The survey examined issues in communications, public relations and public affairs based on responses from 300 professionals. It found that partisan politics makes the job harder for 72% of respondents. The top challenges shifted from budget to proving value and an executive team that doesn't understand communications. Media relations is getting more difficult according to 75% of PR professionals, as reporters receive increasing numbers of pitches each day.
Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) newsletter and Sword and the Script Media conducted the fourth annual JOTW Strategic Communications Survey to understand trends in the field of communications. About 300 professionals took the survey: 97% of respondents are based in the U.S.; 88% report having 11 or more years of experience; 62% of respondents are in-house communicators; and respondents come from more than a dozen different industries. Detailed demographics are included at the end.
Digital Europe: Pushing the frontier, capturing the benefitsMcKinsey & Company
What is the speed at which digital is and will change our world?
How is Europe performing in digital compared to the United States? Where is the progress? And where is the paralysis?
What some of the challenges and risks of digital – its potential to divide business and society – between the highly digitized: the “have-mores,” and the “haves:” those who are not able or willing to adapt fast enough.
And what is our share our vision with you for how Europe needs to capture the huge digital prize. What can start-ups, companies, public authorities – everyone in this room – do, to make it happen?
A presentation given at the PR Consultants Group (PRCG) annual meeting. Include:
-Perspectives of the PR tech landscape
- Review: 5 all-in-one PR tools
-Briefly: other all-in-one PR software tools
-Innovations in PR tech to watch
Radical change in racial equity is needed. In order to successfully drive that change, a holistic response is required—with attention to business drivers, teams and culture, and resources.
Tips for the Food sector: To keep up with this constantly shifting consumer behavior, look for early signs by using Google Trends to see how demand for certain food products or delivery services is changing to meet people’s needs.
Tips for Travel marketers: Our APAC travel recovery itinerary revealed that people have local trips and safety in mind, so marketers should seek to provide safety information upfront and present local product offerings and fun activities.
Tips for keeping people entertained: Though some people who signed up for a new entertainment source might stay, there’s also a higher likelihood of churn when their trial period ends. If you saw an increase in people signing up for your online products and services, focus on retention to keep them coming back, especially if you offered a free trial during the pandemic.
Tips for merchants: Make sure you integrate digital payment options for your consumers. Digital payments are expected to see a continued boost post-COVID-19, and trust in e-Wallets will likely increase.
Although there is still some instability, the internet sector in SEA is set to emerge stronger than ever in a post-COVID-19 world. The digital economy remains a bright spot in a very challenging economic environment, and e-Commerce remains a key driver of growth. The biggest takeaway for brands and marketers is the need to focus on people and their changing habits online, as well as keeping up with changing trends, as we continue to understand what our new normal will look like in the future.
In many ways, Asian Americans in the US have had meaningful economic and social impact but they face a number of challenges that have often been overlooked.
The enterprise software industry is being transformed by substantial investor capital, Cloud 2.0, artificial intelligence, data protection, preferred platforms, and a talent shortage, leading stakeholders of all kinds to make big changes, and big choices.
Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) newsletter and Sword and the Script Media conducted the fourth annual JOTW Strategic Communications Survey to understand trends in the field of communications. About 300 professionals took the survey: 97% of respondents are based in the U.S.; 88% report having 11 or more years of experience; 62% of respondents are in-house communicators; and respondents come from more than a dozen different industries. Detailed demographics are included at the end.
Digital Europe: Pushing the frontier, capturing the benefitsMcKinsey & Company
What is the speed at which digital is and will change our world?
How is Europe performing in digital compared to the United States? Where is the progress? And where is the paralysis?
What some of the challenges and risks of digital – its potential to divide business and society – between the highly digitized: the “have-mores,” and the “haves:” those who are not able or willing to adapt fast enough.
And what is our share our vision with you for how Europe needs to capture the huge digital prize. What can start-ups, companies, public authorities – everyone in this room – do, to make it happen?
A presentation given at the PR Consultants Group (PRCG) annual meeting. Include:
-Perspectives of the PR tech landscape
- Review: 5 all-in-one PR tools
-Briefly: other all-in-one PR software tools
-Innovations in PR tech to watch
Radical change in racial equity is needed. In order to successfully drive that change, a holistic response is required—with attention to business drivers, teams and culture, and resources.
Tips for the Food sector: To keep up with this constantly shifting consumer behavior, look for early signs by using Google Trends to see how demand for certain food products or delivery services is changing to meet people’s needs.
Tips for Travel marketers: Our APAC travel recovery itinerary revealed that people have local trips and safety in mind, so marketers should seek to provide safety information upfront and present local product offerings and fun activities.
Tips for keeping people entertained: Though some people who signed up for a new entertainment source might stay, there’s also a higher likelihood of churn when their trial period ends. If you saw an increase in people signing up for your online products and services, focus on retention to keep them coming back, especially if you offered a free trial during the pandemic.
Tips for merchants: Make sure you integrate digital payment options for your consumers. Digital payments are expected to see a continued boost post-COVID-19, and trust in e-Wallets will likely increase.
Although there is still some instability, the internet sector in SEA is set to emerge stronger than ever in a post-COVID-19 world. The digital economy remains a bright spot in a very challenging economic environment, and e-Commerce remains a key driver of growth. The biggest takeaway for brands and marketers is the need to focus on people and their changing habits online, as well as keeping up with changing trends, as we continue to understand what our new normal will look like in the future.
In many ways, Asian Americans in the US have had meaningful economic and social impact but they face a number of challenges that have often been overlooked.
The enterprise software industry is being transformed by substantial investor capital, Cloud 2.0, artificial intelligence, data protection, preferred platforms, and a talent shortage, leading stakeholders of all kinds to make big changes, and big choices.
Employee Inspiration: How to Create Energy That Drives Better Customer OutcomesQualtrics
Engagement has become the new holy grail for satisfied employees and a key issue for business leaders. But what does it mean to be engaged? Bain & Company is redefining the employee experience with a system for building inspiration through productive team discussions, candid frequent feedback and an outer loop for addressing systemic issues. Inspired employees should be everyone’s priority to fuel customer loyalty and organic, sustainable growth. We will share the results from our latest study, describe the mechanisms required and the behaviors to aspire towards – all key ingredients of a customer centered Employee Inspiration system.
The 2019 JOTW Communications Survey | Trends in Corporate Communications and ...Frank Strong
The 2019 JOTW Communications Survey examines trends in corporate communications and PR. This year’s survey polled 223 communications and public relations (PR) professionals. Some 68% of respondents report holding in-house communication roles and 90% have 10 years or more experience in the industry.The second annual survey was conducted by Sword and the Script Media, LLC in collaboration with Ned Lundquist. Ned launched “Job of the Week” (JOTW) email newsletter in 2001 as a free resource for PR and communications professionals looking for work.
Key findings in this survey include:
>> Budget is the top communications and PR challenge. Budget (59%) was the top challenge for the second year in a row. This was followed by limited staffing or headcount (55%); ever-expanding duties (52%); balancing priorities (49%); and measuring the impact of comms (49%). Just 18% anticipate budgets rising; 51% say they will remain flat and 29% expect budgets to fall.
>> More PR work is being taken in-house. Some 47% of respondents said they’ve observed more PR work being taking in-house. This mirrors broader trends in marketing, where CMOs have slashed agencies in favor of in-house teams. The top reasons for hiring an agency are: execution, expertise and for strategic projects; the top reasons for firing a firm are cost, poor client service and an inability to measure ROI.
