This year’s European Summit on Measurement in Barcelona saw the adoption of a new set of standards and practices to guide the measurement and evaluation of public relations.

The summit, organized by AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, and the Institute for Public Relations brought together 200 people from more than a dozen countries to address the need for clear standards and common approaches to measuring and evaluating public relations results. Resulting in the adoption of the ‘Barcelona Principles’.

The seven ‘Barcelona principles’ are:

1. Goal setting and measurement are fundamental
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. Advertising Value Equivalents are not the value of public relations
6. Social media can and should be measured
7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement

To support the adoption of the Barcelona Principles, AMEC has announced a new conference on measurement metrics to be held in London on 17 November.

Further information:

An outline of the Barcelona Principles >

AMECs London Measurment Conference >

The 2010 European Summit on Measurement >

Melitta