PR Week released a census this week, which revealed the PR industry has grown by £2 billion in the last two years, so I thought it might be interesting to reflect on why PR is doing so well.
My initial thought of ‘haven’t I been working in PR for around two years?’ was soon quashed by PR Week’s stats showing 62,000 people in the UK are now employed in PR roles. Admittedly, that makes me one very small fish in a rather large pond, but, on a more serious note, why the growth in PR? Firstly, I think business reputation is, and always will be, key.
Every business wants a good reputation, be it for their product or services and PR is an efficient, creative and exciting way of managing and building a great reputation, while developing important relationships with those who are going to shout about what you can offer. Then we can throw social media and online engagement into the mix, which has really come to life over the last two years, contributing to these rates of growth. Companies now seem to appreciate how valuable social media can be, when it’s used properly, and this is where I think PR really comes into its own, as social channels rely on the all-important content produced by PR agencies and specialists.
We only have to take a look at the, now viral, Twitter feed involving Tesco Mobile, Yorkshire Tea, Jaffa Cakes, Cadbury and Phileas Fogg to really see the real-time digital conversation and engagement social media allows large corporations to have with individuals. If you haven’t seen it, take five and have a look, it’s well worth a read and a little chuckle.
2014 promises to be another growth year for PR – how? why? We will see, but it’s great to be part of an industry that appears to be thriving.
Written by Charlotte Rutherford