Recognition of PR as a Strategic Management Discipline Still a Challenge

Lise Michaud

CIPR UK released the State of the Profession 2018. For almost a decade, the CIPR’s State of the Profession has delivered industry leading data on the trends, issues and challenges impacting public relations. As they did last year, respondents consider that under-representation of public relations practitioners at board level is the biggest challenge facing the industry.

Excerpt from the report : "Practitioners need to break away from tactical communications and assert wider influence over the organisation they work in or for if PR is to thrive as a strategic management discipline.

Although practitioners influence communications strategy and communication budgets, organisations are systematically undervaluing their PR functions – only 1 in 10 senior respondents indicated they were a member of an executive board.

Nine out of 10 (88%) recruiters value strategic thinking as one of the most significant attributes in senior practitioners. Senior practitioners rate it as strength (45%), and strategic planning is one of the most commonly undertaken activities at this level (66%). However, senior practitioners need to build their business acumen to break through beyond PR.

Senior practitioners are strategic planners but are more commonly occupied in copywriting and campaigns. While recruiters value strategic thinking and practitioners identified it as a strength, there is a gap between this perceived value and the reality of a senior role in PR."

Challenges facing the industry