>> Storytelling, analytics and thought leadership are the top tactics and trends. The respondents identified storytelling (76%); data & analytics (75%); thought leadership (70%); measurement (66%) and content marketing (64%) as growing more important. While not a majority, those with the most votes for less important were press releases (33%), award programs (31%) and white papers (36%).
>>Media relations continues to get harder. Most respondents (68%) said media relations is harder or much harder – up from 51% last year. Respondents cited reporter turnover, veteran reporters being replaced with junior ones, and “in-your-face-journalism” as contributing causes. Money and standards distinguish media relations from influencer marketing.
>>Top metrics PR pros track. About one-third (29%) think they do an adequate job of communications measurement while 46% say it needs improvement. The most common metrics comms pros said they track includes web traffic (73%); impressions (66%); estimated site traffic (60%); mentions (57%) and email open rates (52%).
>>More communicators report to the CEO than to marketing. More respondents (38%) say the comms function reports to the CEO, versus 35% that say they report to marketing. This was followed by the chief operating officer (9%), strategy (7%) and human resources (5%).
On June 21st, PwC’s Health Research Institute (HRI) released its annual Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2017 report. PwC’s HRI anticipates a 6.5% growth rate for 2017—the same as was projected for 2016. The report identifies the key inflators and deflators as well as historical context to better understand the medical cost trend for 2017. Increases in the trend due to utilization of convenient care access points and an uptick in behavioral healthcare benefits for employees are being offset by more aggressive strategies by pharmacy benefit
The 5th Annual JOTW Strategic Communications Survey for 2022Frank Strong
5th annual survey of 483 professionals working in communications, public relations and public affairs.
This survey was a joint effort between Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) and Sword and the Script Media, LLC. Subscribers to both organizations were solicited to take the survey through mentions in the weekly newsletter, dedicated email requests and social media. Gini Dietrich and Karen Swim also solicited respondents from their respective communities at Spin Sucks and Solo PR Pro.
In total 483 respondents took the survey online, using Survey Monkey, from Friday, May 6, 2022, until June 14, 2022.
Survey takers were incentivized to take the survey with an offer to be entered for a chance to win one of three gift cards ($100, $50 and $25).
MGI: From poverty to empowerment: India’s imperative for jobs, growth, and ef...McKinsey & Company
Some 680 million people, or 56% of India, live below MGI’s Empowerment Line and lack acceptable minimum standards of living; the Empowerment Gap is 4% of GDP in value terms (about 7 times the official poverty gap)
From 2005 to 2012, 75% of the improvement in living standards was due to rising incomes, the rest due to government spending; to reduce the gap faster, India needs more productive jobs and higher effectiveness of government spending (e.g., 85 million people below the official poverty line could have been lifted to minimum living standards just by improving delivery of public services)
Almost 40% of the Empowerment Gap comes from health care, drinking water and sanitation; in addition, hunger is a major issue for the poorest segments, and housing for the urban vulnerable
Apart from lacking the means, Indians also lack access to 46% of the basic services they need, with significant variations in the pattern of access deprivation across districts
A path of Stalled Reforms would leave 36% of India below the Empowerment Line and 12% below the Poverty Line in 2022, but the path of Inclusive Reforms can bring these down to 7% and 1% respectively – while achieving fiscal consolidation and reducing access deficit in basic services to 17%, from 46% currently. Raising government spending on subsidies alone delivers just 8% of the total impact. 4 themes are critical
Non-farm jobs deliver >50% of impact; 115 million jobs are needed (38 million more than Stalled Reforms) through 6 broad-ranging reforms and investments in 70-100 job creation engines
Agricultural yield growth delivers ~20% of impact, needing 9 farm sector initiatives and investment rebalancing towards rural infrastructure, research and extension
Public spending on basic services should grow at 7% p.a. in real terms and share of health, water and sanitation to rise from 20% to nearly 50%
Government spending effectiveness must improve from 50% to 75%, by working with private and social sector, community involvement and tight monitoring using technology
Six themes are essential to improve governance across the board (raise institutional capacity and strengthen external accountability)
Like other prosperous American cities, greater Seattle currently finds itself in the unenviable position of possessing both enormous amounts of wealth and staggering levels of homelessness. These slides accompany the McKinsey & Company report that looks at homelessness in King County, published in January 2020.
The business case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is growing stronger than ever. During this virtual discussion, we took a closer look at “diversity winners”, which signals that a systematic business-led approach and bold, concerted action on inclusion are needed to make progress.
Unlocking the data possibilities of Big Data presentation shared at the Big Data / Internet of Things Conference Board Conference June 25-26, 2015
http://www.pwc.com/us/en/analytics/big-data.jhtml
The FDA and industry: A recipe for collaborating in the New Health EconomyPwC
Pharmaceutical and life science companies and their chief regulator – the FDA – must find new ways to collaborate to meet 21st century demands.
Web Page: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/health-research-institute/hri-pharma-life-sciences-fda.jhtml
From a presentation given by MWI CEO Josh Steimle to the American Chamber of Commerce on July 9th, 2014.
Learn what digital public relations is, and how you can use it to grow your business.
Theorical basis: Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories in Public Relat...Stephen Tindi
Theories are helpful in understanding and explaining the actions of organizations, PR practitioners and publics. The Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories provide useful information on meaning-making between organizations and their publics.
Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sectorMcKinsey & Company
McKinsey's Race in the Workplace report 2021 is one of the most comprehensive benchmark studies of Black Americans in the US private sector. It highlights the complexity of the challenge for Black workers by examining Black worker representation and experience.
10 answers to questions about social media and young people that can change the way you design and build relationships with your most critical audience.
Employee Inspiration: How to Create Energy That Drives Better Customer OutcomesQualtrics
Engagement has become the new holy grail for satisfied employees and a key issue for business leaders. But what does it mean to be engaged? Bain & Company is redefining the employee experience with a system for building inspiration through productive team discussions, candid frequent feedback and an outer loop for addressing systemic issues. Inspired employees should be everyone’s priority to fuel customer loyalty and organic, sustainable growth. We will share the results from our latest study, describe the mechanisms required and the behaviors to aspire towards – all key ingredients of a customer centered Employee Inspiration system.
The 2019 JOTW Communications Survey | Trends in Corporate Communications and ...Frank Strong
The 2019 JOTW Communications Survey examines trends in corporate communications and PR. This year’s survey polled 223 communications and public relations (PR) professionals. Some 68% of respondents report holding in-house communication roles and 90% have 10 years or more experience in the industry.The second annual survey was conducted by Sword and the Script Media, LLC in collaboration with Ned Lundquist. Ned launched “Job of the Week” (JOTW) email newsletter in 2001 as a free resource for PR and communications professionals looking for work.
Key findings in this survey include:
>> Budget is the top communications and PR challenge. Budget (59%) was the top challenge for the second year in a row. This was followed by limited staffing or headcount (55%); ever-expanding duties (52%); balancing priorities (49%); and measuring the impact of comms (49%). Just 18% anticipate budgets rising; 51% say they will remain flat and 29% expect budgets to fall.
>> More PR work is being taken in-house. Some 47% of respondents said they’ve observed more PR work being taking in-house. This mirrors broader trends in marketing, where CMOs have slashed agencies in favor of in-house teams. The top reasons for hiring an agency are: execution, expertise and for strategic projects; the top reasons for firing a firm are cost, poor client service and an inability to measure ROI.
