Print media the most preferred channel among Lankan PR professionals: survey

Print media has retained its supremacy as the most preferred channel among public relations (PR) professionals in Sri Lanka over other channels online, social media, TV/radio, and others, reveals a survey by the Asia Pacific branch of the world’s largest professional PR body- the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).The survey carried out with the view of understanding and informing on the state of the PR industry in Sri Lanka has found that 79 per cent of PR practitioners preferred the print media which is one of the oldest means of disseminating information. It is a popular form of advertising that uses physically printed media.

The survey results said that 97 per cent of the respondents stated that the PR industry has become competitive over the recent years, with pricing, industry connections and influence playing a key role instead of talent and innovation. The results indicated that over 75 per cent PR professionals surveyed believed that their clients ‘somewhat’ understand the true potential and impact of PR, and that the pandemic and recent economic events have pushed companies to manage their reputation proactively.

“The findings give a hint that despite being a niche industry, the PR profession and landscape in the country is poised for exponential growth given that some of the diverse challenges and suggestions are addressed timely. We at PRCA APAC will actively be involved in uplifting the standards together with the agencies and other stakeholders,’ said APAC chapter country representative of PRCA Thanzyl Thajudeen.

Most of the clients were seen engaging with on-going PR activities, followed by reputation building, brand positioning, crisis response and mitigation, and internal communications, Thajudeen said. He added that 88 per cent of those surveyed have been involved or encountered clients requesting crisis response PR strategies with 76% mentioning internal communications plans.

“The challenges the PR agencies’ clients were facing include budget cuts (91%), exchange rates (64%), import ban (55%), and retaining talent and finding customers (50%). Agencies cited client budget cuts (94%) as the biggest concern faced with the present volatile situation, followed by convincing clients the crucial role PR could play, payment delays, and employee turnover.

“Despite the many challenges and half the respondents feeling a burnout in their role, the PR industry is very optimistic. 79% stated that there are many new areas to learn within the discipline, citing that PR is becoming more social than digital and that it also requires an approach backed by analytics, accountability and ethics.This was well reflected when asked as to why they work where they work. Learning (79%) superseded all other factors such as agency reputation, networking, compensation, networking, job mobility, and workplace environment. 72% have also taken up self-paced learning activities recently, including networking with other industry peers in the last 12 months.

The PR professionals cited that the industry needs to work more towards knowledge sharing, collaborations and partnerships, and talent and capacity building (73%), with nearly half of them suggesting the need to uplift its ethical standards.The PRCA is the world’s largest professional PR body representing more than 35,000 PR professionals in 82 countries worldwide.