â–¶ PR Education Disconnect: While the number of public relations graduate programs in the U.S. nearly tripled since 2000 (26 to 75), inconsistent curricula and degree requirements may be lowering the perception of the value of this education and is creating confusion for students, educators and employers. Three studies by the Commission on Public Relations Education include the opinions of more than 400 PR practitioners and educators on what should be included in graduate programs. The findings include:
• PR pros and experts have a split opinion on whether a master’s degree is important in hiring, but say it should equal three years’ professional experience.
• Employers are “on the fence” on the value of graduate education when making a hiring decision and still expect professional experience.
• Employers see three possible reasons for the “split opinion”: the difference in quality of graduate programs, the likelihood that educators give a higher rating than practitioners and a generational change.
Source: Commission on Public Relations Education
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| Let this be a lesson that public perception can turn on a dime: From May 2 to Oct. 9, presidential candidate Rick Perry garnered the most positive media coverage among peers, finds Pew Research. Since then, we suspect those numbers have changed. Source: Pew Research |
â–¶ Social Media Incites Spending: Individuals exposed to social content are two to seven times more likely to increase their spending and consumption than those who aren’t, according to an Ogilvy-ChatThreads study. The sales impact is most pervasive when social content was combined with other types of media, such as PR, out-of-home and TV. Other findings include:
• Out of over 20 channels studied, social content exposure was associated with the largest shift in brand perception during a seven-day period.
• Consumers are seeing relatively little branded social content during their daily routine. Only 24% of the study group reported exposure to social content, compared to a 69% exposure rate to TV ads.
Source: Ogilvy/ChatThreads
â–¶ Digital-Only Firms Need to Diversify: Communicators indicate that they would most likely select a full-service agency with strong digital skills over a digital-only firm, says a study by RSW/US. Some 68% of marketers rate their likelihood of using a full-service firm with strong digital talents as “very likely.” In comparison, only 39% rate their interest in a digital-only firm as “very likely.” Other data from this survey supports the conclusion, including:
• “Digital firms that also work in traditional media platforms” is the second-most-likely choice for marketers looking for digital help—with 59% voting “very likely.”
• Only 33% of marketers stated that digital-only firms would survive long-term when asked to look 3-5 years into the future.
Source: RSW/US