On the pulse of the PR industry
The first Swiss Corporate Communication and Public Relations Practice Monitor highlights trends in the Swiss PR industry. These trends are most significantly shaped by the influence of digital communication and social media. Furthermore, women are gaining ground in the industry: more than 58 percent of PR professionals are already women—and if this trend continues, that figure could exceed 70 percent in just a few years!
The results of the Practice Monitor 2010, published for the first time, are a product of the Swiss Corporate Communication and Public Relations Observatory, which was founded by the Università della Svizzera italiana together with SPRI, BPRA, HarbourClub and pr suisse in 2009. The Observatory, with its planned regular studies, is the central platform for the survey, which was conducted among communication professionals in Switzerland in February 2010.
The industry organizations intend to conduct this survey regularly in future in order to record and evaluate developments in professional practice, trends in the communication trade and the needs of PR professionals in the market as well as in education. "The Swiss Observatory is intended to measure and shed light on the various aspects of the profession within the defined parameters on an annual basis," says Francesco Lurati, Professor of Corporate Communication at the Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (USI). "We hope that the results will promote active dialog in the industry and ultimately lead to the definition of new benchmarks."
In February 2010, over 15 percent of communication professionals in Switzerland took part in a survey, the majority of them in German-speaking Switzerland. More than half of them are communications managers in companies, CEOs of agencies or employees with budget responsibility. Approximately 60 percent of the participants have a university degree, and a good third have a federal certificate or diploma.
Well networked
PR professionals are exceptionally well connected. Almost 70 percent of Swiss public relations and communications professionals are members of a national or international professional association and almost all participants use online social networks both professionally and privately. The most popular professional platform for PR professionals is Xing, while Facebook was named as the favorite for private exchanges by almost all participants.
High proportion of women
Although women are in the majority in the industry, men are more influential. More than half of all PR professionals are female, but strategic positions and jobs with decision-making authority are still firmly in the hands of men. However, this ratio could change in the future, as the new generation of PR professionals under the age of 40 consists of 70 percent women.
Megatrend: Digital communication
Every second respondent cites the increasing influence of digital communication as the most important shaping factor for developments in the industry. This is also clearly reflected in the time that communication professionals invest in the management and production of digital communication. Already today, a quarter of working time is spent on this and this is expected to increase further. At the same time, usage behavior is changing from the current "try it all" approach to a bundled use of certain media such as social networks, online videos and special interest communities.
In day-to-day communication, professionals value the four main communication channels "corporate publications", "media", "interpersonal communication" and "advertising and promotion" equally. On the other hand, there is a greater difference in the communication disciplines: almost 80 percent name "topic-led communication" and "internal communication" as the most important disciplines. In the future, "community relations" and "internal communication" are expected to become increasingly important.
PR professionals see a growing need to measure the effectiveness of communication work. Despite this, measures are often limited to measuring clippings. However, the importance of internet usage measurement has increased significantly and has almost caught up with that of clippings. This shows the trend towards increasing differentiation of monitoring solutions, especially through the integration of social media.
Little influence on decisions regarding sponsoring and partnerships
The biggest surprise is the involvement of communications experts in activities such as "relationships, alliances and coalitions with relevant stakeholders", "sponsorship" and "philanthropy". Less than a quarter of respondents say that they are in charge of these activities. Only a third also feel significantly involved in strategic corporate decisions such as "changes in the corporate organization" or "mergers and acquisitions". The same applies to responsibility for the development of the corporate brand: only a quarter of respondents see themselves as responsible.
Different perceptions of the customer-advisor relationship
Companies show the greatest need for support from external consultants for editorial work. However, there is a divergent perception between companies and agencies regarding the main motives for cooperation between CCOs and agencies: agency managers rate their strategic involvement as high, while CCOs tend to value the support of agencies and consultants in implementation. The majority of clients are satisfied with the services provided by their agencies. Companies are less satisfied with the "international relationships" of agencies and consultancies.
When asked about personal professional development, communication experts articulate clear needs. More than half would like to gain more expertise in the "management of communication tools and channels", which also includes digital media. Specialist disciplines such as CSR and personal development are also expected to gain in importance in the future.
The Swiss Observatory
The Swiss Observatory was founded in 2009 by SPRI, pr suisse, BPRA, Harbourclub and the Università della Svizzera italiana. It is supported by YJOO Communications AG, Linkgroup, Adecco and Adwired. Regular surveys as well as ad hoc studies are conducted to provide the industry with the necessary data for continuous improvement of professional practice. The next study is already planned for February 2011. An electronic version of the study can be downloaded at www.spri.ch.
