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Milan Launch for Global Women in PR

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GWPR – Connecting Women in PR around the worl

A new international association, linking independent networking groups of senior women working in PR, has been launched at the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) Global Summit in Milan, currently underway.

Global Women in PR (GWPR) has been formed to act as an umbrella organisation to enable groups of senior PR women worldwide to come together to share ideas, contacts and experiences and to campaign on the major issues directly affecting women working in the PR industry today.

The development of GWPR is fully supported by ICCO and their President David Gallagher had this to say about the new initiative: “Women are the heart, soul and mind of PR consultancy all over the world, and we at ICCO are pleased to be associated with GWPR’s ambitious global plans.”

Following the recent success of Women in PR (WPR) in the UK and its resurgence as a significant and powerful networking organisation, former Joint-Presidents Angela Oakes and Susan Hardwick felt that the time was right to encourage other countries to form their own WPR associations.

“The widely reported gender pay gap and the lack of women in the boardroom are two major issues which are not limited to the UK PR industry, but affect those working in PR worldwide. Coupled with what we believe to be an important vehicle for senior women to meet in a non-competitive environment, WPR also offers its members a chance to help shape the future of the industry and to act as mentors to the next generation. We want our successful networking blueprint in the UK to be rolled out globally and are taking the first steps to make this happen,” commented Angela and Susan.

The launch of GWPR is being supported by Business Wire (a Berkshire Hathaway company) and a major sponsor of WPR in the UK. “We are delighted to be supporting this important launch,” said Kim Deonanan Business Wire Regional VP, Northern & Central Europe.
www.globalwpr.com

Notes to Editors:

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.
http://www.iccopr.com

Business Wire
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Investor relations, public relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire to accurately distribute market-moving news and multimedia, host online newsrooms and IR websites, build content marketing platforms, generate social engagements and provide audience analysis that improves interaction with specified target markets. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organisations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented simultaneous NX Network. Business Wire has 32 offices worldwide to securely meet the varying needs of communications professionals and news consumers.
www.businesswire.com

WPR is a sector group of the PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association) in the UK and a networking organisation for senior women working in the PR industry. It provides an important platform to enable members to share their experiences, assist one another in business and exchange ideas. Founded in 1962, WPR offers support for its members and has helped to shape the development of the PR profession as a whole. WPR works to encourage and promote the highest standards of professionalism and to assist and support younger members within the profession.
www.womeninpr.org.uk

– See more at: http://news.iccopr.com/milan-launch-for-global-women-in-pr/#sthash.pYt7ar61.dpuf

ICCO announces latest member: Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms

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The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) announced at its Global Summit that the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms (CCPRF) has joined its growing membership.

Speaking at the ICCO Summit in Milan, ICCO Chief Executive Francis Ingham announced that the CCPRF has joined the Organisation, bringing its association membership to 32.

Comprising the senior leadership of Canada’s public relations industry, the goal of the CCPRF is to promote the high value, professionalism and development of public relations consulting and provide leadership in areas that influence industry growth and performance.

Following the CCPRF’s inclusion, ICCO now represents 32 national PR associations, collectively representing over 2,500 agencies around the world.

David Gordon, Chair, Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms, said: “It is a pleasure to be joining this global network of PR consultancy associations, and look forward to sharing knowledge and best practice with our peers from around the world.”

Speaking in Milan, Francis Ingham said: “I am very pleased to welcome the CCPRF, a hugely important association on the world PR stage. As ICCO grows, so does its relevance and vibrancy, and its ability to represent the global PR community with a single unified communications voice.”

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 Australasia. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,500 PR firms. Contact Binta Kristin Hammerich, ICCO General Manager binta.hammerich@iccopr.com

– See more at: http://news.iccopr.com/icco-announces-latest-member-canadian-council-of-public-relations-firms/#sthash.xrzhSx2a.dpuf

AMEC, ICCO and PRCA launch new version of guide to PR measurement

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AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), and the PRCA,  the UK Public Relations Consultants Association, have today launched a new version of their web-based guide to public relations measurement.

The new-look guide, entitled ‘The PR Professionals Guide to Measurement’ was launched today at the ICCO Summit in Milan.

The simple, easy to use and navigate guide is available online at http://prguidetomeasurement.org/, which can be easily accessed on all platforms, including PC, tablet and smartphone.

Eight of the original 12 chapters have been replaced or refreshed by AMEC, ICCO and PRCA members, featuring case studies and best practice on PR measurement, top tips and latest thinking.

The guide’s authors include brand leaders, senior PR experts, and measurement experts such as ICCO President and Ketchum Europe CEO David Gallagher; Carma CEO Mazen Nahawi; Michael Frohlich, UK CEO / EAME COO, Ogilvy Public Relations and Ketchum Partner and CEO of Ketchum Global Research & Analytics, David Rockland.

