What the PR elite does better than average

To distinguish between excellent and average communications experts, the survey participants first had to assess themselves. They were asked how they rated the success of their respective corporate communications and how this compared to their competitors. According to the answers, the study authors divided the respondents into two groups: "basic PR experts" and "communications elite.  

According to the survey, the communications elite rate the importance of corporate and product image (reputation) significantly higher than the basic PR experts. Measuring image values is important for 87 percent of the outstanding PR professionals. By comparison, the figure for average PR professionals is only 61 percent.  

Excellent communicators also have an all-round view of their target groups. In addition to customers as the most important contact group, all other stakeholders such as employees, shareholders or the public are equally important to the communications elite (45 percent). Among basic PR experts, only 28 percent have this 360-degree perspective.  

There is also a big difference between excellent and average communications with regard to cooperation with the board. While the PR elite sees itself primarily as a business partner of the board (48 percent), the PR rank and file tends to set its own goals (17 percent) or derive them from the corporate strategy (27 percent).  

Internal network communication, which largely does without hierarchies, is also much more pronounced in the companies of the communications elite (59 percent) than among the PR grassroots experts (36 percent).