ICCO welcomes Georgian PR association as new member

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The Association of Communications Agencies Georgia, (ACAG) the Georgian public relations body has joined the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) as its 40th national member. The ACAG was established in 2015, with the mission to develop and inspire communications in Georgia. We are delighted to expand our services internationally. We expect this to bring more international PR knowledge into Georgia, as well as to help showcase the Georgian experience on a broader, international platform.

Collectively ICCO represents over 2,500 agencies globally, as well as ten direct consultancy and network members.

Juergen Gangoly, ICCO Regional President, Europe said: “ICCO is growing faster than ever. We especially welcome our new member organisation in Georgia, which will, due to its geographical location, link our member organisations in Europe with new partners in Western Asia. As the PR business gets more and more global, this new membership is an important step for the Georgian PR association and for ICCO at the same time.“

Ekaterine Zhvania, director of GEPRA (PR and marketing communications company), will represent ACAG on the ICCO Board of management.

Ako Akhalaia, president of ACAG said: “It is a great honour for me to represent the Georgian Communications Agencies (ACAG). As President, I am sure that ACAG’s – ICCO membership will be mutually beneficial for both parties: Georgian agencies will have access to all ICCO benefits, and ICCO members will benefit from the regional expertise that our members share.”

Maxim Behar, ICCO Global President said: “A warm welcome to our friends and colleagues from Georgia. My visit there a couple of months ago was very insightful, including presentations at the Baltic PR Weekend, Tbilisi. The session gave me a clear picture that public relations business is very advanced and the business environment is very competitive and professional. Georgia is a beautiful country with amazing people and we are happy that our colleagues will have a chance to be among their friends from ICCO, through exchanging ideas and experiences and learning collaboratively. We all hope to welcome a big Georgian delegation to the ICCO Global Summit in Helsinki this October.”

ICCO offers its members market insights and ethical standards, as well as professional training and networking events to allow local PR consultancies to develop within their region and internationally. We welcome Georgia and look forward to working with the ACAG.

 

About ICCO:

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations operating in 55 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australasia, as well as agencies and networks with an international agenda. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms.

www.iccopr.com

 

About ACAG

The Association of Georgian Communications Agencies [ACAG] was founded in 2015. The Association incorporates leading advertising and public relations agencies operating in Georgia.

The mission of the Association is to advocate common interests of communications agencies, improve the environment in Georgia, increase competitiveness and productivity of private sector.

www.acag.ge

 

ICCO welcomes the Romanian PR Association as new member

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The Romanian Public Relations Association – Asociația Română de Relații Publice (ARRP) has joined the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) as its 39th national member.

Collectively ICCO represents over 2,500 agencies globally, as well as ten direct consultancy and network members.

ARRP President, Gabriel Pâslaru will represent the association on the ICCO Board of management.

Gabriel Pâslaru said: “Now in its 27th year of existence, the Romanian Public Relations Association is most appreciative of the invitation to join the ICCO membership while professionals in this country consider this to be a major opportunity. We expect this to bring more international PR knowledge into Romania, as well as to help showcase the Romanian experience on a broader, international platform. Just the same, we look forward to getting in touch with top experts member in the ICCO network and to uncover together new international business venues.”

ICCO President Maxim Behar said: “We are all very glad to have Romanian friends, colleagues and professionals among us. ICCO certainly will be much more powerful and stronger with Romania, but also our colleagues from this beautiful country, which I have visited a couple of times for the past several months, will be much more experienced and professional being a part of the largest PR family in the world. We hope to see Romanian professionals at ICCO global events, including the Global Summit in Helsinki on 5 – 6 October 2017.

ICCO European Regional President Juergen Gangoly said: “We are delighted that with Romania, the PR association of another big European country has joined ICCO. I am convinced that ARRP’s new ICCO membership will be both for the benefit of the PR industry in Romania, and at the same time also strengthen the cooperation of PR associations all over Europe.“

ICCO offers its members market insights and ethical standards, as well as professional training and networking events to allow local PR consultancies to develop within their region and also internationally.

 

About ICCO:

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations operating in 54 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australasia, as well as agencies and networks with an international agenda. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms.

About ARRP:

Founded in 1995, the Romanian Public Relations Association was created to make the community stronger communicators in Romania. Today, the association brings together specialists redoubtable who founded this profession in our country, and young professionals starting out on their careers.

www.arrp.eu

PRCA, ICCO and AMEC announce joint initiatives

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The PRCA, ICCO and AMEC have announced a number of high profile joint initiatives at the AMEC International Summit 2017, aimed at creating a broader understanding of measurement within the PR and communications industry.

