Agencies Unite to Launch Common Ground Initiative

The Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) today launches a new initiative designed to further the adoption of measurement and evaluation best practice throughout the PR agency sector.
‘Common Ground’ will see agencies all over the world set aside their competitive tendencies and unite around the common cause of raising the standard of measurement and evaluation everywhere.

AMEC Board Member and Agency Group Chair, Jon Meakin says: “Agency people are naturally competitive, but when it comes to measurement and evaluation, there is more that unites us than divides us. The idea behind ‘Common Ground’ is to identify those areas, and enable agencies to learn from each other, in a non-competitive environment, for the betterment of our whole profession.”
Common Ground will be a programme of events, webinars and content, addressing such issues as: How to move away from outdated models and metrics, and embrace impact-focused measurement; how to persuade clients to ringfence budget for measurement and evaluation; and how to measure effectively for clients on a shoestring budget.
A series of Common Ground events is already scheduled to take place around the world – in London, New York, San Francisco and Beijing, as well as a special round table event in partnership with ICCO, on 19 June at the Cannes Festival of Creativity. Details of these and other planned Common Ground initiatives may be found on the AMEC website calendar of events.
AMEC Global Managing Director, Johna Burke says: “There is a belief among many small-to-medium-sized agencies in particular that robust measurement and evaluation is expensive, time-consuming and technical, or requires sacrificing fee to a third party. All the evidence shows that not only is that not the case, but better measurement leads to better budgets, as well as better results. By addressing these and other common misconceptions, Common Ground aims to create a rising tide that will lift all agency boats.”
Common Ground already boasts the participation of many AMEC agency members, including Fleishman-Hillard, Golin, Grayling, H+K Strategies, and Ketchum, and has the support of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and the PRCA.
For further information about AMEC’s Agency Group, contact Jon Meakin jon.meakin@grayling.com or Johna Burke johna@amecorg.com.