In our latest Take 5 Live we sat down with Gideon Fidelzeid, Managing Editor of PRWeek, for a sneak peek at the 2020 Comms Report.
1. What is the most important thing to come out of this year's Comms Report?
Comms is really establishing their seat at the table, especially after COVID-19. And not only that, they're getting closer to getting that right-hand; CEOs are understanding that this is who they need to talk to in making any major business decision.
In a crisis situation, that multiplies exponentially. Right now everyone around the world is dealing with multiple crises: COVID-19, racial inequity, the economy, etc. And comms can help clarify and communicate brand values and more across all of it.
2. What has been a big challenge for PR pros aside from COVID-19?
One of the big things to come out of the 2020 Comms Report is the need for messaging for diverse audiences and that connects back to a bigger challenge for the industry that 2020 has really brought to light: Tackling diversity, equity and inclusion in a way that's authentic and transparent.
Incremental progress has been made but it hasn't been enough. If you really want to make progress on this front you have to measure it. You have to make your approach measurable. Intentions might be good, but it's not just something that's "nice to have". Your audience is diverse so your staff should be too, all the way up to senior levels.
3. Since this is the fourth year of this report, what lessons stand out year-over-year?
Each year we've asked respondents to indicate how much of their annual budget went to measuring/monitoring/understanding the impact of their comms program. In 2017, 22% of U.S. respondents said 10% or more of their budget went to this— a reasonable amount. This year in 2020, 31.3% of U.S. respondents said 10% or more.
That's a pretty decent jump in just three years and it's meaningful to the measurement discipline.
BONUS: What's in the report?
PRWeek and Cision's fourth annual Comms Report reveals the old and new obstacles the PR industry is facing, and how once more PR is rising to the challenge while proving its worth to the C-suite and on the bottom line:
- Emerging obstacles and opportunities for comms teams
- Overcoming challenges with technology, data and analytics
- The most effective channels and influencers for impacting consumer behavior
- The unique differences between agency & in-house perspectives
- PR's growing role in the C-suite
