Posts

Global Women in PR Gender Pay Gap Survey

/in

Thursday September 29th 2016 – Leading international networking group GWPR (Global Women in PR) revealed today at the ICCO Global Summit, the results from their very first gender pay gap survey of men and women working in the Global PR industry. Data collected from 12 countries worldwide revealed a staggering £12,600 pay gap between the salaries of men and women.

The survey also provided an important insight into work/life balance and working practices, that might provide a clue as to why more women are not better represented at the top of a profession where they make up the majority of the workforce.

The survey, conducted by leading research company OnePoll on behalf of GWPR, revealed an average global PR salary of £57,200, with men earning on average 19% more at £67,600 compared to women at £55,000. Whilst salaries are very similar at a junior level in PR; when it comes to more senior roles it is a very different picture. For example, a male in-house Board PR Director earns an average salary of £110,000, compared to his female equivalent on £97,000 – a £13,000 pay gap.

The survey also showed that more than a third of men (36%) working in PR agencies are at board director level, compared to only 16% of women who have broken through the glass ceiling.

When considering asking for a promotion or pay rise, 21% of men were very confident in doing so, unlike women (10%). Further gender differences surrounded balancing childcare and work commitments. This was described as more challenging by women (78%) than men (58%). The sharing of domestic chores was fairly evenly split with 47% claiming to divide the chores, although 41% of the women surveyed believed they did more than half.

In today’s connected world one of the most surprising facts to emerge was the lack of opportunity to work from home. 70% were not allowed to work from home on a weekly basis, with 15% never allowed to do this. The average working week for a PR is 45 hours and an encouraging two-thirds believe they have a good work-life balance.

Commenting on the survey findings GWPR Co-Founders Angela Oakes and Susan Hardwick said: “The findings revealed a much higher pay gap than perhaps anticipated and considering the world in which we now operate, with 24hour access to technology, it is hard to see why there cannot be more flexibility in the workplace.

“Flexibility is very important, but so too is looking at the skill sets that women need to help them reach the top. Business training and tackling confidence issues are two key areas worthy of attention. Retaining talented women so that the boardroom has a better gender balance makes sound business sense. As many studies have shown – a balanced boardroom improves business performance.

“Current working practices have not led to any significant changes in the gender pay gap over the past decade and Deloitte’s report revealed last week that if things continue on the current path ‘Women will not be earning the same as men until 2069!’ We don’t think we can wait that long…..we need to act now to make the necessary changes.”

Francis Ingham, Director General of the PRCA and CEO of ICCO announced an important initiative last month that includes gender pay gap reporting in its kitemark accreditation for UK consultancies for the first time – this should be a global initiative.

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 in 48 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

ICCO announces new regional structure

/in

ICCO is pleased to announce that it has launched a new regional structure for its organisation.

The new structure divides the world into five regions consisting of the Americas, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Each region will have its own Regional Board with an elected President. It is then these Regional Presidents who will go on to elect the Global President for ICCO, a position that is held for two years.

As well as being the voice of ICCO in their region, each Regional President will support its members by putting on a conference and awards each year which will be held in their region. This will result in ICCO having six conferences each year, as well as six international awards programmes.

The purpose of this change in structure is to ensure that all regions, organisations, and individuals represented by ICCO, can create and develop their own voice for the benefit of the regional and global PR and communications industry.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive, ICCO, Director General, PRCA, said: “Ensuring that ICCO members receive the best services has always been at the forefront of our goals. I believe that this new regional structure will ensure that every member can access the very best insight, resulting in both depth and breadth of knowledge. Crucially, this new structure will allow us both to service our greatly-increased number of members, and also to grow even further in the future.”

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 in 48 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

ICCO launches international think tank

/in

ICCO is pleased to announce that it has launched an international think tank to address the future of global PR and communications consultancies.

The new initiative, chaired by Stephen Waddington, Partner and Chief Engagement Officer, Ketchum, will identify the issues of most concern and interest identified by ICCO’s members. ICCO’s membership covers 48 countries and over 2,500 agencies, making this think tank truly worldwide.

The think tank will now lie at the heart of ICCO’s work and will produce thought-leadership articles as well as best practice guides. The content will be produced by a range of associations and by ICCO’s direct agency members. All articles and pieces of guidance will be available in a free-to-view online format, thus benefiting practitioners at all levels and in every country.

Stephen Waddington, Partner and Chief Engagement Officer, Ketchum, and Visiting Professor, Newcastle University, said: “The geopolitical situation and fractured public discourse in many areas of the world underlines how the strategic role of public relations is more critical than ever to government and organisations. Our business is changing and growing at an unprecedented rate thanks to new forms of public engagement. This truly international initiative will use modern public relations techniques to engage ICCO members and signpost the future of the public relations business, and the excellence that it delivers.”

