Deficits in international communication
A survey of approximately 2,700 communications professionals from 43 countries reveals a need for action on the part of companies. The majority of respondents criticized the lack of organizational structures in international communications.
Hardly any other country exports more goods and services than Germany. The export industry is also of great importance to the Swiss economy. Accordingly, international communication will become much more important over the next three years. This is the opinion of three quarters of the participants in the international survey of communications professionals, the European Communications Monitor ECM.
In sharp contrast to this is the admission of the communication managers surveyed: only a minority of companies have strategies for international communication. However, 48 percent of those surveyed in Switzerland consider the organization and strategy for international communication in their companies to be sufficient. Professor Ansgar Zerfass (University of Leipzig) is now in his seventh year of coordinating the study, which was conducted by eleven renowned European universities. He is of the opinion: "Considering the high degree of economic integration in Europe, it is surprising that only a minority of the organizations surveyed have sensible cross-border communication strategies."
Importance of "social media" stagnates
Another part of the study shows that, for the first time in five years, the importance of social media is not increasing from the perspective of company professionals. With an approval rating of more than 70 percent, social media is now an important and self-evident element in companies' communication portfolios. However, there are still many areas in which companies could take advantage of untapped opportunities. For example, communication tailored to mobile devices or online communities.
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The ECM is compiled regularly by an association of eleven European universities. This year, over 2,700 communication professionals from 43 European countries were surveyed in March. The survey was led by Ansgar Zerfass, Managing Director of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).
The full report on ECM 2013 is available at Communicationmonitor.eu. The results from previous years can also be found there.
