Public Relations: Agency market recovered somewhat in 2010
The market for PR agencies in Switzerland stabilized in 2010. After a 9.2% decline in fee income in 2009, the turnover survey and market statistics of the Swiss Association of PR Agencies (BPRA) show signs of recovery.
The PR agencies that are members of the BPRA generated fee income of CHF 67.1 million in the 2010 financial year (previous year: CHF 67.7 million). While turnover fell by - 0.9 percent, the number of employees in the association's member agencies rose by two percent to 309. The industry is cautiously optimistic for the current financial year.
There were revenue winners and losers in all provider categories. Providers that specialize in certain sectors or offerings tended to perform better, according to the BPRA. The smaller agencies are under pressure. The market continues to be led by the two agencies Farner Consulting and Burson-Marsteller (see Agency overview). With the founding of the new agency YJOO and the repositioning of Grayling (formerly Trimedia), the positioning of the following agencies has changed. With Freicom, YJOO, Grayling, Communicators and Furrer Hugi & Partner, a new field of larger agencies has emerged.
According to the association, the market trends show an increased demand for full services. The project business continues to grow and demand remains volatile. Demand is rising, particularly in the areas of digital communication, traditional reputation management and dealing with public transparency requirements and more active stakeholder groups. Although there is an increasing number of international contacts on the client side, the PR business of local agencies remains primarily focused on the Swiss market.
