PR is the most discussed marketing discipline
A 2010 survey of 5,000 marketing decision-makers has revealed that, when asked about their intentions to hire marketing services support, PR has been the discipline most mentioned by marketing decision-makers. For 22% of interviews, PR was the main focus, followed by digital (13%), and then design and branding (9%), advertising (7%) and the many other marketing service categories comprised the remainder. Of the discussions had about PR services, 44% involved consumer PR, 32% involved corporate PR and 24% online & social media.
Hot sectors
The ‘Third Sector’ (charities and associations) has held steady as the hottest sector in Q1 for interest in PR and communications opportunities against other industries. Both Financial Services and the Public Sector have seen a sharp increase in interest over the last quarter, with three times as many PR-related discussions in March compared to January. The top 3 sectors for PR opportunities are: -
Charity/Associations – 13.4%
Leisure – 9.8%
Direct- 8.2%
Consumer PR
The hot sectors for Consumer PR specifically are Charity/Associations (16.1%), Leisure (14.3%) and FMCG (14.3%). However Retail has seen the biggest increase – by March this figure had grown to 13%.
Corporate PR
For Corporate PR, the hottest sector is Financial Services (22%) closely followed by Public Sector (19.5%) and Charity/Associations (19.5%). Retail was the fastest growing sector, while FMCG brands saw the biggest reduction in opportunities for corporate communications. For marketers looking to reach a B2B audience, PR was by far the most popular discipline with 31% of marketers spoken to looking to better engage their audience. The hottest sectors for B2B marketing are Industry and Manufacturing.
Online PR & Social Media
Retail was the sector with the most opportunities for online PR & social media (26%), as marketers sought to better understand consumer’s online conversations and tempt them back to the high street. Retail was closely followed by Leisure (23%), while Charity/Associations was third at 12.9%.
Lobbying for brands
Lobbying was an area nearly all communications budget holders were talking about. Perhaps more surprising was its popularity among brands also investing in consumer PR. When discussing other areas these PR specialists were considering investing in, lobbying was discussed the most, second only to new product launches. Brands who haven’t typically invested in the area of lobbying before are beginning to sense the benefits.
Return of financial PR
Demand for financial PR has grown steadily through Q1 with a 50 percent increase in the frequency it was mentioned in March versus January. The difference between 2010 and 2009 is even more dramatic, and month on month comparisons show financial PR coming up twice as often. Of course, as markets begin to stabilise, brands are investing more in this area.
Conclusions
Marketers in the sectors worst affected by the Recession are turning to PR as the discipline to reassert their brand on the market. Whether it be retailers looking to speak to their customers through social media, blogs and online conversations, or charities using the whole spectrum of PR disciplines. Having kept its head down in 2009, the Financial Sector is now a hive of PR activity, and businesses of all industries are once again engaging with their stakeholders.
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