AVE (advertising value equivalency)
An old PR measure that prices coverage at what the same space would cost as an advert. Largely abandoned.
Also called: advertising value equivalent, ad value equivalency
AVE measures an article by the price of an advert of the same size in the same publication, sometimes multiplied to reflect the supposed credibility of editorial coverage. It was popular because it produced a big number clients understood.
The PR measurement industry has moved away from it. AMEC, the international association for measurement and evaluation of communication, set out the Barcelona Principles in 2010, and every revision since has said AVEs are not the value of communication. They ignore whether the coverage was positive, whether the right audience read it, and whether anything changed as a result.
Most clients now expect coverage reported by reach, outlet quality, message pull-through, sentiment and outcomes such as traffic or enquiries. If a client still asks for AVE, give it with context, not as the headline.