What are the Barcelona Principles 3.0?
It has been 10 years since the Barcelona Principles were established and five years since the updated Barcelona Principles 2.0 were unveiled. Last week, the third version of the principles were revealed during the AMEC Virtual Summit.
The Barcelona Principles are seven principles that provide PR practitioners with voluntarily guidelines to follow for effective public relations and communication measurement. They were first adopted by almost 200 delegates from over 30 countries at the 2nd Annual European Summit on Measurement in Barcelona, Spain in 2010, which is why “Barcelona” is included in the name. The principles were developed and supported by AMEC, the Global Alliance, the Institute for Public Relations, the International Communications Consultancy Organization, the Public Relations Consultants Association, and the Public Relations Society of America.
The updated principles acknowledge the rapidly changing industry – especially in the last 2-3 years, and that many of the 2010-2015 common practice may now be outdated. They will also broaden the usage to a more diverse range of organizations including government communications, charities, NGOs and other non-commercial entities.
In case you missed it, here is a look at the updated principles:
- Setting measurable goals is an absolute prerequisite to communication, planning, measurement and evaluation.
- Measurement and evaluation should identify outputs, outcomes, and potential impact.
- Outcomes and impact should be identified for stakeholders, society and the organization.
- Communication measurement and evaluation should include both qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- AVEs are not the value of communication.
- Holistic communication measurement and evaluation includes all relevant online and offline channels.
- Communication measurement and evaluation are rooted in integrity and transparency to drive learning and insights.
Here at HMA, we often refer to the Barcelona Principles when measuring and evaluating PR campaigns. What are your thoughts on the most recent update?