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive, ICCO, Director General, PRCA, said: “Ensuring that all PR and communications practitioners have access to clear guidance and innovative thought-leadership articles lies as the core of ICCO’s existence. The new think tank will draw upon knowledge from some of the most influential professionals around the globe, all for the benefit our industry.”

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 in 48 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East. the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

ICCO announces new training programme & qualifications

/in ,

ICCO has announced at its Board of Management meeting that it is launching an extensive training and qualifications programme as part of its commitment to raising industry standards.

The new initiative is part of ICCO’s drive to be at the forefront of improving talent and skills across the global PR and communications industry, aimed at reaching everyone from those starting out in their careers to seasoned practitioners.

There are approximately 40 training courses to choose from in the new programme, covering a range of disciplines. All courses are available online and are highly interactive and convenient. All courses are run by industry leaders with a breadth of knowledge.

ICCO is launching a new qualification, ‘Global PR and Communications Management Diploma’, which is the first of its kind and draws on worldwide knowledge alongside a collaborative approach. The qualification is based on a points system and each undertaken course is set within a module based on a particular skill. Delegates must complete at least one course within each skill to pass their qualification.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive, ICCO, said: “It is with great pleasure that we announce ICCO’s new training and qualifications programme. Ensuring that we help develop talent is of the utmost importance to ICCO and this new initiative is a huge step in the right direction to ensuring a bright future for our industry.”

For more information contact Masha Palos, Training and Professional Development Director: masha.palos@prca.or.uk

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 48 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

ICCO announces new training programme & qualifications

/in

ICCO has announced at its Board of Management meeting that it is launching an extensive training and qualifications programme as part of its commitment to raising industry standards.

The new initiative is part of ICCO’s drive to be at the forefront of improving talent and skills across the global PR and communications industry, aimed at reaching everyone from those starting out in their careers to seasoned practitioners.

There are approximately 40 training courses to choose from in the new programme, covering a range of disciplines. All courses are available online and are highly interactive and convenient. All courses are run by industry leaders with a breadth of knowledge.

ICCO is launching a new qualification, ‘Global PR and Communications Management Diploma’, which is the first of its kind and draws on worldwide knowledge alongside a collaborative approach. The qualification is based on a points system and each undertaken course is set within a module based on a particular skill. Delegates must complete at least one course within each skill to pass their qualification.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive, ICCO, said: “It is with great pleasure that we announce ICCO’s new training and qualifications programme. Ensuring that we help develop talent is of the utmost importance to ICCO and this new initiative is a huge step in the right direction to ensuring a bright future for our industry.”

For more information contact Masha Palos, Training and Professional Development Director: masha.palos@prca.or.uk

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 48 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

World PR Report launches next month – preview

/in

The World PR Report published by ICCO and PRWeek will be launched at the Global ICCO PR Summit in Oxford, United Kingdom on 29-30 September.

The report is the annual analysis of the international public relations industry including a breakdown of the top 100 global agencies, market analysis from regional leaders, and a report on agency growth and opportunity, investment plans and talent challenges.

Commenting on the talent challenges in the Asia Pacific market, Lynne Anne Davis, President – Asia Pacific at FleishmanHillard said:

“PR’s massive transformation as an integrated, socially-centric industry was enabled by the introduction of non-traditional roles and expertise from other industries. That must never stop in order to continuously innovate, expand influence and supple the rising demand for PR services – especially in Asia where local companies are aggressively disrupting categories, exporting brands abroad and creating new spaces.”

Colin Byrne, Weber Shandwick’s UK & EMEA CEO comments on strong growth in the market, but also the challenges ahead:

“Macro-economic issues include economic downturn in BRIC and other emerging markets, security and political issues, the uncertainties around the US election and, yes, Brexit and associated recession warnings, are challenges for us and our clients.”

Loretta Ahmed, Grayling’s CEO of Middle East Africa & Turkey analyses the developing markets of the Middle East and Africa:

“Less risk averse than many parts of the world, the Middle East is coming of age and it is good to see more and more world-class work emanating from the region and being recognised in global award schemes.”

“In Africa in particular, communications professionals are able to achieve CEO level client access at a far greater frequency than in other markets – while this comes with a far greater ability to influence decision-making it also creates the need for strategic communicators to feature heavily in the team mix – a challenge for agency heads looking to field local teams.”

