“I get really excited when I see good research, but I don’t get excited that often.”
And with that, Pauline Draper-Watts, past chair of the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) commission on measurement and co-author of the Barcelona Principles, began an educational and incredibly valuable discussion on PR measurement and its importance.
As PR professionals, we can’t dispute the need for measurement and evaluation. Historically, our profession has lacked a standard for measurement. The Barcelona Principles – the result of a collaboration between the Institute for Public Relations, AMEC, PRSA, the Global Alliance and the International Communications Consultancy – are the industry’s first step toward the establishment of global guidelines for public relations measurement. They rest on seven principles, outlined below:
1. Importance of Goal Setting and Measurement
2. Measuring the Effect on Outcomes is Preferred to Measuring Outputs
3. The Effect on Business Results Can and Should Be Measured Where Possible
4. Media Measurement Requires Quantity and Quality
5. 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
All of the slides from the presentation can be seen in the link below. They provide incredibly detailed and valuable information on the seven principles and how they can be applied to every area of our communications efforts.
Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles
– Laura Stanelle (@laurastanelle)