How to measure PR according to the Barcelona Principles

The discussion turned to the value of public relations and how to get more bang for your PR buck. It then moved onto the best practice of PR as framed by the Barcelona Principles: measuring PR success in terms of inputs, outputs and outcomes.

Let’s go through what this means, and see how you can apply it.

Desired audience segments

This is an extremely important part of the PR process. Segmenting the audience you’re looking to engage with will dictate how and what you say.

In broad terms, desired audience segments can include:

It’s also useful to know whether the desired audience segment is primary or secondary. This will help determine where to put the most effort in reaching them.

PR objectives

Your objectives are what you’re trying to achieve to support your organization’s strategic priorities.

To identify your PR objectives, consider the following questions:

PR objectives should cover the following:

Inputs