✅ Why 80% of public relations teams don’t realise their potential (The answer won’t surprise you)
Corporate communications, public relations, media and management insight
Last week, a thread in our Facebook community raised a recurring challenge: how do you shift management's mindset and make the case for public relations' contribution to strategy and decision-making?
In four-fifths of organisations, the public relations department fails to achieve this recognition and realise the investment it warrants. Instead, it's viewed merely as a marketing, media, or communications function.
This issue is front of mind as I prepare for my annual PhD progression meeting. This question is at the heart of my studies.Through my literature review, I've developed a clear view of the challenges and plan to begin fieldwork in the New Year.
While management recognises the relationship perspective of an organisation, it doesn't necessarily view this as the expertise of public relations practice. Management tends to undertake this role, viewing the communication function as creating posters, press releases, and social media content. It's no coincidence that these are the areas of practice that will likely cede to AI first.
The value of public relations to management can be measured in multiple ways: its contribution to operational functions such as productivity, marketing, and sales; its impact on trust and reputation through brand tracking; its influence on intangible assets on the balance sheet; and its role in managing or averting a crises. Yet, practitioners often fail to measure and demonstrate these impacts.
Professionalism and standards present another challenge. With no barrier to entry or requirement for certification, one practitioner's ethical perspective and qualifications can vary dramatically from another's.
The solution is twofold. First, we need to build the case for practice within management - PR for PR - if you like. Second, practitioners need to elevate their capabilities to earn an advisory role.
This week, I'm heading to West Yorkshire to meet a Past President of the CIPR who worked at the highest levels of management throughout his career. In the 1980s, he advocated for public relations in management school MBA programmes. I want to understand why we haven't made more progress as a community of practice and an industry.
Have an excellent week.
Management
🔄 STRATEGY SHIFT: Almost half of business leaders are now updating their corporate strategies every three months or more frequently, according to new research from the Association for Project Management. Cultural resistance and uncertainty remain the biggest barriers to delivering transformational change, suggesting communications teams need to focus on internal engagement. Source: Management Today.
🏢 WORKPLACE PROGRESS: Organisations need to fundamentally rethink workplace design to better support neurodivergent employees, who make up one in seven people in the UK workforce, rather than forcing them through lengthy diagnostic processes or standardised adjustments. The business case is compelling, with research showing neurodiverse teams deliver 87% better decision-making, 60% improved results and 20% increased innovation compared to typical teams. Source: Sarah Waddington.
Best practice
🚲 SAFETY INITIATIVE: Belgium's postal service bpost and cycling champion Remco Evenepoel have launched the "Remco Reflex" - a creative road safety campaign targeting "dooring" accidents that injure nearly 300 cyclists annually in Belgium. Following an incident involving Evenepoel and a bpost vehicle, the company will place stickers featuring the cyclist's image on vehicle windows to remind drivers to check for cyclists before opening doors. Source: bpost.
✊ ACTIVIST COMMS: A panel of leading change-makers from HOPE not hate, Led By Donkeys, St Paul's Carnival and We The Curious shared insights on effective campaigning in today's polarised media landscape. While grassroots activism and mainstream media remain powerful tools for reaching broad audiences, campaigners must balance personality-driven activism with cause-focused messaging and tackle disinformation by building trust and human connections. Source: Strike Communications.
Artificial Intelligence
🤝 APPLE AI BRUISED: The BBC has complained to Apple after the tech giant's new iPhone AI notification feature falsely suggested BBC News had reported that murder suspect Luigi Mangione had shot himself. The incident highlights growing concerns about AI-generated content summaries and the potential spread of misinformation through new tech features. Source: BBC.
🏥 AI in NHS COMMUNICATIONS: The NHS has published a consultation framework on AI's role in healthcare communications. Key points emphasise that while AI tools will automate routine tasks, they will enhance rather than replace the human elements of healthcare communication. The NHS is committed to providing training and maintaining ethical standards in AI deployment. Wadds Inc. is supporting this project with research and data analysis. Source: Dan Slee.
🤖 GEMINI 2.0: Google has launched Gemini 2.0, marking a significant advancement in AI communications with new capabilities, including multimodal output, native image generation, and direct integration with Google Search and Maps. Its planned expansion into Search and other products in early 2025 signals a shift in how businesses and communicators might interact with AI tools. Source: Google.
Social media
⚠️ PODCAST PROBLEMS: A BBC investigation into Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast found an average of 14 harmful health claims in 15 episodes that contradict scientific evidence. The podcast, which shifted from business to health topics in the past 18 months and is projected to make £20m this year, has seen monthly YouTube views increase from 9 to 15 million, leading to renewed calls for podcasts to fall under media regulation. Source: BBC.
📱 YOUTUBE UPDATE: YouTube is rolling out enhanced Channel management capabilities, allowing creators to handle more tasks directly from their Channel pages rather than requiring YouTube Studio access. The platform's move to streamline creator tools in the main app is a significant shift in how content creators can manage their presence on the platform. Source: YouTube.
💰 DIGITAL AD GROWTH: Global advertising revenue will surpass $1tn for the first time in 2024, with tech giants Google, Meta, ByteDance, Amazon and Alibaba set to capture more than half the market, according to WPP's GroupM. The sector is projected to grow 9.5% in 2024 and 7.7% in 2025, with digital advertising accounting for 73% of total revenue by end-2024, while traditional channels such as print and radio continue to decline. Source: Financial Times.
Thank you to Siobhan Allen, James Crawford, Kat Harrison-Dibbits, Catherine Frankpitt, Ben Lowndes, Alan Morrison and Sarah Waddington CBE, and everyone who shares and debates the stories in the newsletter via our Facebook and LinkedIn communities.
I'm so eager to know more about your PhD. One quick reaction though: you say "practitioners need to elevate their capabilities to earn an advisory role." I think you're right. But don't you think it also has to do with some sort of ambition? Not on a personal level for practitioners, but for what the profession is an able to achieve?
I see so many professionals limiting their contribution to fuzzy topics like image and reputation. Acting as those were goals in themselves. Whereas I see those more like means to a further end. Usually more tangible, related to actual organisational issues and goals.
When we talk about this with practitioners, it looks like it unlocks something, opens a whole new playground. Sorry for derailing. In short: do we lack capabilities to earn an advisory role? Or do we lack the ability to see the real value we can deliver?