Commenting on trends in the European PR industry, Pascal Beucler, Chief Strategy Officer at MSLGROUP said:

“Another trend we can see everywhere in Europe is the need for more integration, particularly for big, global clients: wasting energy, time and money because of having too many people from different networks/holdings around the table is really something they don’t want anymore. They say they want one team, as diverse as possible but belonging to the same P&L and led by one single, global manager. Such alignment allows better, faster, clearer decisions and action plans.”

Full analysis and commentary of each of the markets is available in the World PR Report, launched at the Summit, and subsequently published by PRWeek online and in hard copy.

Francis Ingham, Chief Executive of ICCO and Director General of PRCA UK & MENA will be presenting the findings at the Summit, and copies will be shared with attending delegates.

 

For more information on the Global ICCO PR Summit visit www.iccosummit.org

Serbian Public Relations Association awards the best in the field

/in

The Serbian Public Relations Association (DSOJ) awarded the best communication campaigns, projects and initiatives in 2015 at the traditional 19th annual reception PRijem held this week in Belgrade.

The special guest of the evening was Maxim Behar, President of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) that recently welcomed DSOJ within its members. A total of 87 projects competed for the awards in 13 different categories at this year’s PRijem.

On the occasion of awarding ceremony, President of DSOJ, Jelena Sarenac, said to guests at the event:

“The Serbian Public Relations Association gathers all PR professionals in Serbia and improves our profession actively. We want to empower cooperation with our colleagues and similar organisations all over the world, in order to keep in track with newest trends and also present examples of good practice from our market globally. At this journey, membership in ICCO is vital for us, since it makes our organisation more visible both in our country and internationally. We are very happy and proud for having the President of ICCO, Mr. Maxim Behar, with us at our yearly awarding ceremony in Belgrade.”

At this year’s awarding ceremony, the Serbian Public Relations Association awarded Represent Communications with PR agency of the year (large agencies) and SVA agency (small and medium agencies).

Awards also went to New Moment New Ideas Company, Executive Group, Home Page, Smart Vision and Blumen Group, while a special award for Extraordinary Contribution to Communications went to Miloje Sekulic from Home Page agency.

 

ABOUT SERBIAN PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION (DSOJ)

The Serbian Public Relations Association was established on 17 May 2004, continuing the tradition of PR Society of Yugoslavia – the oldest professional organisation in this field on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The company founders are prominent representatives of the University, the agency for public relations, government institutions and organisations, as well as large private companies. The mission of the organisation is to contribute to the field and the public relations profession, to assist the introduction and implementation of the highest professional and ethical standards and implement cutting-edge professional programs, organisation of conferences, seminars and training, as well as international cooperation and exchange of experiences.

http://pr.org.rs/

 

ICCO Welcomes Hungarian PR Association as New Member

/in

The Hungarian Public Relations Association – Magyar Public Relations Szövetség (HuPRA / MPRSZ) has joined the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) as its 34th national member.

This announcement comes as ICCO prepares for its first Board Meeting of the year, taking place in Athens, Greece next month.

Collectively ICCO now represents over 2,500 agencies globally, as well as nine direct consultancy and network members with an international agenda.

Zsófia Lakatos, President of the Hungarian PR Association and Managing Director of Emerald Public Relations said: “We are extremely delighted to join ICCO. In the last few years the Hungarian PR Association turned in a more professional direction. We organise more events, provide market insights to our members and we focus more on international relations. Three ambassadors have been appointed to liaise with our international partners. Joining ICCO is a great step towards our aim to provide global approach, standards, best practices and hopefully business leads too.”

ICCO President Maxim Behar said: “We all welcome our Hungarian friends to the global family of ICCO and are sure that it is a great step ahead in the development of the PR business in the country. The Hungarian PR market is very well developed and we hope to see them playing a significant role both in the ICCO Global Summit later this year, and also many Hungarian companies competing to win some of the ICCO Global Awards.”

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

ICCO Chief Executive Francis Ingham said: “HuPRA is the seventh national association to join ICCO in the last three years – a record of growth which reflects ICCO’s increasing strength. ICCO is now indisputably the largest and most dynamic international PR membership body in the world, set for even further growth in the years ahead.”

Andras Sztaniszlav, the Hungarian PR Association ambassador to the international market, will represent Hungary on the ICCO Board of Management.

 

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 in 33 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

 

 

ICCO appoints Charlene Corrin as General Manager

/in

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) has appointed Charlene Corrin to the role of General Manager, who joins from a key role at Lions Festivals, organiser of the Cannes Lions.