For further information:
Markus Berger, federally certified PR consultant BR/SPRV, Director SPRI Switzerland. Public Relations Institute, Zurich, [email protected],
Phone 044 299 40 41.
The industry organizations intend to conduct this survey regularly in future in order to record and evaluate developments in professional practice, trends in the communication trade and the needs of PR professionals in the market as well as in education. "The Swiss Observatory is intended to measure and shed light on the various aspects of the profession within the defined parameters on an annual basis," says Francesco Lurati, Professor of Corporate Communication at the Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (USI). "We hope that the results will promote active dialog in the industry and ultimately lead to the definition of new benchmarks."
In February 2010, over 15 percent of communication professionals in Switzerland took part in a survey, the majority of them in German-speaking Switzerland. More than half of them are communications managers in companies, CEOs of agencies or employees with budget responsibility. Approximately 60 percent of the participants have a university degree, and a good third have a federal certificate or diploma.
Well networked
PR professionals are exceptionally well connected. Almost 70 percent of Swiss public relations and communications professionals are members of a national or international professional association and almost all participants use online social networks both professionally and privately. The most popular professional platform for PR professionals is Xing, while Facebook was named as the favorite for private exchanges by almost all participants.
High proportion of women
Although women are in the majority in the industry, men are more influential. More than half of all PR professionals are female, but strategic positions and jobs with decision-making authority are still firmly in the hands of men. However, this ratio could change in the future, as the new generation of PR professionals under the age of 40 consists of 70 percent women.
Megatrend: Digital communication
Every second respondent cites the increasing influence of digital communication as the most important shaping factor for developments in the industry. This is also clearly reflected in the time that communication professionals invest in the management and production of digital communication. Already today, a quarter of working time is spent on this and this is expected to increase further. At the same time, usage behavior is changing from the current "try it all" approach to a bundled use of certain media such as social networks, online videos and special interest communities.
In day-to-day communication, professionals value the four main communication channels "corporate publications", "media", "interpersonal communication" and "advertising and promotion" equally. On the other hand, there is a greater difference in the communication disciplines: almost 80 percent name "topic-led communication" and "internal communication" as the most important disciplines. In the future, "community relations" and "internal communication" are expected to become increasingly important.
PR professionals see a growing need to measure the effectiveness of communication work. Despite this, measures are often limited to measuring clippings. However, the importance of internet usage measurement has increased significantly and has almost caught up with that of clippings. This shows the trend towards increasing differentiation of monitoring solutions, especially through the integration of social media.
Little influence on decisions regarding sponsoring and partnerships
The biggest surprise is the involvement of communications experts in activities such as "relationships, alliances and coalitions with relevant stakeholders", "sponsorship" and "philanthropy". Less than a quarter of respondents say that they are in charge of these activities. Only a third also feel significantly involved in strategic corporate decisions such as "changes in the corporate organization" or "mergers and acquisitions". The same applies to responsibility for the development of the corporate brand: only a quarter of respondents see themselves as responsible.
Different perceptions of the customer-advisor relationship
Companies show the greatest need for support from external consultants for editorial work. However, there is a divergent perception between companies and agencies regarding the main motives for cooperation between CCOs and agencies: agency managers rate their strategic involvement as high, while CCOs tend to value the support of agencies and consultants in implementation. The majority of clients are satisfied with the services provided by their agencies. Companies are less satisfied with the "international relationships" of agencies and consultancies.
When asked about personal professional development, communication experts articulate clear needs. More than half would like to gain more expertise in the "management of communication tools and channels", which also includes digital media. Specialist disciplines such as CSR and personal development are also expected to gain in importance in the future.
The Swiss Observatory
The Swiss Observatory was founded in 2009 by SPRI, pr suisse, BPRA, Harbourclub and the Università della Svizzera italiana. It is supported by YJOO Communications AG, Linkgroup, Adecco and Adwired. Regular surveys as well as ad hoc studies are conducted to provide the industry with the necessary data for continuous improvement of professional practice. The next study is already planned for February 2011. An electronic version of the study can be downloaded at www.spri.ch.
For further information:
Markus Berger, federally certified PR consultant BR/SPRV, Director SPRI Switzerland. Public Relations Institute, Zurich, [email protected],
Phone 044 299 40 41.
