Contact Us		Print Page / Issue		E-mail Issue		View Past Issues

Overview

The Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles are the work of well over 200 delegates from 33 countries representing five of the world’s foremost PR organizations – the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) Measurement Commission, and the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO) — which came together for the first time in June 2010 at the 2nd European Summit on Measurement in Barcelona, organized by AMEC and IPR.

The goal of the two-day summit was to establish a new global declaration of PR measurement standards and techniques to be shared with the global PR community. The seven Barcelona Principles that resulted are as follows:

1. Importance of goal setting and measurement.
2. Measuring the effect on outcomes is preferred to measuring media results.
3. The effect on business results can and should be measured where possible.
4. Media measurement requires quantity and quality.
5. Advertising value equivalents (AVEs) are not the value of public relations.
6. Social media can and should be measured.
7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement.

Here is a closer look at each Principle:

Principle 1: Importance of Goal Setting and Measurement

• Goal-setting and measurement are fundamental aspects of any public relations program.
• Goals should be as quantitative as possible and address who, what, when and how much the PR program is intended to affect.
• Measurement should take a holistic approach, including representative traditional and social media; changes in awareness among key stakeholders, comprehension, attitude, and behavior as applicable; and business results.

Principle 2: Measuring the Effect on Outcomes Is Preferred to Measuring Media Results

• Outcomes include shifts in awareness, comprehension, attitude and behavior related to purchase, donations, brand equity, corporate reputation, employee engagement, public policy, investment decisions, and other shifts in stakeholders regarding a company, NGO, government or entity, as well as the stakeholder’s own beliefs and behaviors.
• Practices for measuring outcomes should be tailored to the business objectives of the PR activities. Quantitative measures, such as benchmark and tracking surveys, are often preferable. However, qualitative methods can be well-suited or used to supplement quantitative measures.
• Standard best practices in survey research including sample design, question wording and order, and statistical analysis should be applied in total transparency.

Principle 3: The Effect on Business Results Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible

• To measure business results from consumer or brand marketing, models that determine the effects of the quantity and quality of PR outputs on sales or other business metrics, while accounting for other variables, are a preferred choice. Related points include:
• Clients are creating demand for market mix models to evaluate the impact of consumer marketing.
• The PR industry needs to understand the value and implications of market-mix models for accurate evaluation of consumer marketing PR, in contrast to other measurement approaches.
• The PR industry needs to develop PR measures that can provide reliable input into market-mix models.
• Survey research also can be used to isolate the change in purchasing, purchase preference or attitude shift resulting from exposure to PR initiatives.

Principle 4: Media Measurement Requires Quantity and Quality

• Overall clip counts and general impressions are usually meaningless. Instead, media measurement, whether in traditional or online channels, should account for this:
• Impressions among the stakeholder or audience.
• Quality of the media coverage including:
• Tone.
• Credibility and relevance of the medium to the stakeholder or audience.
• Message delivery.
• Inclusion of a third-party or company spokesperson.
• Prominence as relevant to the medium.
• Quality can be negative, positive or neutral.

Principle 5:  Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) Are Not the Value of Public Relations

• Advertising value equivalents (AVEs) do not measure the value of public relations and do not inform future activity; they measure the cost of media space and are rejected as a concept to value public relations.
• Where a comparison has to be made between the cost of space from earned versus paid media, valid metrics should be used, stated for what they are, and reflect the following:
• Negotiated advertising rates relevant to the client.
• Quality of the coverage (see Principle 2), including negative results.
• Physical space of the coverage, and the portion of the coverage that is relevant.
• Multipliers intended to reflect a greater media cost for earned versus paid media should never be applied unless proven to exist in the specific case.

Principle 6: Social Media Can and Should Be Measured

• Social media measurement is a discipline, not a tool; but there is no “single metric.”
• Organizations need clearly defined goals and outcomes for social media.
• Media content analysis should be supplemented by Web and search analytics, sales and CRM data, survey data, and other methods.
• Evaluating quality and quantity is critical, just as it is with conventional media.
• Measurement must focus on “conversation” and “communities,” not just “coverage.”
• Understanding reach and influence is important, but existing sources are not accessible, transparent or consistent enough to be reliable; experimentation and testing are key to success.

Principle 7: Transparency and Replicability Are Paramount to Sound Measurement
PR measurement should be done in a manner that is transparent and replicable for all steps in the process, including specifying this:

Media Measurement:

• Source of the content (print, broadcast, Internet, or consumer-generated media) along with criteria used for collection.
• Analysis methodology — for example, whether human or automated, tone scale, reach to target, content analysis parameters.

Surveys

• Methodology — sampling frame and size, margin of error, probability or non-probability.
• Questions — all should be released as asked (wording and order).
• Statistical methodology — how specific metrics are calculated.