>> Storytelling, analytics and thought leadership are the top tactics and trends. The respondents identified storytelling (76%); data & analytics (75%); thought leadership (70%); measurement (66%) and content marketing (64%) as growing more important. While not a majority, those with the most votes for less important were press releases (33%), award programs (31%) and white papers (36%).
>>Media relations continues to get harder. Most respondents (68%) said media relations is harder or much harder – up from 51% last year. Respondents cited reporter turnover, veteran reporters being replaced with junior ones, and “in-your-face-journalism” as contributing causes. Money and standards distinguish media relations from influencer marketing.
>>Top metrics PR pros track. About one-third (29%) think they do an adequate job of communications measurement while 46% say it needs improvement. The most common metrics comms pros said they track includes web traffic (73%); impressions (66%); estimated site traffic (60%); mentions (57%) and email open rates (52%).
>>More communicators report to the CEO than to marketing. More respondents (38%) say the comms function reports to the CEO, versus 35% that say they report to marketing. This was followed by the chief operating officer (9%), strategy (7%) and human resources (5%).
On June 21st, PwC’s Health Research Institute (HRI) released its annual Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2017 report. PwC’s HRI anticipates a 6.5% growth rate for 2017—the same as was projected for 2016. The report identifies the key inflators and deflators as well as historical context to better understand the medical cost trend for 2017. Increases in the trend due to utilization of convenient care access points and an uptick in behavioral healthcare benefits for employees are being offset by more aggressive strategies by pharmacy benefit
The 5th Annual JOTW Strategic Communications Survey for 2022Frank Strong
5th annual survey of 483 professionals working in communications, public relations and public affairs.
This survey was a joint effort between Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) and Sword and the Script Media, LLC. Subscribers to both organizations were solicited to take the survey through mentions in the weekly newsletter, dedicated email requests and social media. Gini Dietrich and Karen Swim also solicited respondents from their respective communities at Spin Sucks and Solo PR Pro.
In total 483 respondents took the survey online, using Survey Monkey, from Friday, May 6, 2022, until June 14, 2022.
Survey takers were incentivized to take the survey with an offer to be entered for a chance to win one of three gift cards ($100, $50 and $25).
MGI: From poverty to empowerment: India’s imperative for jobs, growth, and ef...McKinsey & Company
Some 680 million people, or 56% of India, live below MGI’s Empowerment Line and lack acceptable minimum standards of living; the Empowerment Gap is 4% of GDP in value terms (about 7 times the official poverty gap)
From 2005 to 2012, 75% of the improvement in living standards was due to rising incomes, the rest due to government spending; to reduce the gap faster, India needs more productive jobs and higher effectiveness of government spending (e.g., 85 million people below the official poverty line could have been lifted to minimum living standards just by improving delivery of public services)
Almost 40% of the Empowerment Gap comes from health care, drinking water and sanitation; in addition, hunger is a major issue for the poorest segments, and housing for the urban vulnerable
Apart from lacking the means, Indians also lack access to 46% of the basic services they need, with significant variations in the pattern of access deprivation across districts
A path of Stalled Reforms would leave 36% of India below the Empowerment Line and 12% below the Poverty Line in 2022, but the path of Inclusive Reforms can bring these down to 7% and 1% respectively – while achieving fiscal consolidation and reducing access deficit in basic services to 17%, from 46% currently. Raising government spending on subsidies alone delivers just 8% of the total impact. 4 themes are critical
Non-farm jobs deliver >50% of impact; 115 million jobs are needed (38 million more than Stalled Reforms) through 6 broad-ranging reforms and investments in 70-100 job creation engines
Agricultural yield growth delivers ~20% of impact, needing 9 farm sector initiatives and investment rebalancing towards rural infrastructure, research and extension
Public spending on basic services should grow at 7% p.a. in real terms and share of health, water and sanitation to rise from 20% to nearly 50%
Government spending effectiveness must improve from 50% to 75%, by working with private and social sector, community involvement and tight monitoring using technology
Six themes are essential to improve governance across the board (raise institutional capacity and strengthen external accountability)
Like other prosperous American cities, greater Seattle currently finds itself in the unenviable position of possessing both enormous amounts of wealth and staggering levels of homelessness. These slides accompany the McKinsey & Company report that looks at homelessness in King County, published in January 2020.
The business case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is growing stronger than ever. During this virtual discussion, we took a closer look at “diversity winners”, which signals that a systematic business-led approach and bold, concerted action on inclusion are needed to make progress.
Unlocking the data possibilities of Big Data presentation shared at the Big Data / Internet of Things Conference Board Conference June 25-26, 2015
http://www.pwc.com/us/en/analytics/big-data.jhtml
The FDA and industry: A recipe for collaborating in the New Health EconomyPwC
Pharmaceutical and life science companies and their chief regulator – the FDA – must find new ways to collaborate to meet 21st century demands.
Web Page: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/health-industries/health-research-institute/hri-pharma-life-sciences-fda.jhtml
From a presentation given by MWI CEO Josh Steimle to the American Chamber of Commerce on July 9th, 2014.
Learn what digital public relations is, and how you can use it to grow your business.
Theorical basis: Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories in Public Relat...Stephen Tindi
Theories are helpful in understanding and explaining the actions of organizations, PR practitioners and publics. The Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories provide useful information on meaning-making between organizations and their publics.
Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sectorMcKinsey & Company
McKinsey's Race in the Workplace report 2021 is one of the most comprehensive benchmark studies of Black Americans in the US private sector. It highlights the complexity of the challenge for Black workers by examining Black worker representation and experience.
10 answers to questions about social media and young people that can change the way you design and build relationships with your most critical audience.
How social media is redefining the approach to research.
For more white papers and webinars, go to http://www.sldesignlounge.com
Or visit us at http://www.sld.com
CIPR's annual State of the Profession report has, for ten years, explored the trends, issues and challenges facing public relations. It is the largest and most statistically robust investigation of its kind. From skills and salaries to diversity and gender pay, State of the Profession delivers industry-leading data on every aspect of the PR profession.
The Digital and Social Media Revolution in Public AffairsMSL Germany
Europäische Politiker nutzen die Potentiale der digitalen und sozialen Medien stärker als ihre Kollegen in den USA. Während die Mitglieder des Europäischen Parlaments, der Europäischen Kommission, des Ministerrats und die verschiedenen Stakeholder auf europäischer Ebene digitalen Medien einen hohen Stellenwert bei der Public Affairs-Arbeit einräumen, sind die politischen Entscheider in den USA zurückhaltender bei deren Nutzung.
Dies ist das Ergebnis der neuesten Studie der MSLGRPOUP “The Digital and Social Media Revolution in Public Affairs: Where we are and where we’re going”. In der breit angelegten Untersuchung wurden politische Entscheidungsträger in Brüssel und Washington nach ihrer Nutzung sozialer Medien befragt.
Welche Gründe es für die unterschiedliche Relevanz des Internets in der politischen Kommunikation gibt und wie sich das Potential von Digital Public Affairs in den USA und in Europa noch stärker nutzen lässt, hat die MSLGROUP zusammengefasst.
The Digital and Social Media Revolution in Public AffairsMSL
Unlike political campaigns, which were early adopters, the public policy arena has been one of the last bastions to fully embrace digital tools and social networks.
