In early September, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) released the Barcelona Principles 2.0, an update to the original Barcelona Principles.

The original Barcelona Principles were released in 2010 and were a set of guidelines created to help practitioners measure the effectiveness of their communications campaigns. They were also designed to replace outdated measurement models and to help end the debate on AVE’s and multipliers.

The industry has evolved so much in the past five years that it was time to refresh and update the principles. The new Barcelona Principles have been updated to reflect the way in which communications professionals work today in three main ways:

• They are more inclusive and are focused on all types of organizations including global brands, local companies, governments and non-profits.
• There is a distinction between measurement and evaluation and greater attention to qualitative alongside traditional quantitative methods to actually provide color, context and “the why”.
• They acknowledge that the world communications professionals operate in today is highly integrated and requires shift in thinking.

The new principles and what they mean for you are below:

Source: Launch of Barcelona Principles 2.0 Presentation, AMEC

Measurement is a fundamental part of communications today and it can be quite daunting if you don’t know where to start. The Barcelona Principles provide a great starting point and can really help you make sense of what information is important to your business and how best to showcase it.

To learn more about AMEC and the new principles, visit the AMEC website.