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Measurement food fight!

As a communications measurement junkie, I’m always game for debating numbers and methodologies. Many PR pros will argue that it’s hard to measure intangibles, that ad equivelancy is flawed, that “they know good PR when they see it.” To which I argue that hard doesn’t mean impossible, that earned media has inherent value (equivalent or not), and that simply seeing isn’t necessarily believing.

Well, it turns out that more “tangible” things like web site audience, reach and frequency are just as hard to measure. Or just as easy to debate. To wit, check out the battle that’s breaking out between Nielsen and Quantcast in the wake of the IAB Measurement Summit. Personally, I love it. A little conflict means there’s actually something worth fighting over. And as I like to tell clients, some well-placed tension breeds attention — and can help spotlight the issues as much as the horse race.