Corrin will be responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day running of ICCO, assisting the Chief Executive, President and Board of Management to set the overall strategy for the organisation, communicating key trends of interest to the worldwide PR industry, and organising the annual ICCO Global Summit and ICCO Global PR Awards.

She was formerly the PR Lions Awards Manager for Lions Festivals, responsible for management of the PR awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Spikes Asia, Eurobest and Dubai Lynx events.

Corrin began the role on 14th March 2016, replacing Binta Hammerich, who steps down after successfully running the organisation since January 2015. ICCO was recently named Best International Association at the Association Excellence Awards 2016.

Corrin will report directly to Francis Ingham, ICCO Chief Executive, and Maxim Behar, ICCO President.

Prior to working for Lions Festivals, Charlene worked in the United Arab Emirates, Australia and New Zealand producing conferences, business summits and incentive events. Originally from New Zealand, Corrin has a background in communications and a keen interest in the creative industries.

Corrin said: “I am thrilled to be joining this world leading organisation at such an exciting time for the PR industry. I will be focusing my attention on refining the organisation’s current programmes and events, and continuing to drive engagement initiatives and recognition for our members on a global platform. I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Ingham said: “I’m very pleased to be welcoming Charlene to the role of General Manager at ICCO. With her background in world class marketing events such as Cannes Lions, she is the perfect person to take our award-winning international association from strength to strength.”

Behar said: “We all are excited to welcome Charlene Corrin to ICCO and having in mind her experience, personal qualities and ambition we are more than sure that day-to-day management of the organisation will be in good and reliable hands. ICCO has grown tremendously over the past three years from the point of view of global coverage, quality of training and high level events. Both the ICCO Global Summit and the ICCO Global Awards are real trend setters in the world of modern PR. Charlene will have the important task of continuing this growth in the same speed and even faster.”

ENDS

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 in 32 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Collectively, these associations represent some 2,500 PR firms.
www.iccopr.com

ICCO named Best International Association at Association Excellence Awards

/in
The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) has been named Best International Association at the Association Excellence Awards. ICCO won the award on Friday at London’s Hilton Bankside hotel, beating four other shortlisted associations including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). 
 
The Best International Association award was presented as a recognition of ICCO’s impressive achievement of its goals in 2015.
 
Francis Ingham MPRCA, ICCO Chief Executive said: “ICCO is in rude health – in fact, we’re in a stronger position than ever. We represent more consultancies and more associations than at any time in our history. Our services are better and more numerous than they’ve ever been. Our relations with other leading organisations such as AMEC have never been deeper. 
 
“So I am delighted that this strength has been recognised by the Association Excellence Awards. I’m proud to agree that yes, ICCO is indeed the best international association in the world. And I’m honoured to be its Chief Executive.” 
 
The judges said that “ICCO has worked hard to position itself at the centre of the industry and has a fantastic set of services and benefits. They launched a really exciting set of recent activities.”
The award recognised the fact that ICCO achieved the following goals during 2015:
 
To grow ICCO’s membership, and increase turnover by 20%
Three associations joined in 2014-2015: Canada, Nigeria and Kazakhstan. ICCO also launched its Direct Membership proposition and welcomed eight new consultancies and networks to the organisation. ICCO membership grew to 33 national trade associations in 32 countries across the globe, collectively representing 2,500 PR firms. ICCO turnover increased by 46%. 
 
To increase engagement and influence with our existing national trade associations worldwide 
ICCO set up committees where each country member is invited to contribute to set the agenda for the organisation. ICCO also built a new user-friendly website, and launched Global Women in PR, a new global networking organisation for senior women working in public relations. 
 
To increase perception of ICCO as being central to the global PR industry
ICCO became a sponsor of the Young PR Lions competition at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, to increase the awareness of young talent at the festival. ICCO also formed partnerships with Haymarket, publisher of PRWeek, and AMEC.
 
To bring more content, research and events to members 
ICCO launched the World PR Report, in which it polls its member trade associations and gathers their opinions on a wide range of topics. ICCO also launched its PulseCheck, providing a quarterly update for members on global markets, and a revised and enlarged PR Professional’s Guide to Evaluation.
 
On the events side, ICCO launched the inaugural ICCO Global Awards in London at the Riverbank Plaza Hotel on Thursday 26th November 2015. Over 28 countries entered the Awards, which was attended by PR professionals from around the world. 
 
ICCO also held the ICCO Global Summit in Milan, bringing together senior practitioners from public relations consultancies around the world, in conjunction with the Milan EXPO 2015. 
 
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 in 32 countries across the globe: from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australasia. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms. ICCO provides a forum for senior management of the world’s best PR consultancies to meet and address issues of mutual interest and concern.