Speaking at the AMEC International Summit in Bangkok, Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, revealed that the PRCA, ICCO and AMEC are preparing to update their insights and bring a new event to the UK.

The three organisations will this year work together to develop the latest version of ‘The PR Professionals Guide to Measurement’, which is the definitive guide to public relations evaluation. It will be released in its third version, having originally been launched in 2013.

The simple, easy to use and navigate guide will be easily accessed on all platforms, including PC, tablet and smartphone, featuring case studies and best practice on PR measurement, top tips and latest thinking. The guide is international in focus.

The organisations will also work together to develop a new UK-based conference that will take place in London in September, which will bring to life the value and importance of meaningful measurement for the PR and communications industry. The event will include a series of high profile speakers who will soon be announced.

Ingham revealed the news as he spoke on the theme of ‘Why Measurement should be Non-negotiable’ at the Summit on Wednesday, alongside other key industry speakers. He said: “The PRCA and ICCO are utterly committed to supporting AMEC, which is a hugely important force in guiding the industry towards better measurement. 2017 will be the year when we take the industry to the next stage in its measurement and evaluation activities.”

Barry Leggetter FPRCA, CEO, AMEC, said: “We value the continued partnership and support we receive from the PRCA and ICCO. This is another great step as we work together to drive our industry forward.”

Same values, new business model

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Article by Danette Breitenbach, editor and publisher of Advantage
PR is a business that has moved from static to dynamic and it is our task to create new ways of doing PR, keeping in mind the values it has always operated in – being ethical, having integrity and producing quality work in the quickest timeframe possible.
Same values, new business model

Maxim Behar
“We need to change because our world has changed,” International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) President Maxim Behar told delegates at the 2017 National Prisa Conference.

The conference took place at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, attracting PR practitioners and consultants from across the contintent. The conference also formed part of the 60 years’ celebration of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA).

“We are experiencing the biggest change our industry has seen in 100 years – the change of ownership of the media. Social media has allowed everyone to own the media. Previously media belonged to news anchors, for example, but today a taxi driver with a mobile phone can be more popular than a sports star.”

This change is good and has propelled PR from consultants to decision makers. “While we can assist our clients with media, including social media and media relations, the most important part of our work today is crisis communications and reputation management.”

Companies and brands are increasingly turning to PR as a result. “Digital and advertising agencies cannot solve a crisis and do not have the know-how of dealing and running with a company crisis and managing its reputation.”

This requires a thorough understanding of social media and the appropriate language needed to solve a crisis. “The different languages we speak on social media channels is one of the most important changes in our world,” he adds.

Despite these changes, ethics and integrity are more important today than ever. “We have influence and therefore it is our responsibility to operate in a transparent manner. PR was always been 95% ‘relations’ and the rest ‘pubic’. Today it is 100% public. If you are transparent, then you will be ethical.”

For the first time ever PR is entirely measurable with results reported to the clients on many levels. If PR is a 100% measurable business, then it requires quality comparable to any other news source. Therefore, quality must be a given.

Lastly, speed is of the essence. “Previously it took 10 hours to solve a crisis; today it takes 10 minutes.”

He believes that it is time for PR to stand up and be leaders. “We are the masters of content as we are the ones who we create it, and in today’s world this makes us decision makers.”

Behar is a globally recognised PR expert, CEO of leading Bulgarian PR consultancy M3 Communications Group and Hill+Knowlton Strategies chairman for Czech Republic. The ICCO is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in 32 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.

Prisa, which celebrates its diamond jubilee this year, started in 1957, with 23 founder members. Today it boasts around 520 members (excluding students).

For the original article: click here

The PR President’s plan – Cannes Lions

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This year’s PR Jury President Karen van Bergen talks about her plans for the PR Lion

Karen van Bergen is CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group. In leading that group, she oversees 11 agencies, including three of the top global PR firms in the world: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum and Porter Novelli. She has been at the helm for a year, before which time she served as CEO of Porter Novelli, where she led a significant turnaround over the course of three years. Like all Cannes Lions Jury Presidents, Karen is a true power player and international leader in the communications industry. Her 30-year career working both agency and client-side has brought her into contact with some of the world’s most well-known brands, including McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola Company and Philips.

