For too long, PR and comms strategy evaluation has been stuck in the dark ages.
Success was measured in scrapbooks. Or column inches. Or — worst of all — something called Advertising Value Equivalent, a Frankenstein metric that told you how much your earned coverage would have cost, if you’d paid for it. It’s nonsense. And still somehow survives.
But last week, the Barcelona Principles — the global framework for communications measurement — got an overdue refresh. And the changes are a timely reminder that good evaluation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s how you prove your work matters.
It’s time for the industry to grow up. Here’s how.
Write a Communications Strategy first. Always.
You can’t evaluate a campaign without knowing what it was trying to achieve. Yet this is where so many projects fall down — particularly when comms is treated as a bolt-on.
As our clients know, we’ve always focused on outcomes — not outputs — since we launched Restless almost 15 years ago.
Our view is simple: if a campaign doesn’t change what someone thinks, feels or does, it hasn’t worked.
That’s why we’re slightly obsessed with setting SMART objectives. They force clarity. They shape strategy. And, crucially, they help define the evaluation metrics that actually matter.
Whether it’s reframing a national conversation on migration, delivering comms under intense public scrutiny, or supporting EU agencies with digital-first transformation, we begin every piece of work with the same questions:
- What’s the change we’re trying to create?
- Who needs to do what, differently?
- And how will we know if it’s working?
👉 See how this approach has shaped our communications strategy framework — designed for clients who want impact, not noise.
Oh, and one more thing: we have NEVER presented AVE in a report.
The updated Barcelona Principles: what’s changed?
If you’ve not come across them before, the Barcelona Principles are seven simple guidelines for evaluating comms work. They first came out in 2010, and have just been updated to reflect a more joined-up, impact-focused world.
Some of the new emphasis includes:
- Outcomes, not outputs. Forget media hits. Focus on what people think, feel, and do as a result. (Just like all of our Communications Strategies)
- All comms channels count. Paid, earned, shared, and owned — if it reaches your audience, it matters. (The PESO model has been useful framework for years)
- No more vanity metrics. If you’re reporting numbers that make you look good but tell you nothing useful, stop.
They also place more weight on inclusion, integrity, ethics, and transparency — essential for communications professionals operating in today’s climate of scrutiny and accountability.
All values that we live by, and always have done.
Build evaluation into the brief — not just the wrap-up
It’s easy to confuse activity with effectiveness. Especially when there’s pressure to show results fast. But volume isn’t value. And engagement isn’t the same as action.
At Restless, we believe evaluation starts with intent and ends with impact. That means weaving measurement into every phase of a campaign — from planning, through delivery, to what happens next.
That’s true whether we’re advising on crisis communications or working with public sector clients to change attitudes on migration.
In every case, we’ve found the same thing: evaluation is only useful when it’s tied to a clear strategy.
In fact, if you haven't built evaluation in from the start, you don't actually have a strategy.
Bin the AVE. Build the evidence.
There’s no silver bullet when it comes to evaluation. But there are better ways to do it. And the updated Barcelona Principles are a solid place to begin.
So next time someone asks for an AVE figure or a ‘thud factor’ update? Politely say no. And instead, show them what success really looks like.
Want help designing comms that deliver real-world results? Talk to us about communications strategy that works.
