Hi Andrew, as the agency that produced the report that inspired the piece I thought you'd like to hear from us.  Here at Metrica (www.metrica.net) we've been banging a very large anti-AVE drum for at least the last ten years too.  It's a huge challenge weaning the industry off that little addictive pound / dollar sign!  In reality, although we have many forward thinking clients using our latest tools and methodologies, there are still plenty who want their fix of AVEs.  Along with constant education efforts we ensure that clients who insist on AVEs have them alongside a dashboard of more meaningful measures.  The key is in wrapping the metrics snugly around what each client is trying to achieve with their PR.  Outcomes are always king.  What's interesting about the piece itself is that the Metrica Numbers report doesn't focus on AVEs at all.  It's a connection that is far too often made and one that we're going to all have to keep fighting hard to break.