Cannes Lions caught up with Karen to have a chat about her hopes and expectations for this year’s PR Lion…


CANNES LIONS: What are your expectations for PR Lions 2017, are there any key industry trends that you are expecting to see?
KAREN VAN BERGEN: “I expect to see some great work! I’m so excited to meet my fellow jurors and start to dig into the entries that have been submitted. I’m always inspired by the work that comes out of Cannes, and I look forward to bringing visibility to those organizations, companies and individuals who had a hand in creating this year’s powerful work.
“When it comes to trends and what I expect to see this year, data is a massive trend, and I hope – and expect – to see data become more central to the campaigns submitted, whether it is helping to drive the strategy, inform how audiences are targeted or contribute to improved measurement.
“I expect that “purpose” will continue to be an important element in the work. However, what we need to see is more strategic, data-driven and organic links between the organization and the purpose or cause.
“I look forward to seeing emerging technologies such as VR, AR and AI take a role in campaigns, and I expect that immersive experiences overall will play a greater role. I can’t wait to see how these tools bring the work to life in new and exciting ways. I also expect to see the post-truth era take a role in a particular segment of the work that is submitted.”
CL: How will you approach judging in Cannes? What will you be looking to see in a strong entry?
KB: “As Jury President, there are several things I want to ensure are thoughtfully considered as we undertake this massive task and embrace the responsibility it entails.
“One of those is strong, meaningful measurement. This has been a theme in past years, of course. But I’d like to make 2017 the year we unflinchingly commit to measurement – however un-sexy – with no compromises. Measurement is not about likes and shares or meaningless circulation numbers. It should be about metrics and tangible business results. This is absolutely critical to a winning campaign – no matter how innovative or “cool” it may be.
Along the same lines, I will be looking to see data play a greater role in the work – both in terms of insights to inform the work, as well as outcomes and results. Campaigns should always be grounded in solid research and data that drive the strategy. I have no interest in PR stunts – we are looking for meaty, substantial work that has a purpose.
“Finally, authenticity is something I will be driving the jury to look at critically. It’s an essential element of a powerful public relations campaign, and without it, even the most well-intentioned work can fall flat. Are the campaign messages authentic to the brand and do they resonate with the brand’s key stakeholders? We should have no tolerance for work that is “created for Cannes” and does not ring true to the brand. Work that is truly authentic brings a power that is otherwise unattainable, and delivers a message that resonates and has real, long-term impact.
“Too often in the past, PR has handed off “creativity” to ad agencies. Not anymore. We’ve always had the chops – we just didn’t have the confidence or the swagger we needed to own it.”

Karen van Bergen

 

CL: How do you define creativity in PR and how has this changed during your time in the industry?
KB:“Creativity in PR is no different than creativity across any of the Cannes Lions categories. And I should add that creativity, regardless of the discipline, should always be informed by and grounded in insights – creativity for creativity’s sake is nice, but won’t lead to meaningful results.
“Too often in the past, PR has handed off “creativity” to ad agencies. Not anymore. We’ve always had the chops – we just didn’t have the confidence or the swagger we needed to own it. In the past several years, this has changed. Creativity has taken a more prominent role in the industry and is something that clients and brands have come to expect from their PR counselors. We’ve seen increased demand for creative directors and agency creative departments are growing dramatically in size. More and more clients are asking for a dedicated creative director on their business – and agencies are insisting on the need for it, given the benefits it provides for the work. I’m heartened to see this, and expect that this will only continue to grow as we see the results that come from a more integrated, cross-disciplined approach.”

Interview with ICCO's Regional President – Asia Pacific, Nitin Mantri

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In December 2016 ICCO announced the appointment of 5 Regional Presidents, who represent the recently formed Regional Groups covering Europe, Americas, Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

We chat to ICCO’s Regional President for Asia Pacific, Nitin Mantri, about his new role in the organisation, and his thoughts about the state of the Asian PR market.

You have recently been appointed ICCO’s Regional President for Asia Pacific. What does this mean to you, both on a personal and professional level?

I am excited about my role as ICCO’s Regional President for Asia Pacific because my beliefs have always resonated with the mission of ICCO. In India, I have been working towards setting consistency in standards, increasing the reach of the profession in the country and grooming the right talent.

What are your main priorities as ICCO’s Regional President – Asia Pacific?

My first priority is to increase membership across Asia.  We would like to map an outreach to PR bodies in other countries, with focus on integrating all the regional bodies in the Asia Pacific region. In this regard, knowledge sharing will play an important role in highlighting ICCO’s contribution to the world of communications. We will also provide opportunities to consultancies to share case studies and campaigns from their regions; conduct regular country-specific surveys to understand dominant communications trends; articles and blogs and host seminars to encourage engagement.

We also plan to recognise great campaigns in the regions through a regional awards programme. I hope we can make Asia Pacific the epicenter of PR best practices and award winning campaigns.

What is your take on the state of the public relations industry in Asia Pacific?

