12 July 2006
The role of communicators is broadening while their budgets shrink
In-house communicators are being increasingly recognized as strategists within organizations and their status is rising, but their resources are not matching this growth, according to a survey carried out by consultancy Brands2Life for PR Week.
Findings from the survey show how the scope of communicators’ work has increased. Many in-house communicators are now managing a growing amount of different bodies, from staff to third-party lobby groups and online audiences.
Communication becomes more strategic
Corporate reputation and internal communication were in the top three of communicators’ highest-ranking tasks, while “trust and reputation” were reported as being their highest communication challenge. It was followed by stakeholder relations and integrated communications.
More tactical challenges such as “global 24-hour news” and the “italicization” and “fragmentation” of media were reported as being among the lowest challenges.
The majority of respondents ranked “strategic planning” as their most important skill, followed jointly by “mental agility” and “intellect,” then “media knowledge.”
Most CEOs take communication seriously
Forty-six per cent of respondents said their CEO “completely” understood the importance of corporate communication; 45% said that their CEO “partially understood” and only 7% had CEOs who understood “a little” or “not at all.”
But although the survey shows that the CEO is more aware of the value of corporate communication, only 20% of respondents had managed to secure board-level positions and 16% were on the board at companies with turnovers in excess of UK£10m.
PR agencies used for tactical not strategic work
While in-house communication directors are increasingly recognized for their strategic contribution, the same cannot be said of PR agencies.
Although most respondents said they were equally or more reliant on agency support than they were two years ago, it seems this is tactical rather than strategic support: 75% of respondents gave the reason they hire PR agencies as “more hands on deck,” 70% said “media contacts/relationships” and only 20% cited “business experience.”
Employees ranked higher as stakeholders than media and shareholders
The research also shows that communicators are now more likely to be concentrating on delivering a consistent message to a range of stakeholders.
Nearly half of all respondents ranked customers as their most important audience, with employees as the next most important group. Media came third, with local communities next in line, alongside company shareholders.
Disparity between theory and practice
But the research also revealed a disparity between theory and practice, with possible confusion about what communicators think they do and what they actually do.
Despite ranking media as a low priority audience, respondents ranked media relations, followed by corporate communications, as the two disciplines that took up most of their time. Internal communications was third (cited by 76% of respondents), despite the fact that the same respondents had previously identified employees as a more important group than the media.
The survey canvassed the opinions of UK in-house comms directors in the private and public sectors.
Got a news story? Contact the newsdesk