Is "AVE" dead in PR?

"Advertising Value Equivalents" are supposed to be dead, yet CFOs keep asking for them. Meanwhile, clients want backlinks, CMOs want digital metrics, and AI is rewriting the measurement rulebook daily. So how do PR and comms teams actually prove value in 2025?In this episode, I talk with Neha Bahri (Bconnect Communications) and Tarunjeet Gujral (Nucleus PR / PRPOI) about what’s really happening on the ground in India’s PR scene — and why it matters globally.We cover:- Why some CFOs still cling to AVEs- What else clients are demanding- How AI is reshaping measurement and what comms pros need to track now Some of the takeaways1) AI rewards earned media — the more credible your coverage, the more likely it is to be surfaced by tools like ChatGPT.2) Educate CMOs early — if they don’t understand how PR differs from digital marketing, they’ll pass the wrong expectations up the chain.3) CFOs will still demand AVEs until educated otherwise — you may have to provide them as a “translation” alongside more modern measures.4) Backlinks remain a visibility metric — clients see them as proof of quality and traffic, even if they oversimplify PR’s role.This episode is for anyone stuck between old-school AVEs and new-school metrics who needs to show results without losing their sanity.GUESTSTarunjeet Rattan - Nucleus PR - www.nucleuspr.in andNeha Bahri Bconnect Communications - bconnect.co.inSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/