Attending the annual AMEC Summit on Measurement is always a highlight of the year and the 2025 edition was no exception. As always, it brought together some of the sharpest minds in communication, analytics, and media measurement.
In this article, I am sharing two things:
- 7 key takeaways from the recently concluded 2025 AMEC Summit
- 3 compelling reasons why you should consider attending future AMEC Summits
Whether you’re already part of the measurement community or just starting to explore it, I hope this gives you a useful window into what makes AMEC summit such a valuable experience.
Seven key things you should know about the recently concluded AMEC summit
- The new Barcelona Principles (Version 4.0) are here
These updated principles have changed over time, but not completely new, since they first came out in 2010. The new version gives clearer guidance on how to use them and now covers more types of communication and marketing activities, not just campaign-related ones. There’s also a new eBook to help explain each of the seven principles in a more practical way. You can download it here. - Generative AI is a BIG opportunity for PR
GenAI was talked about a lot at the summit, seen as a major opportunity for PR and communication professionals to take a leading role. Research showed that news stories and public relations (PR) content are what AI mostly uses for answers when it comes to top brands. A striking figure revealed that 90% of what AI shows comes from content driven by earned communication. This means PR is becoming like the “new SEO” (Search Engine Optimisation) in how brands get found by AI. To make the most of this, professionals need to create “Tier 1 AI lists” (similar to top media lists), make content good for AI to use (like press releases and website data), and watch which websites influence AI’s recommendations for their brand. - The crucial need for smart measurement and good information
A repeated message at the summit was the undeniable importance of properly planning, measuring, and checking how well communication works. It was admitted that many in the PR and communications field still lack the necessary skills for planning, working with data, and understanding it. Speakers stressed that getting good ideas and understanding relies on good quality, clean, and complete information. Data and reports should provide actionable signals, meaning they should tell you what to do, not just be reports. Despite the clear need for measurement, there was a feeling that those attending the summit might be unusual, as the profession is often slow to try new things, and only about 37% of in-house PR teams actively measure their efforts, suggesting a “crisis point” for measurement. - Helping communications leaders (CCOs) be brave and business-focused
Travis Parman, a former Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at Nissan, gave important ideas on how to make the communications role more important. He stressed that CCOs need to be brave and use “simple, elegant ways” to teach CEOs about results-focused measurements like how people see the company, how happy staff are, and how it helps sales. A key lesson was to become essential by fixing problems and creating a place where everyone learns. An example was using website data to guide what content Nissan wanted people to see. He also highlighted the need to link communication measurements directly to the big bosses’ main concerns, such as money, earnings, market share, and avoiding problems. The overall feeling was that communication professionals have the natural “power” to give smart advice and make their companies better. Please note Travis is the communication leader who managed an “extraordinary crisis” when his boss, accused of an $80 million swindle, hired a former Green Beret to smuggle himself out of the country in a private jet while hiding inside an audio equipment box. - Stronger focus on results, effect, and continuous Learning
A major change in thinking, especially clear in the Barcelona Principles 4.0, is the increased focus on what the business achieves and the real effect. While measuring things like how much media coverage you get is still useful, the main aim is to show real, tangible results that count. The summit reinforced that communication should be seen as a continuous process that gets better over time, rather than one-off efforts, meaning a focus on always improving and learning for what’s next. This involves moving past “surface-level numbers” like how many people saw something, to focus on important business results, encouraging communicators to ask “What are we trying to change?” and “How will we know if we made a difference?”. - The strategic importance of internal communications
Internal communications was highlighted as a very important force within organisations, helping to make the company work better, creating the company’s feeling, helping changes happen, and getting everyone on the same page and involved. Dr. Kevin Ruck showed how the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework can be used for internal communications, changing from a common marketing model to “Channels, Topics, and Listening”. He stressed the need to go beyond simple numbers and truly understand how internal communication affects unity, involvement, and the company’s spirit. A critical discovery was the difference between what internal communication teams focus on and what staff actually want, with planning for the future being the number one topic employees ask for, yet often missed. - Dealing with false information and managing company image risks early
False information was identified as one of the biggest dangers for communicators. Cyabra CEO Dan Brahmy discussed the “ABCs” of disinformation – Actors, Behaviours, and Content: Who’s doing it, How they’re doing it, and What they’re saying, and how to use this knowledge to create practical plans for finding and reducing new dangers before they get worse. The summit reinforced the importance of managing company image problems before they happen and the need for communications to move beyond just sending out general messages. Instead, there’s a strong emphasis on using communication to deeply understand what groups connected to the company are worried about, which can then help shape public decisions and build better connections.
The 2025 AMEC summit sessions are available on demand, on the official AMEC summit app. You can access the same by purchasing the AMEC summit virtual pass here.
Three reasons why you should consider attending AMEC summits in future
- Stay up-to-date with new ideas and rules, especially about AI and how to measure communication. AMEC Summits are a great way to learn about the newest ideas and best ways to measure how well communication works. The summit is where they introduce and discuss updates to frameworks and principles. Going to the summit means you’ll understand this refreshed way of thinking that puts strategy and real results at the heart of communications.
- Get practical skills and useful ideas from the real life case studies presented at the summit. The sessions at the summit teach you how to move past simple numbers like how many people saw something, and instead focus on results that truly matter to the business, such as your company’s good name, happy employees, or how it helps sales. You will learn how to connect what you measure in communication directly to what the company’s top leaders care most about. Experts share simple, smart ways to teach leaders about these important measurements.
- Connect with global experts and other professionals, learning together and helping the industry grow. The AMEC Summit is a truly global event, bringing together speakers, experts, and attendees from dozens of countries. It is a key event where experts from all over the world share their best ways of working. Attending gives you an invaluable chance to meet and work with others, helping to create a feeling of shared understanding and combined effort within the communication measurement community. For example, the latest update to the Barcelona Principles was a team effort involving 27 volunteers and leaders from the field. The summit offers the opportunity to be inspired by honest stories of challenges and successes. You can expand your professional network and learn from many different global views. For those joining online, there are attendee lists and networking tools available.
The 2026 AMEC Global Summit will be in Dublin, see you there.
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