PR pros that prefer to use AVEs earn £11,225 less than those that use the Barcelona Principles 2.0. Data from the PRCA‘s PR Census 2016 showed that mean salary levels were down to £45,100, lower than £53,781 in the 2013 PR Census or the £48,247 in 2011. With the kind support of the PRCA, PR Measured dug into the data to understand how measurement preferences impacted on mean PR salary levels.
The results, outlined below, show that PR’s highest earners prefer to use the Barcelona Principles 2.0. They typically earned £51,163. Practitioners that did not know what their preferred measurement method was earned the least, with a mean salary of £38,379. The AVE defenders, some 16% of the PR community, would have been better off not measuring at all. I find it hard to think of a better reason to stop using AVEs.
There are now almost no excuses not to be measuring PR effectively. The AMEC integrated measurement framework, which guides users through applying the Barcelona Principles, has been launched. If there is uncertainty, training is available via the likes of The Measurement Practice. Moving away from AVEs can create challenging conversations, and there needs to be time and budget invested to apply the Barcelona Principles 2.0. However, PRCA’s data shows that the potential positive impact on personal salary makes the effort worthwhile.