Study on Public Relations in Portugal - what is their status, what are they called in the Communication Agencies market, the accreditation problem and the lack of recognition of its strategic role.

1. Public Relations in Portugal:
A conceptual lack of understanding
or
A professional non recognition?
Istanbul, September 2012
Kelly Pereira
School of Communication and Media Studies

2. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Public Relations
Events
//
Media Relations

3. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Public Relations
Events
//
Media Relations
Communication Strategy
Public Interest
Business Strategy
Lobbying
Financial awareness

4. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Public Relations
Events
//
Media Relations
Communication Strategy
Public Interest
Business Strategy
Lobbying
Financial awareness
“Public Relations are a strategy
accelerator.”
(Habib, 2011)

5. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Multiplication of Agencies and Departments
Literal translation of the term Public Relations
Semantic ambiguity
Multiple Associations - No power

6. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Empirical Study
Public Relations sub-disciplines
Corporate Communication
Issues Management
Publicity
Investors Relations
Financial Communication
Lobbying
Public Issues
Media Relations
Community Relations
Crises Management
New Business
Digital Communication
Internal Communication
Communication for the Public Interest

7. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Empirical Study
The Survey
226 Communication and PR Agencies / Consultancy
Based in the Stockholm Accords PR practices

8. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Empirical Study
The Survey
Do you do this?
From the PR sub-disciplines, how would you call it?
Is this sub-discipline, part of the PR role?

9. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
Yes No
26%
74%
 Greater consensus on the "Yes" = Yes, I practice this activity.

10. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Yes, I consider this activity as part of the PR role
No, I don't consider it as part of the PR role
63%
37%
 Greater consensus on the "Yes" = Yes, this is part of the PR role.

11. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
 Yes, I do it.
“Contribute to the development and promotion of products, services or
processes that strengthen brand loyalty and equity.” - 93% of the
respondents

12. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
 Yes, I do it.
“Contribute to the development and promotion of products, services or
processes that strengthen brand loyalty and equity.” - 93% of the
respondents
 No, I don’t develop this activity.
“Participate in the solution of organisational issues, as well as lead those
specially focused on stakeholders relationships.” – 43% of the respondents

13. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
 Do you practice this activity?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Sustainability Governance Management Internal
Communication
External
Communication
Coordination
between
Internal &
External
Communication
71%
67%
81%
71% 77%
74%

14. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
 Do you think this is one of the sub-disciplines of PR professional?
54%
56%
58%
60%
62%
64%
66%
68%
Sustainability Governance Management Internal
Communication
External
Communication
Coordination
between Internal &
External
Communication
60%
65%
63%
66%
64%
59%

15. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
Responses obtained
Respondents
Non respondents
26,5%
73,5%

16. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Main Conclusions
> Correlation with Internal Communication and Corporate Communication
Unacknowledged of the Stockholm Accords and PR sub-disciplines
Inconsistency
Difficulty in answering “Yes, this is part of the PR role”.
General lake of participation

17. Public Relations in Portugal:
A lack of understanding or a non recognition?
Final Consideration
“One cannot not communicate”
Palo Alto, 1967