Biz Goals & PR Contributions: A PR News/BurrellesLuce Survey

Digital communications’ impact on meeting business objectives is more indisputable than ever, but that doesn’t mean executives have abandoned traditional media measures—quite the opposite. In fact, according to a survey of more than 400 communications professionals conducted by PR News and BurrellesLuce, the two most important media categories that help execs attain their goals are print and broadcast (38% and 24%, respectively), with social media coming in fourth at 15%. Below are the results of the survey. See the full story.

1. Which category best describes the industry in which your organization operates?

• PR or marketing 29.2%
• Nonprofit 10.3%
• Education 9.9%
• Government 7.5%
• Manufacturing 5.9%
• Healthcare 5.7%
• Financial 4.8%
• Services (excluding PR/marketing) 3.5%
• Media 2.4%
• Entertainment 2.0%
• Utilities/Energy 2.0%
• Other 16.8%

2. What term best describes your job title or function?

• SVP, VP, department director 38.4%
• Owner, partner, principal, chairperson, CEO, COO 19.5%
• Account supervisor/executive 11.1%
• President, EVP, executive director, managing director 5.0%
• Assistant account executive, account coordinator, office administrator 4.3%
• Manager 2.8%
• Other 18.9%

3. Including yourself, how many people are assigned to perform a PR function in your organization (or in your location, if PR is handled regionally)?

• 1 -  24.8%
• 2  - 23.2%
• More than 5 - 22.8%
• 3 - 15.9%
• 4  - 8.3%
• 5  - 5.1%

4. To whom in your organization does PR directly report?

• President, EVP, executive director, managing director 57.3%
• SVP/VP of marketing/public affairs 18.3%
• SVP/VP (excluding marketing or public affairs) 7.8%
• Head of development 2.7%
• CEO 1.7%
• Other 12.2%

5. In top management’s view, what purposes does PR serve in your organization?

• Gets the organization’s name in the media (traditional or social, or both) 23.1%
• Maintains/rebuilds the organization’s reputation 21.5%
• Conveys the organization’s essential story to the media 21.3%
• Helps generate sales leads, donations, public compliance, etc. 15.7%
• Offers strategic advice to senior leadership 15.0%

6. How would you want top management to view PR’s contributions?

• Maintains, or rebuilds the organization’s reputation 22.1%
• Conveys the organization’s essential story to the media 20.4%
• Offers strategic advice to senior leadership 19.6%
• Gets the organization’s name in the media (traditional or social, or both) 18.5%
• Helps generate sales leads, donations, public compliance, etc. 16.3%
• Other 3.1%

7. How would you rank the following media categories in terms of their ability to help you attain the goals cited in your answer to Question 6? (1 being most relevant to achieving the goals cited in answer to Question 6)

• 3 - 30.0%
• 4  - 25.5%
• 2  - 16.3%
• 1  - 15.1%
• 5  - 11.5%
• No Response - 1.6%

b. Online editions of newspapers/magazines

• 2  - 28.2%
• 1  - 23.2%
• 3  - 20.0%
• 4  - 18.3%
• 5  - 9.4%
• No Response - 0.9%

c. Print editions of newspapers/magazines

• 1  - 37.8%
• 2  - 19.0%
• 4  - 15.1%
• 3  - 13.3%
• 5  - 13.3%
• No Response - 1.4%

d. Broadcast outlets (television, radio)

• 1 - 24.1%
• 2 - 20.6%
• 5 - 18.6%
• 4 - 17.9%
• 3 - 17.2%
• No Response - 1.6%

e. Online video (YouTube, webinars, etc.)

• 3 - 24.8%
• 4 - 22.5%
• 5 - 20.4%
• 2 - 18.6%
• 1 - 11.7%
• No Response - 2.1%

8. What type of info about the content and reach of your media coverage would be most effective in making top management more inclined to view your PR activities the way you want them to be viewed?

• Potential or actual impact on goals - 26.6%
• Delivery of strategic messages - 25.1%
• Effect on reputation - 22.8%
• Favorability - 14.1%
• Media value (AVE) - 10.1%
• Other - 1.3%

Source: PR News and BurrellesLuce, based on 436 survey respondents

November 2, 2009