To gauge the integration and perceived impact of digital tools and how constituents and interest groups interact with EU and U.S. policymakers, MSLGROUP surveyed a large, diverse and active group of corporations, trade associations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), local public bodies and think tanks in and around Brussels and Washington, D.C. in 2015.
The study shows quite clearly that there are tremendous opportunities to expand and enhance the use of social and digital communications in policymaking. We hope this research will inform communication and advocacy strategies to strengthen dialogues between stakeholders and policymakers.
In this white paper, we report on a survey of marketing and PR staff from colleges and universities, identifying challenges and issues for 2009, ones that they were anticipating in November and December 2010.
Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) and Sword and the Script Media, LLC conducted an online survey of JOTW subscribers in February 2018. Most respondents were senior in-house or corporate communications professionals with extensive experience in the field. Below are some of the survey highlights and detailed demographics can be found at the end.
Less budget to do more. Most respondents – 63% – cited budget as their top challenge, even as businesses and employers expected PR pros to do more and added to a growing list of duties. A majority (51%) said they expect their budget to remain the same over the next year.
Hiring and firing agencies. When corporate communications hires an outside agency, most (54%) said they do it because they need an extra pair of hands. Another 50% noted that expertise or a specialization was a compelling reason to seek outside help. When communications agencies are fired, the top reasons can be traced to a trio of cost (79%), service (50%) and results (40%).
Hot PR trends and tactics. Respondents identified storytelling (79%), content marketing (71%) and thought leadership (67%) as the trends or tactics that would be more important in the next 12 months. While no trend or tactic earned 50% or more of the votes for “less important” or “much less important,” there are three that earned the most: press releases (34%), white papers (35%) and award programs (39%).
Some communications tasks are getting harder. 51% said media relations is getting harder; 50% say organic social media is getting harder; views vary on whether or not PR measurement is getting harder – 38% say harder, while 20% say easier and 37% say about the same. Sentiment analysis suggests while digital channels are easier to track there are more things to track, which requires time and consensus.
Employed but open to new opportunities. Most respondents are employed full time but many are open to a conversation about a new position. More than half or 55% said they’d be open to new opportunities.
Communication as a leadership skill is becoming more important than ever before. As we have seen in the case of Elon Musk, how CEOs signal their leadership on social media can make or break a company's reputation. Social is making PR a more critical corporate function, and now leadership communication by executives online is the key to public relations success for senior leaders.
Data Literacy in Public Relations by the PRCA Innovation Forum.pdfJames
As part of the PRCA Innovation Forum I have published a new paper tackling data literacy in PR.
Key themes in the new paper:
- Numbers that matter
- Designing a listening & measurement strategy
- Identifying a public and listening to conversations
- Tools to use
- Translating data into insights
- Building a culture of digital literacy
- Data storytelling & visualisation
Download the report and read reactions from Wadds Inc. Founder and Managing Partner Stephen Waddington, and AMEC Measurement and Evaluation Global Managing Director Johna Burke.
Thank you to Shayoni Lynn FCIPR FPRCA CMPRCA, Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson, Stella Bayles, 💡 Sophie Coley, James Crawford FPRCA (me), Orla Graham MPRCA Alex Judd, Steve Leigh, Andrew Bruce Smith, Allison Spray, Stephen Waddington for contributing to the paper.
10 Ways to use Twitter for Media Relations | Social Media Club Atlanta presen...Frank Strong
If you job is media relations, the people you want to reach are on Twitter. And they are sharing news, yes, but also views, interests, frustrations, and even details like their favorite ice cream flavors. If you want to have a relationship with someone, it starts by understanding what makes them tick and how to make yourself useful for them.
20 Golden PR and Content Marketing Ideas that will Outlive 2017Frank Strong
The trend in content marketing is about providing real value. It often means filling an information gap with a journalistic approach to creating understanding, ideas and analysis, that can’t be found anywhere else.
India Orthopedic Devices Market: Unlocking Growth Secrets, Trends and Develop...Kumar Satyam
According to TechSci Research report, “India Orthopedic Devices Market -Industry Size, Share, Trends, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2030”, the India Orthopedic Devices Market stood at USD 1,280.54 Million in 2024 and is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 7.84% in the forecast period, 2026-2030F. The India Orthopedic Devices Market is being driven by several factors. The most prominent ones include an increase in the elderly population, who are more prone to orthopedic conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Moreover, the rise in sports injuries and road accidents are also contributing to the demand for orthopedic devices. Advances in technology and the introduction of innovative implants and prosthetics have further propelled the market growth. Additionally, government initiatives aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and the increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases have led to an upward trend in orthopedic surgeries, thereby fueling the market demand for these devices.
Accpac to QuickBooks Conversion Navigating the Transition with Online Account...PaulBryant58
This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to
effectively manage the convert Accpac to QuickBooks , with a particular focus on utilizing online accounting services to streamline the process.
Taurus Zodiac Sign_ Personality Traits and Sign Dates.pptxmy Pandit
Explore the world of the Taurus zodiac sign. Learn about their stability, determination, and appreciation for beauty. Discover how Taureans' grounded nature and hardworking mindset define their unique personality.
Improving profitability for small businessBen Wann
In this comprehensive presentation, we will explore strategies and practical tips for enhancing profitability in small businesses. Tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, this session covers various aspects that directly impact the bottom line. Attendees will learn how to optimize operational efficiency, manage expenses, and increase revenue through innovative marketing and customer engagement techniques.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
Unveiling the Secrets How Does Generative AI Work.pdfSam H
At its core, generative artificial intelligence relies on the concept of generative models, which serve as engines that churn out entirely new data resembling their training data. It is like a sculptor who has studied so many forms found in nature and then uses this knowledge to create sculptures from his imagination that have never been seen before anywhere else. If taken to cyberspace, gans work almost the same way.
Falcon stands out as a top-tier P2P Invoice Discounting platform in India, bridging esteemed blue-chip companies and eager investors. Our goal is to transform the investment landscape in India by establishing a comprehensive destination for borrowers and investors with diverse profiles and needs, all while minimizing risk. What sets Falcon apart is the elimination of intermediaries such as commercial banks and depository institutions, allowing investors to enjoy higher yields.
"𝑩𝑬𝑮𝑼𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑻𝑱 𝑰𝑺 𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑭 𝑫𝑶𝑵𝑬"
𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐬 (𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) is a professional event agency that includes experts in the event-organizing market in Vietnam, Korea, and ASEAN countries. We provide unlimited types of events from Music concerts, Fan meetings, and Culture festivals to Corporate events, Internal company events, Golf tournaments, MICE events, and Exhibitions.
𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐬 provides unlimited package services including such as Event organizing, Event planning, Event production, Manpower, PR marketing, Design 2D/3D, VIP protocols, Interpreter agency, etc.
Sports events - Golf competitions/billiards competitions/company sports events: dynamic and challenging
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1. The 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
3rd annual survey of 300 professionals examines issues,
trends and best practices in communications, public relations and public affairs.
Conducted in Partnership between Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW)
and Sword and the Script Media, LLC
2. The Job of the Week newsletter started as an experiment when I was out of work, and wanted to see if I could create a network that
would exchange job opportunities, and that I, at the center of that network, would be able to take advantage of those opportunities if I
wanted to. It worked. It actually got me a job. And the network grew. Today there are more than 5,800 communication professionals
who receive the newsletter every Monday. Send an email to me at lundquist989@cs.com and ask to join the network. It’s free.
