CIPR State of the Profession report reveals that public relations practitioners adapt and innovate to prove their worth at the highest level
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has today released the results of the annual ‘State of the Profession’ benchmarking survey which gathers insight from over 1,200 CIPR members about current public relations practice, budgets, skills and opinion on the future of the industry.
The 2012/13 ‘State of the Profession’ survey highlights the trend that despite continuing economic uncertainty, the sector continues to adapt and innovate during challenging times, taking on skills, responsibilities and roles not previously considered in the public relations remit, as practitioners aim to influence both communications and business strategy in the boardroom.
This has resulted in year-on-year pay increases across the board for professionals in-house, compared to last year, particularly for those working in the private sector, where pay has increased by nearly 14%.
Despite salary increases, results still show that men’s mean salary is £15,520 higher than the mean salary for women and the fact that men are almost twice as likely as women to be directors, partners or MDs.
View survey findings on the CIPR website.
The threats posed by the financial situation and the overwhelming endorsement of a best practice approach to measurement and evaluation techniques should act as a strong incentive for practitioners to further commit themselves to professional qualifications and Continuing Professional Development. We must continue to increase our confidence as a profession to manage the ongoing impact of the downturn and extend our influence over organisational strategy.
It is pleasing to see that even in the current economic climate our profession is looking to adapt to new challenges and working to prove its worth at the highest level. With salary increases across the board for those working in-house and evidence that public relations practitioners are experiencing greater involvement in company strategy, there is no doubt that CIPR members are reaping the rewards of enrolling in CPD, signing up to the code of conduct and taking responsibility for their own careers.
The public relations industry is on the march. The report spotlights media relations in decline and practitioners embracing new forms of media, recognising the opportunity that this presents for them to help organisations participate in a two-way conversation with their audiences.
The report highlights that the gender gap within the public relations profession is still very much in existence. Questions still remain as to why, in a profession that is more than two-thirds female, and after much discussion in this issue, men are still far more likely to be a Partner, Director or MD of a company, as well as earn a considerably higher salary.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).