What of brand value?

While I respect Wally Olins’ fundamental point that brands cannot be objectively measured (MW last week), I worry it takes us back to the days when we couldn’t provide clients with a realistic or objective perspective on brand value.

In PR, we’ve spent years developing global measurement standards that can provide an objective reading of a brand campaign and a brand’s PR and reputation value. And we’re only now at the point where we can say/ Yes, we can demonstrably and objectively measure a brand’s PR value.

I recognise that value is in the eye of the beholder, but I don’t think we should be so cavalier as to tell clients that their brands don’t have any actual, measurable value. After all, without some type of value assessment, what can we measure success against?

Keith Trivitt

Associate director of PR, Public Relations

Society of America

I agree with Wally to the extent that an objective brand value doesn’t mean anything if the buyer is not willing to pay that amount. Having said that, brand owners need to know the right price to sell at. That’s where an objective brand value helps.

Sure, the valuation methodologies may be flawed and the results not necessarily set in stone. These valuations can be as an approximate worth of the brand for the purposes of negotiations with buyers, lenders, investors etc. The real value of the brand is the price the seller is happy to sell at and the buyer is willing to buy at – like valuing a property in many ways.

Ashish Deodhar, via online