Teaming up with Frank Strong has allowed us to reach out to this community of professional communicators and learn from them—
their experience, expertise and powers of observation. By conducting this survey in successive years we have been able to gain more
than an industry snapshot, but trends as they unfold. Some of the results are quite timely, such as the responses about political
partisanship. Others are timeless, and deal with universal communication challenges.
While we communicators are pretty much social by nature, we have had to improvise our connectivity in this time of pandemic. So
Frank and I thank those who participated, and hope that we continue to connect virtually and share what we can with each other.
Ned Lundquist, ABC, IABC Fellow
Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Editor and Publisher
The Job of the Week Network LLC
Ned and I teamed up a few years ago to create this survey and asked questions no one was asking. The concept seems to
have resonated because the survey has grown significantly. The number of respondents has nearly doubled, and last
year’s report was viewed more than 18,000 times.
This year, the survey was hit by the same unexpected event that has turned our world upside down. While there were no
questions aimed at the Coronavirus, it’s important to for readers to know the pandemic was taking off just as this survey
was wrapping up. Indeed, the day the survey closed; the WHO declared the virus a pandemic.
There is no doubt the virus has had a profound influence on communicators. It’s added to the list of challenges we face; it’s
put a greater emphasis on internal communications and, unfortunately, has put many of our peers out of work. To that end,
we think that makes this year’s survey even more important: it’s both a tool for examining our profession, but it’s made
possible by a newsletter and a community dedicated to helping communicators find a new role and acquire talent.
Frank Strong, MA, MBA
Founder & President,
Sword and the Script Media, LLC
frank@swordandthescript.com
3. Table of Contents
• Executive summary: slide 4
• Effects of partisan politics: slide 5
• Top challenges in comms: slide 9
• State of media relations: slide 15
• Media bias and PR ethics: slide 21
• Top PR and comms tactics: slide 26
• Social media: slide 35
• PR measurement: slide 40
• PR technology: 46
• Organizational reporting: 50
• Demographics: 53
• Methodology: 60
4. Executive Summary
Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) newsletter and Sword and the Script Media conducted the third annual JOTW Communications Survey to understand trends in the field
of communications. A total of 300 professionals took the survey: 95% of respondents are based in the U.S.; 92% report having 11 or more years of experience; 52% of
respondents are in-house communicators; and respondents come from more than a dozen different industries. Detailed demographics are included at the end.
Partisan politics has communicators walking on eggshells. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of communications professionals say partisan politics makes their job
harder. “Everything is seen through a political filter,” wrote one respondent. More communicators (38%) think brands should NOT take a stand than those that think
brands should (29%). Despite their answers one way or another, many remained open to taking a stand if an issue directly affects a company or it’s customers.
The top PR challenges have shifted. Budget was replaced as the top challenge facing communicators with proving value and ROI. The second top challenge seems
related – an “executive team that doesn’t understand comms.” The in-housing trend appears to have slowed; just 30% of respondents say they’ve observed more work
going in-house compared with 47% in 2019.
Media relations only gets harder. 75% of PR pros say media relations is getting harder. That’s up from 68% in 2019 and 51% in 2018. In terms of approach, 64% say
exclusives are useful; and 61% still find value in press releases; 52% say embargoes can help. Sentiment around these questions suggests judicious use is well-
advised.
Media bias and PR ethics. The survey shows, most respondents say the media is objective “often” (41%) and “sometimes” (37%); few chose absolute answers (i.e.
“always or “never”). Interestingly, a question as to whether communicators convey truthful information earned similar scores: 51% said “often” and 44% said
“sometimes.”
Top tactics in PR and comms. The top five communications tactics based on a weighted average are: 1) data & analytics; 2) storytelling; 3) content marketing /
blogging / brand journalism; 4) business social responsibility; and 5) thought leadership. One respondent defined storytelling as “Developing a narrative arc with strong,
relatable characters who live their values and make a difference.”
Social media platforms. LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram all ranked in the top three social networks by weighted average. Twitter ranked fourth even though other
surveys show it remains a popular platform among journalists and reporters.
PR measurement. Almost half (48%) of respondents measure “often” or “always”; the other half measure their efforts just “sometimes,” (38%) “rarely,” (11%) or “never”
(2%). The contrast of this finding with the findings that “proving value” to an executive team that doesn’t understand comms are the top two challenges is striking.
PR technology. Vendors that at least 10% of respondents would recommend include (by precedent): PR Newswire, Cision, Business Wire, Meltwater, PRWeb, Nexis
Newsdesk, Critical Mention, Factiva, TVEyes, Burrelles, and Muck Rack.
Communications organization. Respondents said their communications organization reports to: marketing (41%), CEO (33%) COO (7%), HR (5%) strategy (5%) and
legal (3%).
6. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
72% of communications
professionals say partisan
politics makes their job
harder. Respondents come
from a wide and fairly evenly
distributed range of
industries, which suggests
the impact is broad.
“EVERYTHING is
now seen through a
political filter. Issues
that should not be
political now are.”
“The divisiveness
bleeds through and
is reflected in areas
beyond politics.”
“Some people have
leave to say anything
now. We've unmoored
media from accuracy.”
7. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
More communicators (38%) think
brands should NOT take a stand
than those that say brands
should (29%); however the
division is nearly a 3-way tie.
“Brands should take a
public stand on issues
when there is a clear
connection with the
brand's values.”
“Totally depends on the
client the issue and
how the issue is in
play. That is, yes. But,
no.”
“Because you
automatically alienate
50% of the general
public.”
8. Walking on eggshells
Most professional communicators (72%) believe the political environment has complicated the communications process. As with
many questions in this survey, we included a second optional open-ended question – “Why?” to obtain some context on why
respondents answer the way they did.
Forty-one respondents wrote in and a few of those comments are included with the chart. Overall the sentiment seems to suggest
the state of politics today means the things brands and businesses communicate today are viewed through a political lens – even if
there is no intent to be political.
Although some organizations find themselves unenthusiastically thrust into a political spectrum, there is little agreement on whether
or not brands should take a stand. While 38% said no – and represents the single largest grouping of answers – it’s not a majority.
In addition, the sentiment expressed in the 107 open-ended comments suggests even those that answered “yes” or “no” are open to
changing their mind depending on the issue and organization.
The results mirror a survey of consumers conducted in 2018: Should brands take a public stand on political issues?
10. Measuring the impact; proving value; demonstrating
ROI
Executive team doesn’t understand comms
Cutting through the clutter and noise
Resources other than budget or staff
Other
Our comms or PR team lacks the skill or knowledge to be
successful
Target audience is apathetic
Alignment with the marketing or sales team
We are overly cautious in communications
Target audience is distracted
Project scope creep
Not enough staffing or headcount
Gaining executive buy-in
Balancing priorities among diverse stakeholders
Complicated or prolonged review and approval process
Ever expanding duties (i.e. social media, content, etc.)
Budget
N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
The top challenge has
changed. Budget has been
the top challenge for in the
2018 and 2019 editions of
this survey.
