The USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations’ 2017 Global CommunicationsReport—which surveyed more than 800 PR execs worldwide—set out to define the industry and divine what lies ahead. It prompted a cacophony of predictions about the direction the industry is heading and how the work is likely to change.
The survey identifies the PR-versus-marketing battle for influence—that is, who will report to whom, and whose role might be curtailed or subjugated—as “the most critical issue facing the PR industry.”
Nearly 90 percent of respondents agree that “public relations” will no longer suitably describe their job within five years, and nearly half believe PR and marketing functions will overlap more than ever before.
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Despite disagreements over what PR will consist of down the road, survey respondents seem sanguine about the continued health of the profession: Ninety-two percent of executives anticipate growth in the next five years.
As for what skills and trends will be most essential to stay ahead, those polled rank “digital storytelling,” “social listening,” “social purpose” and “big data”—in that order. Seventy-seven percent say the best way to solidify PR’s place at the table is by consistently meeting “measurable business objectives.”
No one knows what public relations will look like in coming years, nor how the showdown with marketing will play out, though an overwhelming majority of PR pros expect that storytelling will remain the bedrock of their work.
PR is not the only industry facing uncertainty. Automation and artificial intelligence appear poised to transform nearly every workplace in the foreseeable future.
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You can read the full report here.
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