3 facts to consider about the future of PR

Topics such as influencer relations, social media and measurement of results receive a lot of buzz and discussion, but what about PR trends?

Where do communicators think the industry is headed?

The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations set out to study this question in the 2017 edition of its Global Communications Report.

The survey of more than 800 PR executives from around the world offers important insights about both the present and future of the industry that touches on topics that include how to describe the term “public relations,” whether PR is an aspirational career and how the industry positions its occupations and compensation.

Here are three statistics from the report that PR pros should consider:

1. Eight-seven percent of PR pros agree that the term “public relations” won’t accurately describe their work in five years.

Don’t worry; the PR industry is certainly not going anywhere. If you’re a PR specialist, there’s only an 18 percent chance a robot will take your job.

Instead, PR is becoming more closely integrated with marketing and advertising. Most communicators believe that the industry should be more broadly defined to keep up. In many cases, PR pros’ day-to-day responsibilities are expanding to include tasks that are traditionally thought of as “marketing” or “advertising” work.

The changing definition of a PR pro’s role is something to keep a close eye on. In five years, the average consumer will not be able to distinguish between paid and earned media, according to most communicators. As media shifts, the PR role is likely to move as well.

2. Fifty-eight percent of PR students believe that the industry is positioned as an aspirational career.

Though a majority of soon-to-be graduates hold PR in high regards, existing PR executives are split. The report revealed that 32 percent agree, 36 percent disagree and 31 percent neither agree nor disagree that PR is an aspirational career.

Seasoned PR pros are not confident that the industry is positioning itself well, which begs the question: Does PR need better PR?

According to PR recruits, the answer is a resounding “no.” The Global Communications Report also polled 700 PR and communications students, who were overwhelmingly excited about a career in the field.

Not only are students enthusiastic, they’re also well-prepared. PR students are most interested in digital storytelling, social listening, social purpose and big data—the same four communications trends that PR and marketing leaders identified as the most important topics for the advancing industry.

[RELATED: Learn how to properly pitch your stories, boost your visual content muscles, measure your tactics and more.]

3. The majority of PR pros (60 percent) and students (54 percent) agree that PR pros’ roles can be better defined (and offering better compensation doesn’t hurt, either).

PR newcomers want to know what they’re getting into, so they can be even better prepared.

As the PR role expands to include marketing and advertising tasks, PR students and interns should aim to master more additional skills such as media buying and branding.

The second-most pressing issue on students’ minds is compensation. At least one third of the students polled wished for a better entry-level compensation package. As students prepare to make the leap into the corporate world, they want to know that there can be a high quality of life in their chosen field.

It’s not just salary and bonuses, however. Studies have shown that millennials value work-life balance and flexibility—whether it’s flexible working hours, vacation policy or the option to work from home.

Finding and retaining top talent remains one of PR’s top challenges.

As the PR industry looks to the future, the focus will inevitably turn to younger generations. Students are excited about getting into the industry, but changes and clarifications can be made to attract even more outstanding PR candidates.

Meredith L. Eaton is the vice president at March Communications. Follow her on Twitter. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

(Image via)

from PR Daily News Feed http://ift.tt/2h0FzSf