11. Rank 2020 Top Challenges 2019 Top Challenges 2018 Top Challenges
1
Measuring the impact; proving value;
demonstrating ROI (50%) Budget (59%) Budget (63%)
2
Executive team doesn’t understand
comms (45%) Limited staffing or headcount (55%) Ever expanding duties (57%)
3
Cutting through the clutter and noise
(40%)
Ever expanding duties (52%) Proving ROI (54%)
4 Budget (40%) Balancing priorities (49%) Limited staffing or headcount (52%)
5
Ever expanding duties [i.e. social
media, content, etc.] (35%) Measuring impact of comms (49%) Measuring impact of comms (51%)
6
Complicated or prolonged review and
approval process (31%) Proving ROI (48%) Balancing priorities (44%)
7
Balancing priorities among diverse
stakeholders (30%) Gaining executive buy-in (45%) Gaining executive buy-in (40%)
12. Not the biggest problem this
year, but among the top 5.
Hasn’t changed much in the last
few years, so but how you
allocate it has. Likely under
pressure to trim post-covid.
Most communicators said their
budgets would remain flat,
although about one-fifth of
respondents expected their
budgets to grow. These numbers
are consistent with the same survey
last year. It’s reasonable to believe
the Coronavirus pandemic has
changed budget expectations.
N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
13. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
This number is down from
the 47% of respondents
that saw more work going
in-house in 2019.
“Identifying in-house
members who know best the
company ethos and culture
can help manage corporate
channels, often better than
outside PR teams.”
“We are an in-house agency, and we have used
outsourced services more in the last few years
to round out our deliverables and expertise. For
example, we now use two video companies vs.
trying to do high-quality video in-house with a
videographer who has many responsibilities.”
14. The continuous process of proving value
The combination of the top five challenges shows just how demanding the job of PR and communications is:
• Continuously defending the value of your work (50%);
• Educating executives that are often looking for near term results (45%);
• Cutting through the clutter, perhaps even political noise (40%);
• Flats budgets (40%); and with
• Expanded responsibilities year-after-year (35%)
The top two challenges – proving value and the leadership’s understanding of communications – almost certainly go hand-in-hand.
A 2019 survey of 300 executives in UK-based businesses with 1,000+ employees conducted by Releasd, found that executives that
understand communications tend to value it more.
With regard to the in-housing trend, the slowing or tapering off in-housing seems to be in line with anecdotal evidence observed in
the broader marketing sector. After years of bringing more work in-house in pursuit of greater efficiency – across several functions
including media buying, creative and PR – businesses are balking at additional headcount. In addition, some of the efficiency gains
promised, haven’t materialized. This is because in the course of in-housing, business leaders haven’t included roles that are often
transparent to executives such as project management.
As one respondent wrote in, “My own employer has done this. First, we cut full-time employees by 10 percent across the company,
and then we brought much of the work our agencies (plural) did for us in house for the now over-burdened ad staff to handle. We
also opened up our communication services to the entire company but decreased the number of writers and proofreaders we have.
I've never worked with so many people needing to take medical leave because of work stress. And we are a health insurance
company!”
The Coronavirus has probably curtailed hiring, although it’s worth pointing out, that other surveys, like one by the Association of
National Advertisers, show marketing teams have been more reliant on the in-house professionals they already have during the
isolation caused by the pandemic.
16. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
75% of PR pros say
media relations is
getting harder. That’s
up from 68% in 2019
and 51% in 2018.
“Social makes it easier to
reach customers directly,
serving the same function
as traditional media
relations, without the
gatekeepers.”
“More platforms make it
easier to pitch, but a
distracted audience makes
it harder.”
“Fewer journalists, more
PR people.. Journalists
don't have the time for long
lead story development.
Measured on clicks, quick
hits.”
17. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
More than half (52%) of
communications professionals
say embargoes are still a useful
tool.
It’s worth noting, 20% disagree
on some level.
“When used judiciously,
they are important.”
“Old outdated tactic. They may work if
you have a relationship with a particular
journalist. But to slap the word embargo
on a pitch or press release and send it
out without first getting the reporter to
agree is not an effective tactic.”
“Unless is absolutely
earth-shattering news
we are taking about, no
one cares.”
18. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
There’s greater enthusiasm
(64%) for exclusives.
“I see it as a relationship-
building tool.”
“Rarely, it just makes
other outlets less likely to
cover you.”
“Use it sparingly but can be
very effective. And understand
the consequences in the
attitudes of some other
reporters - ones who do not
receive exclusive.”
19. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Most (61%) say the venerable
press release still has a role
media relations.
However, like embargoes,
one-fifth of respondents say
the role of the press release
has waned.
“Most news releases are not
about news; just requests
from execs about things they
think are important but really
are not.”
“Summarized in factual
data and quotes is a great
way to start a campaign.”
20. Media relations continues to get harder
Three-quarters (75%) of PR professionals say media relations continues to get harder. The number of communicators that say so
has grown steadily over the last few years – up from 68% in 2019 and 51% in 2018. Many of the comments point to underlying
causes that have also been cited in previous years: the rise of social media and self-publishing, pressure on the business model of
news, cuts to editorial staff, growth among the ranks of PR and deluge of pitches reporters receive.
Two other recent surveys quantify the volume of pitches:
1) According to the State of Journalism 2020 report, based on a survey of 1,000+ journalists by Muck Rack, 48% of journalists
responding to this survey said they get between 1-5 pitches a day; 18% get between 5-10; 12% get upwards of 10-20; and
13% get 20 plus pitches a day.
2) According to the 2020 Global State of the Media report, based on a survey of more than 3,200+ journalists by Cision, a little
more than half (51%) of journalists that responded to this survey – said between 1 – 50 PR pitches per week; 25% report
receive between 51 – 100 per week; 10% get 101 – 151 per week; and 14% have their inboxes flooded with 151 per week.
At the same time, there are mixed views on traditional tactics like exclusives, embargoes and press releases. As you’ll see later in
this report, press releases rank near the bottom of a long list of tactics and they have for the last three years.
With embargoes and exclusives, it’s important to keep in mind that the reporter, journalist or influencer has a vote too. For example,
sending an announcement under embargo without securing the contact’s agreement doesn’t obligate that person to abide by your
embargo. At the same time, sending modest announcements under the guise of an embargo to invoke a sense of scarcity, are easy
to see through and probably wind up doing more harm than good.
“If you mean including the embargoed material without asking in advance, absolutely not,” wrote one reporter in an online
discussion about embargoes. “Someone is trying to create false urgency. I have no obligation to honor that any more than someone
responding to a question and inserting that it's off the record without checking ahead.”
22. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
The survey shows, for the vast
majority of respondents, the
answer to this question isn’t
absolute (i.e. “always” or “never”).
23. Context and comments on media bias
Ninety-five respondents, including a number who identified as former reporters, wrote in open-ended comments that offer context
for each category of answers:
• Always. “Having done that job for close to 20 years, and performing media relations for the last 20, I've worked with hundreds of
journalists. They weren't in it for the lousy pay, the long hours or the difficult working conditions -- they were in it to gather facts
and present them to an audience. Do they make mistakes? Of course -- but not because of bias. And the professional ones take
ownership of them and correct them.”
• Often. “Like the rest of us, reporters are subjected to information that affects their understanding of the truth. It’s hard to
distinguish sometimes.”
• Sometimes. “I don't think you can lump ‘reporters’ together as a single unit. Some reporters look into topics that interest them - a
bias of a kind - while others just do stories that are assigned to them. I think that after a reporter gathers ‘facts’ for a story, they
form an opinion, and then it's hard to remain unbiased. However, they can train themselves to find alternate points of view to
include in a story whether they agree with the alternatives or not.”