In the Asia Pacific region, several economies, particularly China, India and Vietnam, are seeing consumers who have higher  propensity to spend. This, along with social media, has changed  the way consumers want brand experiences. Clients will increasingly look at local knowledge and consultancies that can engage through meaningful and creative content. The key is to provide integrated offerings that  result in emotional and shareable campaigns on behalf of clients.

Therefore, PR consultancies are refreshing the way they hire talent, look at creativity and are enhancing their services from digital to data analytics.

Why did you get into public relations?

PR is in my DNA. Had it not been for a good friend suggesting PR as a career many years ago, I may not have entered the profession. The power to influence perception through creative engagement is what gives me the high.

In ten years’ time, what do you think will be the biggest change in the global communications industry?

Ten years is a long time 😊. The pace at which technology is changing and impacting the communications industry, it is difficult to predict the biggest change that will take place in the PR industry in 10 years. In the last 20 years from being prolific, today newspapers are struggling to figure out how to stay profitable with social media platforms giving us the freedom to engage directly with audiences. With each passing year, the way we communicate will change, but no matter what the future holds, the basic principles of PR will remain the same. PR will continue to tell a good, compelling story that informs, educates and inspires people, just the channels we use to communicate will keep changing. Of course, digital communication and content-driven campaigns will continue to drive growth in the PR industry in the years to come, with evolved versions of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) coming of age.

 

 

 

Lord Bell joins the ICCO Hall of Fame

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The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is pleased to announce that Lord Bell, former communications advisor to Margaret Thatcher and Founder of Bell Pottinger and Sans Frontières, has been selected as an inductee into the ICCO Hall of Fame.

Introduced in 2003, ICCO’s Hall of Fame represents an exclusive recognition of the exceptional progress its members have made towards the internationalisation of the public relations industry.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive of ICCO, said: “ICCO’s Hall of Fame is our pantheon of PR legends -and inviting somebody to join it is our way of acknowledging and thanking those who have shaped our industry. Tim Bell created modern PR. He elevated our work from the peripheral to the very heart of every organisation’s endeavours. So we are incredibly proud that he today joins the ICCO Hall of Fame.”

Other recent inductees include: Karen Van Bergen, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Public Relations Group; Jack Martin, Global Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hill+Knowlton Strategies; and David Gallagher, President, Growth and Development, International, Omnicom Public Relations Group.

The award presentation and drinks reception will take place tonight (13th April 2017) at Ellwood Atfield Gallery from 6:30pm.

PRCA members and partners are welcome to attend.

For more information, please contact charlene.corrin@iccopr.com.

Two PR industry leaders honored with Hall of Fame in Turkey

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The Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (İDA), aimed at accelerating efforts to improve the perspective of the public relations profession and to enhance the discipline, has introduced the IDA “Hall of Fame”, based on the ICCO Hall of Fame. The first industry leaders to be inducted into the İDA Hall of Fame are Meral Saçkan and Salim Kadıbeşegil, following a ceremony on April 4th.

A number of senior executives from the business community, representatives of leading non-governmental organisations in the communications sector, and academics participated in the İDA Hall of Fame ceremony, as well as İDA Board of Directors, the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the member companies.

İDA President Ergun Gümrah said: “It is significant for everyone to be recognized when alive. We attach importance to the Hall of Fame not only for appreciating the value of these people but also for inspiring their colleagues for similar achievements. This ceremony is also a sign of respect for our profession, maintained by many companies in Turkey at international standards. ”

Meral Saçkan, Founder and Chairperson of MPR Communication Consultancy, is one of the five founding members of PRCI / ICCO – Turkey and also the first president of İDA. Saçkan, regards the discipline of public relations in Turkey as the secret weapon of marketing communications. Being one of the forerunners of ‘Marketing PR’, Sackan is among the ‘pioneers’ of the industry through her contribution to the establishment of international professional and ethical standards in our country, application of international measurement criteria, development of national professional organizations and the academic world.

Salim Kadıbeşegil, the founder of the ORSA, understood orientation of the global communication industry; helped the industry recognize international service standards and played a leading role in this field in Turkey. Kadıbeşegil introduced the method that represents the “strategic communication” concept as a discipline in the communications sector and adopted the “reputation management” approach to the business world. Kadıbeşegil, who made great efforts for the establishment of the PRCI and then İDA, continues to contribute to the sector with his articles and practices.

The ICCO Hall of Fame was launched at the ICCO Global Summit Berlin in 2003. Honorable individuals who contribute to the development of PR discipline and enhancement of its reputation in Turkey through their achievements, while inspiring PR professionals and playing an important role in development of the sector in international and local level are inducted into İDA Hall of Fame. The inductees are determined after evaluation of the İDA Board of Directors based on Hall of Fame criteria. The tradition started with the “Honorary Prize” submitted to Betül Mardin and Alaeddin Asna in the 10th Anniversary Ceremony of İDA; and will continue with the Hall of Fame body as of this year.

