CIPR PR in a Pandemic

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#PRinAPandemic
A CIPR report exploring the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic on the public
relations profession.

Introduction
Each year, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) conducts industry-wide research
into the trends...

Contents
3
#PRinAPandemic

Methodology
4
Executive Summary
6
Employment
Demographics
14
Pandemic impact
18
Pandemic impac...

Methodology
4
#PRinAPandemic

The CIPR commissioned Chalkstream – an agency with a research specialism led by a Chartered
PR practitioner – to deliver r...

Executive
Summary
A rocket in reputation and influence
A year of change
The uneven impact of COVID-19
Working hour...

A rocket in reputation and influence
During the pandemic, demand propelled public relations into new areas within organisa...

A year of change
More than one in five PR practitioners changed their role in the past 12 months. Movement
was not typical...

The uneven impact of COVID-19
The pandemic experience of practitioners differs widely according to a number of factors.
Th...

Working hours, mental health and wellbeing
Working hours dramatically increased during the pandemic for the majority of pr...

The toll on public sector employees
Those employed in-house in the public sector are reported to have experienced the most...

A future shaped by recent past
Predictions as to the future of the profession are strongly shaped by personal experience g...

“I think certainly from the broader
staff engagement piece, of which
we do huge amounts of work, none
of the usual methods...

Employment
demographics
Age group
Gender
Ethnic group
Organisation type
– Current employment
– Role
– Time i...

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Age Group Gender Ethnic Group
16 to 24 3%
25 to 34 25%
35 to 44 31%
45 to 54 26%
55 to 64 ...

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Current employment
Organisation type and seniority:
Role Time in PR (years)

In-house 19%
in pri...

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Region
London 24%
South East 11%
Outside of 9%
the UK
Scotland 8%
North West 7%
South W...

Pandemic impact Impact of COVID-19 on the profession
– Positive impact of COVID-19 on the profession
– Negative impa...

Respondents were asked whether they felt COVID-19 has had an overall positive or negative
impact on the profession. Based ...

120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Top Responses
Top Responses

Negative impact on
staff wellbeing/...

Pandemic impact
on employment
Furlough by organisation type
Pandemic impact on role
Reason for role change
Team / ...

Furlough by organisation type
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
In-house
private sector
In-house
public sector
In-house
NFP/NGO
Cons...

Pandemic impact on role
Reason for role change
% of respondents

Changed role 22%

Stayed in same role 78%
50%
40%
30%
2...

Team / Department size
Those in a management role were next asked about the size of their team and how this was
impacted i...

Employment: the future
Those in a management role were next asked about their expectations in relation to staff
employment...

Pandemic impact
on reputation and
influence

Agencies, consultancies, and
independent practitioners
–
The reputation o...

Decreased significantly 1%

Decreased somewhat 6%

Stayed about the same 33%
Increased somewhat 40%
Increased significa...

Decreased significantly 2%

Decreased somewhat 6%

Stayed about the same 24%
Increased somewhat 42%
Increased significa...

Decreased significantly 3%

Decreased somewhat 4%

Stayed about the same 36%
Increased somewhat 34%
Increased significa...

Reputation and influence: the future
Practitioners in a management role and independent practitioners were next asked abou...

“What does normality mean now?
I’d be very surprised if we are back
in work five days a week, so how do
we ensure that we ...

Pandemic impact
on business

Consultancy / agency and independent
practitioner; impact on business
–
Top responses
–...

Practitioners were asked their views on the business impact of COVID-19 on their organisations
including rates, the sales ...

Consultancy / agency and independent
practitioner rates during pandemic
Sales pipeline during pandemic
Rates charged to cl...

Client base
Client base over the past 12 months by organisation type
How client base changed during the pandemic

Stayed a...

How client PR needs changed during the pandemic
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

Increased demand for digital support 20%

Increa...

In-house teams
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on the organisation
How organisation PR needs have changed
80%
60%
40%
20%
...

Pandemic impact
on business:
the future

Future public relations needs

PR needs of organisation and clients in
next 12 ...

In-house
private sector
In-house
public sector
In-house
NFP/NGO
Consultancy /
Agency
Independent
practitioner

Don’t know ...

How client PR needs will change over next 12 months
Agency, consultancy, independent practitioner response
120%
100%
80%
6...