• Rarely. “Their reporting is colored with adjectives and word pictures that reveal their personal viewpoints without their actually
voicing their stand on an issue.”
• Never. “The media doesn't even try to hide it anymore - many outlets endorse a candidate; how can an objective organization do
that?”
The previously cited 2020 Global State of the Media report by Cision also asked journalists about media bias. Some of their
comments, included in the report, reflect a similar sentiment:
“Is there bias in the media? Sure, but much of the problem stems from people not knowing that there are differences between
reporters, columnists and editorial page writers,” wrote one journalist. Another noted, “All media is biased because it's run by
humans.
24. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Is it ethical to be less than 100%
truthful all of the time?
25. Comments on veracity in PR
Some theories of psychology argue that lying (think ‘white lies’) is a coping mechanism that traces back to the earliest humans.
Early humans depended on belonging to a group for survival, so lying emerged as a method to avoid conflict that might get an
individual tossed from the group.
But what are the ethics of saying anything but the truth in public communications? It may not always be explicit. For example, an
omission is an attribute of the classic schema for identifying propaganda developed by Hugh Rank.
Much like the commentary on media bias, the answers weren’t absolute. Seventy-one respondents wrote in answers. Interestingly,
even those that cited codes of conduct and ethical standards left the window cracked for being less than 100% truthful all the time.
• Always. “If they are professionals then that is what they do. The bigger question would be how many people in our business are
professionals.”
• Often. “Depends on their training. As an APR and Fellow PRSA, I subscribe to the highest ethical standards.”
• Often. “I am bound by a Code of Ethics but not everyone in my profession is.”
• Sometimes. “As a former journalist, sometimes we would receive information that was untrue; there is a difference between
being untruthful and presenting spin. Spin can be truthful and still slanted.”
• Sometimes. “Pleasing clients/retaining clients has become far more crucial hence Communicators have become less truthful.”
• Sometimes. “Rarely is the full truth included in a professional's message. Instead, typically, some version of the truth is threaded
into the message that is carefully crafted to present the point of view most favorable to the communications objective for that
message.”
• Rarely. “There is a bias towards painting a brand in a positive light.”
27. Business social
responsibility
Content marketing / blogging /
brand journalism
N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
76%
74%
74%
76%
71%
55%
56%
56%
63%
68%
Chart 1 of 4
on tactics
The top five for 2020 -
each with 70% or more
of the votes. “Data &
analytics” and
“storytelling” were the
top two in last year’s
survey as well.
28. 1st party events like webinar and
customer conferences
35%
N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
52%
48%
47%
52%
42%
28%58%
56%
51%
51%
The the point where
most respondents
begin to say a given
tactic will have about
the same level of
importance.
43%
48%
Chart 2 of 4
on tactics
29. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
47%
53%
43%
45%
49%
43%46%
36%
34%
33%
Chart 3 of 4
on tactics
30. Chart 4 of 4
on tactics
Here’s the detail for the question on tactics. Please note: These are sorted by weighted average.
While all 300 respondents answered this question, we have removed “not applicable” answers for
the ranking. The N value for each tactic is available under the “total” column.
31. Rank 2020 Top Tactics 2019 Top Tactics 2018 Top Tactics
1 Data & analytics Storytelling Storytelling
2 Storytelling Data & analytics Content marketing
3 Content marketing Thought leadership Thought leadership
4 Business social responsibility Measurement Alignment with marketing
5 Thought leadership Content marketing Influencer relations
32. The top tactics in PR and communications
At the top of the list of communications tactics that respondents say will be more important or much more important are:
1. Data & analytics (76%) – speaks to the challenge of proving value;
2. Storytelling (74%)
3. Content marketing / blogging / brand journalism (74%)
4. Business social responsibility (76%) (lower on the list due to overall weight)
5. Thought leadership (71%) – dropped from 3rd to 5th place
At the bottom of the list, with at least one-third of respondents saying it will be less or much less important are: white papers,
awards, press releases and ebooks.
If there’s an area that has become more important as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s probably internal communications
and we may see this in next year’s survey.
Some of the “other” tactics respondents wrote in included:
• “guerrilla marketing”
• “partnerships, co-marketing agreements”
• “employee relations, customer relations for enhancing credibility”
• “video”
• “training and exploration with internal stakeholders (i.e.: sales teams)”
33. What does “storytelling” mean to you?
Storytelling has been in the top first or second slot on this question for three years in a row. So, this year, we asked the question
above as an open-ended question. Some 238 respondents wrote in answers like these:
• “Creating a narrative with an arc, actors, conflict, and resolution that audiences can compare to traditional tales.”
• “Developing a narrative arc with strong, relatable characters who live their values and make a difference.”
• “Using an anecdote to make someone understand (or understand more deeply) a need or topic they did not before.”
• “Creating a story about a product or person that is relatable to many.”
• “Explaining your messaging in a way that resonates emotionally with the individual you're reaching.”
• “Telling the company's story - getting the message out - in a memorable way. It relies more on narrative and emotion to get
people to feel and believe.”
• “Making things relatable, pulling heart-strings, making a connection, making people laugh or engage somehow, being
interesting.”
Not everyone is a fan of storytelling, however:
• “Bull****. No one other than idiots cares about ‘stories.’ Do you provide a useful product/service for an affordable price? Yes or
no. End of story.”
• “Personally, I hate the term. Implies a degree of fantasy ... telling a ‘story.’”
34. What does “storytelling” mean to you? (CONT)
The word cloud below aggregates all 238 answers – the larger the work, the more commonly it was used. We’ve underlined some
of the words that stood out of us in red.
36. Chart 1 of 3 on
social media
channels
58%
51%
54%
40%
40%
25%
18%58%
51%
A majority of respondents
say that LinkedIn, YouTube
and Instagram will be more
or much more important over
the next year.
41%
41%
Views on TikTok are about
evenly split.
N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
37. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Chart 2 of 3 on
social media
channels
49%
38%
52%
54%
48%
53%
40% 47%
38%
35%
37%
31%
45%
43%
A majority of respondents
say that Messenger,
Snapchat, Quora and Signal
will be less important over
the next year.
38. Here’s the detail for the question on social media sites. Please note: These are sorted by weighted
average. While all 300 respondents answered this question, we have removed “not applicable”
answers for the ranking. The N value for each tactic is available under the “total” column.
Chart 3 of 3 on
social media
channels
39. LinkedIn the top social site for communicators
LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram all ranked in the top three social networks by weighted average. Interestingly, each of those
platforms is owned by a larger business: LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, YouTube is owned by Google and Instagram is owned by
Facebook.
Some argue that YouTube isn’t a true social media, but it does make it very easy to share and videos. In addition, YouTube doubles
as a powerful search engine.
Twitter came in fourth on the list, but public relations professionals with media relations responsibilities should bear in mind that
journalists gravitate toward the medium. For example, according to the previously cited State of Journalism 2020 survey by Muck
Rack survey, “85% find Twitter the most valuable social network.”
Communicators start to get lukewarm by the fifth-place Facebook. Facebook has been a constant topic in crisis communications as
the company has been rocked by scandal after scandal over the last few years. It’s utility as a communication vehicle for brands,
outside of advertising on the platform, is limited since organic reach is so low.
