PRCA - Repuation of PR report

PRCA
Reputation
of PR
Report
2012

PRCA Contents

Reputation Introduction from Francis Ingham, PRCA Chief Executive 4

of PR Executive Summary 7

Report Performance of PR 8

2012 Responsibility of PR 12

Social Media 14

Perceptions of PR 19

Evaluating PR 29

Spending on PR 30

PR in the boardroom 33

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MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
PRCA REPUTATION OF PR REPORT 2012 3

Introduction from It is our profession’s greatest irony that the reputation industry This has to change – and it is up to us to make this happen by providing
itself has an external perception problem. For the first time, the a more accountable, professional service. And – crucially – by providing
Francis Ingham, PRCA’s Reputation of PR Report has uncovered the real state of the robust evidence of the value of the professional advice we bring.
Public Relations and Communications industry’s reputation. And
PRCA Chief it provides us not only with essential information – but also with a We need to continue the trend of moving away from reactive media relations
Executive clear view of the work we have in front of us. and press releases to offering a more structured, strategic service for
our clients and our bosses. Then we will find that non-PR professionals
By seeking and contrasting the opinions of heads of agencies, in-house increasingly appreciate PR as critical to their organisation’s future.
communications teams (both public and private), and non-PR board
directors of some of the country’s largest organisations, this report allows The PR and communications industry has proven to be a real UK business
us to compare how good we think our reputation is, with the views of our success story as it continues to grow in these tough economic times. Our
senior colleagues and clients. next challenge is to make sure we make the business case for reputation
management to sustain this resilience.
There is much to welcome and celebrate: the value of reputation
management has clearly risen in the last five years, and it is predicted to
improve further over the next few years. Importantly, this is reflected in Francis Ingham
increased spend on PR – and this trend is likely to continue over the next Chief Executive, PRCA
few years too.

It is also pleasing that as a discipline PR has effectively taken ownership
of social media functions and responsibilities. Social Media has been
successfully wrestled away from advertising and marketing, and there is
room for further growth in this area.

However, we should be under no illusion that there is a long way to
go before good PR and good reputation management are seen in all
boardrooms as vital to the bottom line. In fact, some communications
directors still do not get into the boardroom at all, and others have limited
face time with their CEOs.

4 PRCA REPUTATION OF PR REPORT 2012 PRCA REPUTATION OF PR REPORT 2012 5

Make the
right choice
We know that PRCA training Headline The results will at times distinguish between in-house senior
communications professionals, and board-level directors that
is the very best. We offer the best
courses by the best trainers.
statistics have no PR/communications remit, as well as managing directors
of public relations agencies.

68
So why don’t you check out what
we have to offer? What have you 68% of PR and Communications

got to lose? professionals believe that PR is valued
more than five years ago, compared to
48% of non-PR board members

Full Day
PRCA Member £305+VAT %
Non Member £370+VAT

Half Day 17 %
17% of organisations still do not
understand social media

70
PRCA Member £170+VAT
Non Member £215+VAT 70% of non-PR board members believe
PR and Communications needs to
better align itself with wider business
Online Training objectives

PRCA Member £95+VAT
Non Member £120+VAT
%
T: 020 7233 6026

47
47% of organisations expect to increase
their PR and Communications budget in

training@prca.org.uk the next five years, compared to just 14%

www.prca.org.uk/training % who expect a decrease

13 %
13% of organisations never discuss
their reputation at board meetings

PRCA REPUTATION OF PR REPORT 2012 7

Performance 1
4% Performance CORPORATE
REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT
71%
of PR: of PR: CUSTOMER
MARKETING 71%
CORPORATE
On a scale of How does
2
9% COMMUNICATIONS/
STRATEGIC COUNCIL
68%

1 to 5 how well PR and STAKEHOLDER
RELATIONS 66%
do you think 3
communications INTERNAL

the PR and 27% add value to your COMMUNICATIONS 58%

communications organisation? CRISIS & ISSUES
MANAGEMENT 57%
function delivers 4
(Answered by all respondents)
GOVERNMENT
46% 35%
in relation to its
RELATIONS/
LOBBYING

potential? Both non-PR board directors and agency
directors agreed that corporate reputation
management and customer marketing are
CSR
34%
(Answered by all respondents) the most valuable service provided by PR and
5 communications. INVESTOR
19% RELATIONS 27%