Jeremy Thompson, Managing Director, Cision EMEA and Chairman of AMEC, said: “We are delighted to again partner with ICCO and PRCA in this comprehensive update of the PR Professionals Guide to Measurement.

“We know we are making real progress in educating PR professionals of the business benefits of using measurement. The new Guide is an important part of that work.”

PRCA Director General and ICCO Chief Executive Francis Ingham MPRCA said: “I am very happy to be launching this, the second edition of the PR guide to measurement. Coming soon after the launch of the Barcelona Principles 2.0, this guide places ICCO, the PRCA and our members alongside AMEC as key players in the effort to improve standards in evaluation across the PR industry.

Earlier this morning, ICCO launched the World PR Report in conjunction with The Holmes Report. The research that surveyed nearly 500 PR agency principals found the gap between the Americas and Europe narrowing. Last year, North American agencies were considerably more optimistic than those in Western Europe (8.46 compared to 7.28 on a scale of one to 10) but this year optimism levels were more similar (7.89 for North America, 7.44 for Western Europe).

Global optimism levels declined just a little from last year’s survey, with agency principals averaging a 7.62 when asked whether they were optimistic about the future of public relations in their market (compared to 7.69 last year and 7.50 in 2013) and a 7.52 (down from 7.6) when asked whether they expected profits to increase this year.

Notes to editors
The PR Professionals Guide to Measurement is available at http://prguidetomeasurement.org/.

About AMEC
AMEC, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication has grown to become a global trade body for agencies and practitioners who provide media evaluation and communication research. AMEC’s purpose is to define and develop the industry on an international scale with better professional standards for both companies and individuals. AMEC has a membership base in over 40 countries.

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

About the PRCA
Who we are: Founded in 1969, the PRCA is the largest PR association in Europe, representing 18,000 people in agencies, in-house communications teams, and individuals. The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and internal communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations.

What we do: The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.

How we do it and make a difference: All PRCA members are bound by a professional charter and codes of conduct, and benefit from exceptional training. The Association also works for the greater benefit of the industry, sharing best practice and lobbying on the industry’s behalf e.g. fighting the NLA’s digital licence.

Who we represent: The PRCA represents many of the major consultancies in the UK, and currently has more than 350 agency members from around the world, including the majority of the top 150 UK consultancies. We also represent over 250 in-house communications teams from multinationals, UK charities and leading UK public sector organisations.
www.prca.org.uk

– See more at: http://news.iccopr.com/amec-icco-and-prca-launch-new-version-of-guide-to-pr-measurement/#sthash.eMkJBL7y.dpuf

The Death of the PR Pantologist? Hiring for the future of our industry – from the ICCO 2015 Global Summit in Milan

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Written by: Aaron Kwittken

Print@AKwittken

The Death of the PR Pantologist? Hiring for the future of our industry -- from the ICCO 2015 Global Summit in Milan

Last week, I traveled to Milan, Italy to participate in the ICCO Global Summit to moderate a panel called, “The Talent Integration Game, Decoded.”

ICCO is a gathering of some of the best and brightest in the global PR community so I was thrilled to take on the job – plus, how bad could a few days of work in Italy (and the inevitable extra pasta) be?

The panel I moderated explored the implications on hiring talent for an industry that is shifting toward a more integrated and omni-channel approach. I was joined by Maxim Behar, CEO of M3 Communications Group, and Rachel Bell, CEO and founder of Shine Communications. In our discussion, we explored how the historical sentiment that PR agency talent should be “jacks of all trades” fits in with today’s omni-channel environment. Social strategy, community management, content creation, experiential and data analytics skills are all par for the course in today’s world of PR agencies.

One of the major takeaways from the conversation came in the staunch agreement that PR agencies, globally, must start changing their internal culture to be more inclusive of specialist talents and non-traditional backgrounds. Agencies need to start integrating team members who understand a multi-disciplinary approach in order to form inter-disciplinary teams that are focused on building data-driven programs that are social and digital by design. There has been an increasing amount of comfort and credibility in the minds of CMOs, but we need to change the hearts and minds through procurement practices as well. Finally, we need to navigate meeting the “old-school” earned media needs of certain clients with the more “modern” demands of clients who favor an omni-channel approach and understand the value of a creating for them a broader message and brand awareness.

The discussion was an important and timely one, held among influential peers in the industry and around the world by whom I was honored to be surrounded. I look forward to continuing to explore and embrace the changing agency landscape, as Kwittken continues to build our specialist talent practice areas to enhance our client offerings. And meanwhile, I will continue to decompress from over indulging in gelato.