Other studies have pointed to similar conclusions. The 2020 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, which is based on a survey of
5,200 marketers by the Social Media Examiner, found “Marketers are diversifying away from Facebook. For the last 2 years,
Facebook lost share as the most important platform for marketers.”
TikTok has been a media darling over the couple years and it has seen explosive growth. Still, the Chinese-owned company faces
serious security concerns. The U.S. Department of Defense has banned the app from government-owned phones, according to
NBC News and TechCrunch cited Reddit CEO Steve Huffman as saying:
"...I look at that app [TikTok] as so fundamentally parasitic, that it’s always listening, the fingerprinting technology they use is
truly terrifying, and I could not bring myself to install an app like that on my phone.”
In the open-ended comments, respondents also cited the publishing platform, Medium, GovLoop (B2G) Flickr, Tumblr, closed
groups and internal social media platforms like Yammer.
41. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Keep in mind the top challenge
for communicators this year is
“proving value.”
42. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Chart 1 of 2 on
measurement
techniques
The 10 most popular measures of
communication effectiveness.
44. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
45. Measurement: half full or half empty?
There are a couple of different ways to look at the answers on measurement. On one hand, 86% of respondents measure at least
“sometimes” and almost half (48%) measure “often” or “always.” On the other hand, 51% measure their efforts just “sometimes,”
(38%) “rarely,” (11%) or “never” (2%). It’s hard to reconcile that level of effort into measurement with the idea that “proving value” to
an executive team that doesn’t understand comms are the top two challenges.
Some of the other metrics respondents wrote include message pull through, share of voice, sentiment, comparative analytics,
coverage in target media important to stakeholders, net promoter scores (NPS), public opinion surveys and invitations to speak or
contribute to reports, articles and other PR type activities.
PR and earned media attribution
Attribution in PR is the ability to attribute a PR activity to an outcome. Some of the vendors that offer media monitoring tools have
begun providing a means to tie earned media to an action.
For example, if your organization is mentioned in an article, and a week later, a reader of that article visits your website and
downloads a white paper, subscribes to a newsletter, or makes a purchase, these tools can attribute the activity to that article.
Broadly speaking, advertising technology tools inform advertisers of clicks on digital ads within or around an article (or video).
Earned media attribution is fundamentally the same idea, only it’s attributed to the article itself rather than an ad served up with the
article.
47. These 11 PR technology
providers are recommended
by at 10% or more of
respondents. This question
was optional.
N = 242; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Chart 1 of 2 on
PR technology
49. Notes on the PR tech vendors
The authors of this report keep a close watch on news from the PR technology community. Here are some notes from the last year
or so:
• Muck Rack has a news trends tool that’s free to use without registration.
• Social Chorus is an internal communications tool that is really doing some interesting things. The company has introduced
integrations and analytics to “examine if initiatives are effective at improving morale, retention, attendance, sentiment and even
the bottom line.”
• TVEyes powers the broadcast monitoring for several other vendors including Cision, Meltwater, Burrelles and Muck Rack.
• Onclusive and Meltwater have both worked to improve sentiment analysis through natural language processing (NLP). For
example, Meltwater is applying a sentiment to every sentence in an article individually and using that to calculate overall
sentiment.
• The three vendors on this list that offer attribution capabilities are Meltwater, Onclusive and Cision.
• Cision owns four brands on this list including PR Newswire, PRWeb, and TrendKite. The company was again taken private
again after being acquired by another private equity firm.
For more news on the PR technology vendors see:
• PR Tech Sum: this a monthly summary of news related to the vendor community.
• PR Tech Briefing: this is write-up based on a web demonstration of a product, Q&A and independent research.
• Product Reviews: this is an in-depth review based on hands-on in a production environment.
51. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Most respondents with communications
or PR responsibilities report to the head
of marketing. However, about one-third
indicate they report to the CEO.
52. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Employed full-time and
NOT looking
Employed full-time, but open to
opportunities
Employed part-time and NOT
looking
Employed part-time, but open to
opportunities
In between gigs and looking for
work
In between gigs, but not looking for
work
Other
Those that said “other” tend
to be independent
consultants, which suggests
a level of self-employment.
These numbers have surely
changed in the wake of the
Coronavirus pandemic.
Whether you are looking for work, or
looking to fill a vacancy, be sure to
subscribe to Ned’s Job of the Week
(JOTW) email newsletter or email
Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.
It’s a free resource for both job
seekers and employers.
54. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
A handful of respondents
identified as dual citizens, i.e. US
& Canada or US & Mexico.
55. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
92% of respondents have 11
or more years of experience.
56. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
More than half of respondents
come from in-house roles.
Those that said “other” identified
as contract workers or “part-
time” help.
57. Respondents that said
“other” most commonly
identified as having
combination of the
responsibilities and
duties listed. In other
words, both internal and
external
communications.
58. N = 300; Source: 2020 JOTW Communications Survey
Those that answered
“other” tend to work for
a government agency.
59. Respondents hail from a wide
variety of industries. Other
vertical markets respondents
wrote in included real estate,
accounting and engineering.
60. Survey methodology
This survey was a joint effort between Ned’s Job of the Week (JOTW) and Sword and the Script
Media, LLC. Subscribers to both organizations were solicited to take the survey through mentions in
the weekly newsletter, dedicated email requests and online media.
In total 300 respondents took the survey online from Friday, January 31, 2020, until Tuesday, March
10, 2020. It’s important to note the World Health Organization categorized the Coronavirus as a
pandemic on March 11, 2020.
Survey takers were incentivized to take the survey with an offer to be entered for a chance to win one
of three gift cards ($100, $50 and $25). The 2020 edition of the JOTW Communications Survey marks
the third consecutive year this survey has been conducted.
61. Have a position to fill? Looking for a new gig?
Send a note with the listing or to subscribe to
Ned’s Job of the Week or by contacting Ned
directly at lundquist989@cs.com.
http://www.nedsjotw.com/
62. Need a topic for a webinar, session or
virtual event?
Ned Lundquist and Frank Strong are
available to present the data in this
survey. Contact us to learn more:
Ned Lundquist:
lundquist989@cs.com
Frank Strong:
frank@swordandthescript.com
Photo by Marcos Luiz Photograph on Unsplash
63. Suggested reading
2019 JOTW Communications Survey
Presentation: The 2019 JOTW Communications Survey
Blog: Corporate Communications is Taking More PR Work In-House, finds Survey; Media Relations Gets Even Harder
Blog: What is PR? 141 PR and Comms Pros Explain What They Do for a Living
Blog: PR Measurement: A Pulse Check on How Communicators Show Value
Blog: The Top 10 PR Tech Vendors by Familiarity and Favorability
2018 JOTW Communications Survey
Presentation: The 2018 JOTW Communications Survey
Blog: New Survey Identifies the Hottest Trends in Corp Comm and PR; Announcing the 2018 JOTW Communications Survey
Related surveys and research reports
Blog: Cliff Notes to Effective Media Relations: A Summary of 3 Surveys of Editors, Reporters and Journalists
Blog: 3 Studies Demonstrate How Earned Media Drives Behavior and Credibility
Blog: The Top Challenges in Journalism According to a Survey of Journalists and the Cliff Notes to 3 Studies by PR Tech Vendors
Blog: Study Reveals Gaps Between the CEO and PR in Communications Goals, Issues and Technology
Blog: 2020 PR Salary Survey - How Much Money do Public Relations Pros Make?