PRCA MENA has released its ‘Value in PR’ report during its Digital Awards and Conference 2023 in Riyadh.
The report offers a comprehensive study of the PR landscape in the region and is a resource for professionals in the industry, revealing the evolving role, significance, and financial trends of PR in the region.
It states professionals in the region recognise PR as a strategic tool for managing an organisation’s image and navigating crisis situations.
Particularly, 36 percent of respondents emphasise reputation-building, while 31 percent prioritise crisis management.
The study highlights the nature of PR, including both proactive reputation building and reactive crisis management.
In the digital age, the report emphasises the importance of social media and online communications in shaping modern PR strategies.
A significant portion of respondents 41 percent believes that the rise of social media and online communications has made PR more important than ever.
This shift is reflected in budget allocations, with ‘digital marketing’ being the most selected area for budget reallocation 34 percent.
The ‘Value in PR’ also provides insights into financial trends in the region. It indicates that over the past 12 months, 44 percent of respondents reported a slight increase in their company’s PR spend, with 34 percent reporting a substantial increase.
The report was conducted by YouGov on behalf of PRCA MENA and surveyed 714 respondents from 11 different MENA markets.
The survey took place from 6th June to 10th July this year and included professionals from various industries and companies, with a designation of Manager or higher, who have used PR agencies in the past two years.
Other key findings include:
- 36 percent of professionals in the MENA region perceive PR as a strategic tool for reputation-building.
- 48 percent believe it is extremely important for businesses and organisations to invest in PR.
- 66 percent of respondents are using a single PR agency, while 34 percent are using multiple agencies.
- 43 percent expect PR spending to increase a little over the next year, and 33 percent expect a significant increase.
