Perhaps the biggest news in PR measurement in 2010 was the creation of seven basic guidelines to help PR pros deal with the often daunting task of measurement. Announced last year at the European Summit on Measurement, the Barcelona Principles are a guide to help formulate specific measurement strategies, says Pauline Draper-Watts, former IPR Measurement Commission chairperson. “Organizations will look at measurement differently, but these basic principles can serve as a framework for everyone,” says Draper-Watts. The Principles are:
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
For more information on the principles, go to www.instituteforpr.org.