OTHER
Starting with how PR and Communications
currently functions, the results were favourable.
11%
Interestingly 67% of board directors in public
organisations gave 5 out of 5 for delivery in PR &
DON’T
relation to potential.
KNOW 1% COMMUNICATIONS 1%
DO NOT ADD VALUE
TO MY CLIENTS

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Performance 1
2% Performance EXTREMELY
WELL 6%
of PR: of PR:

2 QUITE WELL
9% 39%

1 to 5, rate how PR and
the PR and 3
communications ON PAR WITH

communications 29% perform EXPECTATIONS 40%

function takes against your
ownership of your 4
expectations? QUITE BADLY
41% 10%
organisation’s (Answered by non-PR board directors only)

brand(s) and
reputation 5 When just non-PR board directors were asked EXTREMELY
19% how PR performs against their expectations, the BADLY 2%
communication answers were favourable. The lack of “extremely
well” responses means there is still room for

strategy
improvement for industry performance compared
to what organisations expect.

(Answered by all respondents except agency directors) DON’T DON’T KNOW
KNOW 2% 4%

In-house communications professionals
rated their ability to take ownership of their
organisation’s brand higher (almost exclusively
4 and 5 out of 5) than their directors (mostly 3
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
and 4 out of 5).


Responsibility CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS/
STRATEGIC COUNCIL
81% Responsibility BUILDING BRAND
REPUTATION 88%
of PR: CUSTOMER
of PR: CREATING
MARKETING 69% AWARENESS 84%

In which areas CORPORATE
REPUTATION 69%
What should CREATING & MANAGING
MEDIA RELATIONS 82%
of PR and MANAGEMENT

STAKEHOLDER
the PR and PROTECTING BRAND

communications RELATIONS 69%
communications REPUTATION 77%

do you have CRISIS & ISSUES
MANAGEMENT 69%
team be FORMING PART OF THE
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP 70%
responsibility delivering IN THE ORGANISATION

for your to your
INTERNAL POSITIONING THE
COMMUNICATIONS 66% ORGANISATION AS EXPERTS/ 69%
SOLUTION PROVIDER TO

organisation/ CSR
organisation? RELEVANT AUDIENCE

STIMULATING SALES
42% 67%
client? (Answered by all respondents)

(Answered by PR professionals only) GOVERNMENT PROVIDING CRISIS
RELATIONS/LOBBYING 35% MANAGEMENT 61%
Directors in private organisations were the only
respondents to believe that creating awareness
INVESTOR RELATIONS (83%) was more important than building brand PROFILING KEY
Interestingly corporate communications clearly
is the key responsibility even though it ranked
18% reputation (80%). Otherwise there was broad
agreement that brand reputation should be the key
INDIVIDUALS 53%
behind corporate reputation management and delivery function, although only marginally.
customer marketing in terms of adding value to
organisations (page 9). OTHER CARRYING OUT
15% INSTRUCTIONS OF OTHER 21%
INDIVIDUALS/DEPARTMENTS

PR & COMMUNICATIONS OTHER
DO NOT ADD VALUE 1% 7%
TO MY CLIENTS

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Social media: THE PR &
COMMUNICATIONS
FUNCTION HAS TAKEN
54% Social media: MAJORITY OF CLIENTS
ARE OUTSOURCING
SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA
42%
RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESPONSIBILITIES TO
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES AGENCIES

How has the WE HAVE ENGAGED
AGENCY SUPPORT FOR 35%
How has the IN THE MAJORITY
OF CLIENTS, THE 34%
advent of social OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
ACTIVITIES advent of COMMUNICATIONS
TEAM HAVE TAKEN
RESPONSIBILITY FOR

media impacted WE HAVE RECRUITED
social media SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES

MAJORITY OF CLIENTS

upon your INDIVIDUALS
SPECIFICALLY TO
MANAGE THE SOCIAL
17%
impacted upon ARE MANAGING SOCIAL
MEDIA USING EXISTING
INTERNAL EXPERTISE
27%

organisation’s MEDIA ACTIVITIES
your clients’
communications IT HAS NOT IMPACTED
ON OUR BUSINESS’S
COMMUNICATIONS
14% communications MAJORITY OF CLIENTS
HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA
STRATEGY
20%
strategy? STRATEGY
strategies?
(Answered by non-PR board directors only) (Answered by agency directors only)
OTHER MAJORITY OF CLIENTS
10% HAVE RECRUITED 15%
SPECIALISTS TO MANAGE
SOCIAL MEDIA &
INTERNET ACTIVITIES
The good news for the industry is that directors
recognise that social media is the responsibility
WE WILL RECRUIT of the communications team. However, there is a OTHER
SPECIALIST INDIVIDUALS 8% contrast between agencies that see most clients 15%
TO MANAGE SOCIAL outsourcing, and directors who see social media
MEDIA & INTERNET responsibility as primarily for their in-house
RELATED ACTIVITY communications teams.

DON’T KNOW DON’T KNOW
6% 2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%


Social media: IT IS AN
OPPORTUNITY 66% Social media: TWITTER
71%

At a senior level, What user FACEBOOK
59%
what is your generated
WE DON’T
UNDERSTAND IT 17%

organisation’s content or BLOGS

attitude to IT DOESN’T RATE
social media 51%

social media? AS AN ISSUE 8% activities does
(Answered by all respondents except agency directors)
your PR and SEO
35%

I DON’T KNOW
communications
5%
The importance of PR taking ownership of PR
is highlighted by a majority of directors’ view of
social media as an opportunity. However, it is
function carry DISCUSSION BOARDS
35%
worrying that almost one in five still claim to not
understand social media. out for your
IT’S NOT organisation?
RELEVANT TO US 2% OTHER
(Answered by senior in-house communications 23%
professionals only)

NONE OF THE ABOVE
IT IS A THREAT
2% As expected, senior in-house professionals now 1%
view Twitter as the most important social media
channel for generating content, with Facebook and
blogs still in common use.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%


Our Advanced
Certificate has
grown Perceptions
of PR:
AS A MEDIA
RELATIONS FUNCTION

AS A PROACTIVE
68%

FUNCTION 55%

How do you AS A TACTICAL
IMPLEMENTOR 47%
believe PR and AS A KEY ADVISOR

communications 43%

is perceived AS A REACTIVE
FUNCTION 43%
within your
organisation?
AS A KEY FUNCTION
IN DRIVING THE 36%
ORGANISATION
FORWARD
AS A VOICE WITH
STAKEHOLDERS 34%
PRCA Advanced Certificate (Ad PRCA Advanced Certificate
There was consensus across the majority of
CertPRCA) now includes brand new (Ad CertPRCA) respondents that PR and communications was
AS MAKING A CLEAR

PRCA Member £1,800 +VAT primarily a media relations function. There was
CONTRIBUTION TO 18%
courses specifically designed for also agreement that PR was more commonly seen
THE BOTTOM LINE

PRCA Non Member £2,200 +VAT as a proactive, as opposed to reactive, function.
in-house communications teams OTHER
7%
For more information or to
Stakeholder Relationship Management register for the Advanced DON’T KNOW
Event Management Certificate, please call 1%
Project Management 020 7233 6026 or email
Budget Management training@prca.org.uk
Developing an Internal Communications Strategy
Publicity, Advertising and Marketing Workshop
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Fundraising and Sponsorship

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE PRCA REPUTATION OF PR REPORT 2012 19

Perceptions THE ROLE OF PR &
COMMUNICATIONS
IS MORE VALUED
53% Perceptions IT VALUES IT MORE NOW
THAN 5 YEARS AGO 46%
of PR: NOW THAN IT WAS
5 YEARS AGO of PR:

Which one of How do you
the following do THE ROLE OF PR &
COMMUNICATIONS IS 32% think your IT VALUES IT THE SAME
AS IT DID 5 YEARS AGO 36%
VALUED NOW ABOUT
you agree with THE SAME AS IT WAS
5 YEARS AGO
organisation
the most? values PR and
(Answered by PR professionals only)
communications
THE ROLE OF PR &
COMMUNICATIONS 8% now compared IT VALUES IT LESS THAN
IT DID 5 YEARS AGO 6%
to 5 years ago?
IS LESS VALUED NOW
THAN IT WAS 5
YEARS AGO
(Answered by non-PR board directors only)

