Global Leaders Aim to Prove Communication Industry's Value

LONDON, May 11, 2011 - 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 (
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 (
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. (
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 www.instituteforpr.org.

For further information contact: AMEC, Barry Leggetter, Executive Director, +44(0)1268-412414, barryleggetter at amecorg.com; Frank Ovaitt, President & CEO, Institute for Public Relations, +1-703-568-5611, frank at instituteforpr.org; Robyn Massey, Ketchum, +44(0)7525-699463, robyn.massey at ketchum.com