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

Increased needs (generally) to meet stakeholder demand 17%

Increased demand for strategic commu...

Don’t know

Change in the
following ways...

Stay about the same
Consultancy / Agency Independent practitioner
100%
80%...

120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

It will grow/increase - general 59%
Diversify - general 7%
Diversify - new sectors 7%
It ...

Challenges
Main challenges facing PR over the
next 12 months

Main challenges facing PR over the
next 12 months by orga...

All respondents were asked about the main challenges facing public relations over the next
12 months. These are compared t...

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Recession
/
Job
losses
Loss
of
personal
interaction
between
practitioners
Loss
of
personal
...

Main challenges facing PR over the next 12 months
by seniority
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Recession
/
Job
losses
Loss
...

Main challenges facing PR over the next 12 months
by age group
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Recession
/
Job
losses
Loss
...

Main challenges facing PR over the next 12 months
by gender
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Recession
/
Job
losses
Loss
of
pers...

Main challenges facing PR over the next 12 months
by ethnicity
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Recession
/
Job
losses
L...

“I was hired to set up a UK Office,
so I joined the organisation in
December 2019. It’s been a real
roller-coaster. I thin...

Activities
Public relations activities that have increased
in the past 12 months
–
PR activities that have increased ...

Practitioners were next asked which public relations activities they are doing more of compared
to 12 months ago. These ar...

PR activities that have increased in the past 12 months by organisation type
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Community
and
...

PR activities that have increased in the past 12 months by seniority
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Community
and
stakehol...

Public relations activities that have decreased
in the past 12 months
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

Events, conferences 60%

...

PR activities that have decreased in the past 12 months by organisation type
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Community
and
...

PR activities that have decreased in the past 12 months by seniority
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Community
and
stakehol...

All practitioners were asked about the public relations activities they expect to spend the most
time on in the next 12 mo...

Activities that practitioners expect to spend the most time on in next 12 months
by organisation type
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
5...

Activities that practitioners expect to spend the most time on in next 12 months
by seniority
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
7...

“I think that people are being
more discerning with regards to
Covid because they know that
they haven’t necessarily got a...

Income Practitioner Income
–
Income from PR over past 12 months by
organisation type
–
Income from PR over past 12 ...

Practitioners were next asked about changes to their income from public relations over the
past 12 months.
Practitioner in...

Income from PR over past 12 months by seniority
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Intern/trainee/assistant/
executive
Officer Manage...

Income from PR over past 12 months by gender
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Male Female

Decreased significantly

Decreased some...

Working patterns:
Working hours/
Home working

Home working status by organisation type

Home working status by seniorit...

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
In-house
private sector
In-house
public sector
In-house
NFP/NGO
Consultancy /
Agency

Worked away ...

Home working status by seniority
Intern/trainee/assistant/
executive
Officer Manager Head of comms/
Associate Director
Dir...

Working hours

Decreased significantly 4%

Decreased somewhat 7%

Stayed about the same 26%
Increased somewhat 33%
Incr...

Working hours over past 12 months by seniority
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Intern/trainee/assistant/
executive
Officer Manager...

Working hours over past 12 months by gender
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Male Female

Decreased significantly

Decreased somew...

Decrease significantly 1%

Decrease somewhat 9%

Stayed about the same 58%
Increase somewhat 25%
Increase significantly...

Working hours over next 12 months by seniority
Intern/trainee/assistant/
executive
Officer Manager Head of comms/
Associat...

Mental health
Mental health over the past 12 months by
organisation type

Mental health over the past 12 months by seni...

Decreased significantly 10%

Decreased somewhat 47%

Stayed about the same 32%
Increased somewhat 8%
Increased significa...

Mental health over the past 12 months by seniority
Intern/trainee/assistant/
executive
Officer Manager Head of comms/
Asso...

Mental health over the past 12 months by gender
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Male Female

Decreased significantly

Decreased s...

About the
Chartered Institute
of Public Relations
79
#PRinAPandemic

Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
(CIPR) is the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body ...

About
Chalkstream
81
#PRinAPandemic

Chalkstream specialises in in-depth, intelligent reputation and
market research for education and membership body/trade
as...

Chartered Institute of Public Relations
+44 (0)20 7631 6900
@CIPR_Global
cipr.co.uk

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