PR and communications professionals’ firm belief
I DON’T KNOW HOW I DON’T KNOW
that PR is valued more than it was 5 years ago
PERCEPTIONS OF 8% is well reflected by board directors, if not quite
ENOUGH TO COMMENT 13%
THE ROLE OF PR &
as strongly.
COMMUNICATIONS
AS A WHOLE HAVE
CHANGED

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%


Perceptions I BELIEVE THAT
THE ROLE OF PR &
COMMUNICATIONS
61% Perceptions I BELIEVE THAT
THE ROLE OF PR &
COMMUNICATIONS
51%
of PR: WILL BE VALUED MORE
IN THE FUTURE THAN of PR: WILL BE VALUED MORE
IN THE FUTURE THAN
IT IS CURRENTLY IT IS CURRENTLY

Which one of Which one of
the following do I BELIEVE THAT
THE ROLE OF PR & 29% the following do I BELIEVE THAT
THE ROLE OF PR & 42%
COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS
you agree with WILL BE VALUED
ABOUT THE SAME IN
you agree with WILL BE VALUED
ABOUT THE SAME IN

the most? the most?
THE FUTURE AS IT IS THE FUTURE AS IT IS
CURRENTLY CURRENTLY

(Answered by PR professionals only) (Answered by non-PR board members only)

I BELIEVE THAT I BELIEVE THAT
THE ROLE OF PR & 10% THE ROLE OF PR & 7%
COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS
Again there is agreement that the value of PR will
WILL BE VALUED LESS WILL BE VALUED LESS
continue to increase, with non-PR board directors
IN THE FUTURE THAN IN THE FUTURE THAN
not quite as optimistic.
IT IS CURRENTLY IT IS CURRENTLY

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Perceptions DIRECTORS
IN PUBLIC
ORGANISATIONS
33%
50%
Perceptions PR & COMMUNICATIONS
NEEDS TO BETTER
ALIGN ITS DELIVERY
70%
of PR: 17%
of PR: WITH WIDER BUSINESS
OBJECTIVES

DIRECTORS PR & COMMUNICATIONS
35%
39%
In 5 years How can your
IN PRIVATE NEEDS TO IMPROVE
BUSINESSES 63% HOW IT COMMUNICATES
2% WITH THE CLIENT’S

time how communications BOARD

supportive do SENIOR PR &
COMMUNICATIONS
28%
52%
team enhance OTHER
16%
PROFESSIONALS –
you think your IN-HOUSE – PUBLIC
ORGANISATIONS
20% its contribution
organisation/ SENIOR PR &
38%
to your DON’T KNOW

client will be COMMUNICATIONS
PROFESSIONALS –
IN-HOUSE – PRIVATE 1%
60% organisation? 5%

towards PR and BUSINESSES (Answered by non-PR board directors only)

communications AGENCY

44%
51% THE CONTRIBUTION OF
PR & COMMUNICATIONS 5%
compared to
CANNOT BE ENHANCED
Board directors evidently feel that PR and
5% communications has yet to fully understand the
organisation’s wider objectives. Crucially it shows

how it is now? that the industry has yet to demonstrate that it’s
objectives are in line with the bottom line.


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Broken down by type of respondent, this question THEY WILL BE MORE SUPPORTIVE
reveals optimism that organisations will value PR THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE
more in the future is justified. Although agency THEY WILL BE AS SUPPORTIVE
director’s enthusiasm that clients will be more AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE
supportive in the future isn’t quite matched by the THEY WILL BE LESS SUPPORTIVE
clients themselves! THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE


Perceptions 1
1% Perceptions SHOULD DO MORE TO
IMPROVE IT 46%
of PR: of PR:
IT HAS A POSITIVE
32%
2 EFFECT
3%

1 to 5, how PR and
important is 3
communications IT TRIES TO IMPROVE
IT WITHOUT ANY
NOTICEABLE EFFECT
14%
reputation? 5% contribute to
your reputation? IT HAS A NEGATIVE

(Answered by non-PR board members only)
EFFECT 7%
4
13%

Although all the respondents were unanimous in IT DOES NOT
regards to the importance of reputation, board
directors feel that more can be done to improve
CONTRIBUTE TO THE 2%
ORGANISATION’S
reputation by PR and communications teams. At REGULATIONS
5 the same time one in three recognised that PR
78% and Communications teams do make a positive
impact on reputation. There is clearly work still
to be done!

