeters or broadcast time) by a certain amount.