Launching the Measurement Benchmark: Barcelona Principles 2.0

It's been five years since the industry rallied around the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles, agreeing to the first overarching framework for effective PR and communication measurement. This summer, the Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), International Communications Consultancy Organization, Public Relations Consultants Association, IPR, PRSA and Global Alliance worked together to produce the Barcelona Principles 2.0. 

"The original set of Principles was never intended to be a final or complete solution, but simply a place for us to start," said David Rockland, leader of this initiative and Ketchum Partner. "What AMEC and our partners have now done is refresh the Barcelona Principles to reflect the significant changes we have seen in the media landscape and the emergence of integrated communications." Read more.
Sean Williams, Communication AMMO, Inc. and IPR Measurement Commission

This blog post is a part of AMEC's Measurement Month. Use the hashtag #AMECMM to tweet all month long.

Effective internal communication matters for employee motivation, productivity and organizational performance. However, there has been a lack of consensus regarding how to measure the success of internal communication efforts or simply on what to measure.

Corporate communications outcomes, such as corporate reputation and stakeholder advocacy, are more difficult to measure in terms of profit and shareholder value. The value of internal communications is not recognized in the boardroom, except in terms of change management, impact on retention and on recruitment.  The potential negative impact of poor employee relations and associated crises are also noted, but these outcomes need further research and measurement by internal communicators. Read more.
Mary Welch, Ph.D., University of Central Lancashire
 
At the 2015 International History of Public Relations Conference, Dr. Mary Welch presented the Wheel of PR Education, produced by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) more than three decades ago. 

The Wheel model has three main components: a liberal arts foundation, communications studies and public relations. The foundation that built PR education is still relevant today. However, with the new technology developments, the Wheel is lacking a major digital element. But to what extent is the model relevant to public relations education today? Read more.
Gary Grates, W20 Group 

Ever wonder why a new initiative, such as a product launch, a cost-cutting measure, a business strategy or even a turnaround effort didn't succeed? Believe it or not, it probably has nothing to do with the initiative itself, but rather the way your organization chose to communicate it. In a recent post on W20 Group's blog Common Sense, Gary Grates explains how to effectively communicate with employees.

Any type of corporate initiative must be viewed through the employees' eyes if it is to take hold and succeed. Employees need to be able to make the argument themselves, which means it must be personal. For that to happen, the use of analytics to discern everything from current employee attitudes to employee behaviors in accessing information internally is critical to setting the right tone and context. Read more.