 

About Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (İDA)

Representing the companies in Communications Consultancy sector and bringing the leading companies of the sector together, the Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (İDA) is the Turkey branch of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO). The aim of Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (İDA) is improving, expanding and increasing the reputation of the public relations sector which the member companies operate in; increasing awareness in the sector against unfair competition, informal activities and unethical acts; ensuring that the companies receiving service from the sector to have access to accurate information about the sector; and ensuring that the members act jointly without damaging their solidarity and competitive environment while facing the problems of the profession and the market, to set an example by observing the international service standards and codes of conduct, and to increase their service quality by increasing their professional performance and management skills.

 

For further information pleace contact:

Pelin Çoban Polat – pelinp@ida.org.tr

ICCO Summit 2017 to be held in Helsinki, Finland – Call for speakers now open

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ICCO, the International Communications Consultancy Organisation, is pleased to announce that this year’s Global Summit will take place at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, Finland on 5th-6th October.

The Conference Chairperson is ICCO Vice President Elise Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Communications and Dentsu Aegis Public Relations Network. The theme for the event is ‘Innovate | Engage | Evolve : Leading in a transformational world’.

“This is one of our industry’s most important conferences as it offers a unique combination of global perspectives, leading-edge thinking and networking opportunities. The take-aways from the Summit are both practical and thought-provoking, positioning us to help our clients and agencies achieve better results”, said Mitchell.

MTL, the Finnish Association of Marketing, Technology and Creativity, will be the event host, after winning the bid against other ICCO national PR associations.

Sari-Liia Tonttila, MTL and ICCO Board member said: “We are truly honoured and pleased to welcome the world’s PR industry leaders to startup-driven Helsinki to hack the PR business on Finland’s 100th anniversary. Gamification, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and robotics are just the start of the tech storm. We embrace the fact that data-driven communications, analytics and algorithms can be our best friends and advocates. Among the global communications professional network we also need to address the increasing emotionalism and infowarfare in global social networks.”

The ICCO Global Summit is an annual two day gathering of senior PR and communications practitioners from around the world. Keynote presentations, insightful panel debates and networking events focus around PR industry challenges and innovations.

CALL FOR SPEAKERS

A ‘Call for Speakers’ is now open for the ICCO Global Summit 2017, with a deadline for applications on Friday 12 May. To apply to give a presentation or curate a panel discussion at the Summit, please download and complete the application form at the link below, and return it via email to ICCO General Manager, Charlene Corrin: charlene.corrin@iccopr.com.

Download application form: www.iccosummit.org/call-for-speakers

 

About ICCO:

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations operating in 49 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australasia, as well as agencies and networks with an international agenda. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms.

www.iccopr.com

Measurement in PR and Communications not an option! – International leaders in key debate at Bangkok conference

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International leaders are to taking part in a major debate to make “measurement a must” for public relations and communications programmes.

The session will be a highlight of the Global Summit on Measurement, in Bangkok in May, organised by AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication

Francis Ingham, PRCA Director General & ICCO Chief Executive, will take part in the special session, called Measurement and the PR and Communications Professional – why measurement should be non-negotiable.

It will also involve top international speakers from China, India, the United States, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Australia, UK and US.

Richard Bagnall, Chairman of AMEC, said: “We are hoping this special session in Bangkok will give us a further kick-start and prompt people to realise that measurement in public relations is not an option, but an absolute necessity.”

ICCO members can register for the Global Summit at a 10% discount on this link. AMEC is also offering a two-day price for the AMEC Global Summit (without a pass for the AMEC Awards dinner) at £525. The price includes:

  • Admission to all Global Summit sessions on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th
  • Networking break refreshments and lunch on each day.
  • Complimentary drinks at the end of the Thursday 18th
  • Download access to speaker presentations.

Booking link:

Already delegates have booked from 24 countries to attend the Global Summit in Bangkok on May 17/18. Over 50 speakers will take part.

Speakers at the Global Summit include representatives from Huawei Technologies, GE South Asia, GlaxoSmithKline, Citigroup, Microsoft, American Express, Lenovo, as well as speakers from the UK Government and the Singapore Government.

Accommodation can be booked on this link.

 

About AMEC

AMEC – the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication – is the world’s largest professional body for communications research, media intelligence and insights with more than 150 members in 86 countries.

 

For further information contact:

Barry Leggetter

CEO, AMEC

Mobile: +44 7748 677504 or +44 1268 412414

barryleggetter@amecorg.com