How do you measure PR?

The Barcelona Principals were updated in 2015 and, along with it, guidelines for measuring PR. In this article on Forbes.com, the author suggests we go back to AVEs or Advertising Value Equivalencies. Sigh... Measuring eyeballs is one thing, but not everyone who subscribes to a publication where you scored that ace placement for your brand will actually read the article. And even thought it's 2016, we're still battling the misnomer that PR is just free advertising.

It's always important, therefore, to establish goals up front, and then assign a measurable call to action to them. While the Barcelona Principles are a start, they are by no means a definitive way to measure results from a PR campaign. After all, many efforts are now integrated with other marketing efforts, which will hopefully result in a lift for all channels, not just for PR. See article here.