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
DON’T
KNOW 1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Perceptions ENABLE REPUTATION TO
BE BUILT & SUSTAINED 81% Evaluating PR: QUALITY OF MESSAGE
DELIVERY 59%
of PR: BRAND AWARENESS
51%
PROVIDE STRATEGIC
CONSULTANCY 63%
How do you ANECDOTAL FEEDBACK
43%
How could measure your VOLUME OF ITEMS OF
COVERAGE 40%
PR and HELP LEADERSHIP
brand image and WEIGHTED VOLUME OF
COVERAGE 30%
communications STRATEGY 52%
reputation? MARKET POSITION
30%
be seen as (Answered by all respondents) ROI
22%
a source of DEMONSTRATE AN
UNDERSTANDING OF
THE BUSINESSES/
51%
AUDIENCE TRACKING
RESEARCH 22%
value to your ORGANISATIONS There are positive signs that quality outcomes
are more important than output, and AVE was the
lowest ranking answer. Volume is still an important
STAKEHOLDER
TRACKING RESEARCH 21%
organisation in AID BUSINESS
PLANNING 51%
indicator for a significant minority. SALES SPIKES
21%
the future? IMPACT OF REPUTATION
ON SHARE VALUE 14%
(Answered by non-PR board directors only) AVE
ENHANCE RISK 13%
MANAGEMENT 42% OTHER
11%
Non-PR directors see the future of PR
WE DO NOT MEASURE
overwhelmingly as a reputation management
tool. Promisingly almost two in three see PR
REPUTATION 9%
as a future strategic tool. OTHER
DON’T KNOW
9% 5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%


Spending on PR: IT HAS INCREASED
COMPARED TO 5
YEARS AGO
42% Spending on PR: IT HAS INCREASED
COMPARED TO
5 YEARS AGO
42%

How has How has spend
the spend on PR and
on PR and IT HAS REMAINED THE
SAME AS 5 YEARS AGO 35% communications IT HAS REMAINED THE
SAME AS 5 YEARS AGO 28%
communications in your
(excluding organisation
advertising) changed relative
in your IT HAS DECREASED
COMPARED TO 5 24% to advertising DON’T KNOW
18%
organisation spend over the
YEARS AGO

changed relative last 5 years ago?
to the total (Answered by senior in-house communications
professionals only)

revenue over 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% IT HAS DECREASED
COMPARED TO 12%
the last 5 years?
5 YEARS AGO
Significantly the increased value of reputation
has been matched with an increase spend
(Answered by non-PR board directors only) on PR. It is a very positive sign to see PR
spend increase compared to total revenue and
compared to similar disciplines.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%


Spending on PR: IT WILL INCREASE
47% PR in the NONE
18%
boardroom:
In 5 years time, UP TO ONE HOUR
12%
how do you think How many hours
the percentage IT WILL REMAIN
THE SAME 39% per month do FROM 1 TO 3 HOURS
21%
of your you spend with
organisation’s your CEO? FROM 4 TO 7 HOURS
17%
revenue spent (Answered by senior in-house communications
professionals only)

on PR and IT WILL DECREASE
14%
FROM 8 TO 10 HOURS
15%
communications Worryingly almost one in five in-house heads
spend no time at all with their CEO.

(excluding FROM 11 TO 13 HOURS
4%
advertising) in
your organisation 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% FROM 14 TO 17 HOURS
5%
will fare?
(answered by all respondents except agency directors) FROM 18 TO 20 HOURS
5%

This trend of increased budgets is crucially
expected to continue into the future. MORE THAN 20 HOURS
5%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%


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