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A REPORT BY
INTRODUCTION
s communications professionals are acutely aware, great shifts in economic, social, political and technological behaviour are afoot, altering the fundamental project of Public Relations. India is at the locus of many of these changes. As one of the most dynamic economies, with one of the fastest-growing middle classes, with the worlds largest democracy, it is possible that these shifts, and their impact on the way companies communicate with consumers, are felt more profoundly here than in any other market. The Indian communications industry requires nuanced understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities it faces. This study was conceived to facilitate such understanding; as such, we interviewed a wide variety of senior practitioners on the both the agency and client sides, including CMOs and practice managers, to incorporate
Ashw Ani s ingl A MD & Chief Executive, South Asia, Penn Schoen Berland
consensus on many key issues, but one conclusion was paramount: the industry must adopt Empirical Public Relations: communications strategies rooted in the science of public opinion. 77% of the professionals we talked to said that the primary factor making the industry more complex in the last few years is the ongoing shift from measuring coverage of a communications initiative to measuring its business impact. Empirical Public Relations demonstrates how campaigns move the needle by creating and applying insights at each phase, working from baseline measurements of perception, through communications tested to maximize effectiveness, to tracking research to demonstrate ROI. Practitioners agree that applied insights result in impact than 89% of clients say they are more comfortable with research-based campaigns. However, a crucial gap currently prevents the industry from applying science to its practice: agencies are waiting for clients to demand measurement, while clients are waiting for agencies to propose it. Fortunately, we also found a bridge. Clients say they are ready to pay the premium for insights-based campaigns meaning that agencies must create a framework to address this opportunity. This new model will be constructed on a foundation of expertise in the science of public opinion, which will require development of the communications industrys human capital. Therefore, industry leaders must enhance their organizations applied science capabilitiesby upgrading their own skills, developing those of their employees and hiring new expertise into their teams. And much as Empirical Public Relations will change the way campaigns are priced and paid for, addressing the human capital challenge will require a revised model of compensation, investments in technology, both to communicate most effectively in an ever-accelerating, ever more-global digital world, as well as to improve As Public Relations engages in more and more projects with demonstrative bottom-line impact for clients, the industry will increasingly earn a place at the table with chief executives, a perspective which will lead to more business-impactful communications. This positive it is founded on Empirical Public Relations.
4%
87% of Indian communications professionals believe that the industry has become more complex in the last few years. Of these respondents, 77% say that the shift from an emphasis on the measurement of coverage to an emphasis on the measurement of business impact has been the key factor. The success or failure of a communications program is now understood in terms of the impact it has on a clients bottom line a development which has proven challenging. Other key issues leading to rising complexity include the rise of new media and a more informed audience (74%, respectively), increased competition in the marketplace (72%), the rise of social media (68%) and the increasingly global nature of issues and crises (63%). The growing need to demonstrate the business impacts created by communications programs is creating demand for strategies that implement scientific methodologies at each stage of the process Empirical Public Relations.
How do you think the public relations/communications industry has changed in the past few years? ASKED OF ALL RESPONDENTS
SHIFT IN EMPHASIS FROM COVERAGE TO BUSINESS IMPACT IS THE LEADING CHANGE FACTOR:
77% 74% 74% 72% 68% 63%
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What are the key paradigm shifts you have noticed in the ways the public relations/communications industry used to operate in past few years? ASKED OF ALL RESPONDENTS
YES NO
Would you be willing to offer an additional incentive for demonstrated, measurable impact? // Would you be willing to pay a premium for strategic counsel based on empirical evidence? ASKED OF CLIENTS
Does your public relations/communication agency provide research insights to support their ideas or initiatives? ASKED OF CLIENTS
AGENCIES ALSO BELIEVE THAT CLIENTS WILL PAY MORE FOR EMPIRICAL PR:
31% 69% 25% 75%
YES NO
Do you think your client would be willing to pay a premium for strategic counsel based on research led insights provided by your firm? // Would your client be willing to offer an additional incentive to your firm for measurable impact? ASKED OF AGENCIES
YES NO 89%
Would you feel more comfortable with your public relations/ communications recommendations and ideas if research insights were provided to support the ideas or initiatives? ASKED OF CLIENTS
Public Relations companies do not propose measurement. CLIENT Nobody is ready to pay for it. PROVIDER
YES NO 91%
AGENCIES
Do you think public relations/communication agencies 77% in general are geared to deal with paradigm shifts in the industry? ASKED OF CLIENTS
62%
Do you think that your clients expectations from your firm have changed over the last year? ASKED OF AGENCIES
CLIENTS AGREE WITH AGENCIES 46% THAT UPGRADING SKILLS OF EXISTING STAFF IS TOP PRIORITY: 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
AGENCIES
77%
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CLIENTS
70%
CLIENTS SEEK MORE THAN JUST MEDIA RELATIONS FROM THEIR PARTNERS:
88% 88% 78% 75% 66%
62%
63%
46%
57%
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CLIENTS
70%
What talent management steps should public 63% relations/communications agencies take to meet the needs and expectations of clients ? ASKED OF ALL RESPONDENTS, SHOWING TOP FIVE 57% RESPONSES
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UPGRADESKILLSOFEXISTINGSTAFF Theres a huge team to service my ADDNEWSKILLS/EXPERTISE account, but of these ten people, INCREASETEAMSIZE hardly anyone ATTRACT&RETAINTALENT would be doing the thinking work. CLIENT
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New people lack patience and quickly move on to the client side, or to new jobs. - PROVIDER
MORE THAN HALF OF CLIENT RESPONDENTS LACK FORMAL PR IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS:
63% 57%
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Do you have any formal process of measuring impact or effectiveness of your public relations or communications programs? ASKED OF CLIENTS
What should public relations/communications agencies make technological investments in to meet the needs and expectations of clients like you? ASKED OF AGENCIES
AGENCIES SKEPTICAL OF PEERS PREPAREDNESS FOR THE NEW NORMAL, BUT THEYRE CONFIDENT OF THEIR OWN:
17% 48% 52% 83% YES NO
Do you think public relations/communication agencies in general are geared up to deal with the changes/paradigm shifts in the industry? // Do you think your agency is geared up to deal with the changes/paradigm shifts in the industry? ASKED OF AGENCIES
MEDIAMEASUREMENT MEDIAEXPOSURE STAKEHOLDERRESEARCH INTERNALFEEDBACK INTERNETACTIVITY How do you measure the effectiveness of your public relations or communications programs? ASKED OF CLIENTS
FOR MORE INFORMATION: S. Khanna, Director, Marketing; skhanna@ps-b.com; M: +971 111 8615; www.psbresearch.in ABOUT THIS REPORT: Penn Schoen Berland conducted 9 qualitative in-depth interviews (both in-person and over the phone) and 80 online quantitative interviews between February 22 and March 17, 2011. Sample size makes the results indicative. AUDIENCE DEFINITIONS: Clients - Chief marketing officers, heads of communications in organizations; Agencies - Public relation professionals (manager and above); Media - Journalists and production professionals (managers and above).