PR Plugging Away through a Bad Economy Says 2010 USC Annenberg GAP Survey

USC Annenberg recently released its sixth Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices (GAP VI) survey results, which have been cause for cautious optimism.  A total of 382 PR professionals from the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors participated, sharing data in Q4 of 2009.  There are a couple interrelated takeaways on which I would like to touch:

1. PR pros reporting to the C-suite were more satisfied with their jobs.
2. Management’s perception of PR is improving.

Of the corporate PR pros surveyed, 42.5 percent reported directly to the C-suite.  Of that percentage, 89.1 percent deemed it an appropriate structure.  To me, this raises the question, “What’s wrong with you other 10.9 percent?!”  Fewer than half of the professionals who reported to marketing, thought that line was appropriate.  Do you want to have less influence within your organization?  To really be a visionary and drive the agenda through messaging, you have to have access to the top executives.  Period.

Perhaps in light of these professionals having access to the C-suite, its not surprising that this year’s GAP study showed the highest rate of management taking PR/communications recommendations seriously (5.8 on a one-to-seven scale).  Indeed, management is starting to take notice of the value of PR.  (I bet the executive team at BP sees the value in it right now.)

As a final note, survey data seemed to support that professionals believed that the job loss rate would flatten out in 2010.  In the context of previous recessions and their ramifications on the PR profession, no news is good news.

USC Annenberg’s annual GAP survey is being released in installments this year, so stay tuned for more from GAP VI.