It all started six years ago.
PR practitioners from more than 30 countries convened in Barcelona, Spain to establish a new set of best practices for measuring the efficacy of PR campaigns. The resulting guidelines were appropriately named the Barcelona Principles. Among other things, these seven Principles mercifully cast out Advertising Value Equivalency (AVEs) and finally addressed the need to measure social media efforts.
It was a good start.
But the media landscape changes quickly. So, five years after the inception of the Barcelona Principles, experts from several groups (the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, ICCO, Institute for Public Relations, PRCA, PRSA and The Global Alliance) revisited the measurement constructs. And Barcelona 2.0 was born.
Photo credit: Institute for Public Relations
What Changed
Whereas the original guidelines painted with broad strokes, the updated Principles add specificity to the framework. Here’s a rundown of the actual changes, per the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication:
Principle 1:
Original: Importance of Goal Setting and Measurement
2.0: Goal Setting and Measurement are Fundamental to Communication and Public Relations
Principle 2:
Original: Measuring the Effect on Outcomes is Preferred to Measuring Outputs
2.0: Measuring Communication Outcomes is Recommended Versus Only Measuring Outputs
Principle 3:
Original: The Effect on Business Results Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible
2.0: The Effect on Organizational Performance Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible
Principle 4:
Original: Media Measurement Requires Quantity and Quality
2.0: Measurement and Evaluation Require Both Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Principle 5:
Original: AVEs are not the Value of Public Relations
2.0: AVEs are not the Value of Communications
Principle 6:
Original: Social Media Can and Should be Measured
2.0: Social Media Can and Should be Measured Consistently with Other Media Channels
Principle 7:
Original: Transparency and Replicability are Paramount to Sound Measurement
2.0: Measurement and Evaluation Should be Transparent, Consistent and Valid
That’s a lot to digest. During the next several weeks, we’ll share deeper analysis about these changes and how they (should) affect your organization’s communication programs.
When our team designs PR and digital marketing campaigns for clients, the measurement and evaluation component is deliberate, direct and detailed. We establish and evaluate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on a monthly basis. With a little help from clients, we can measure at three levels: 1) outputs (the tactics we execute); 2) outcomes (the results generated by outputs); and 3) business results (impact on the bottom line).
If you want to better understand the results of your marketing communication efforts, drop us a line.
