Posts

PRCA & ICCO launch Ukraine Communications Support Network

/in

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) have announced a new initiative designed to coordinate volunteer communications activity for the people of Ukraine.

The Ukraine Communications Support Network (UCSN) is Co-Chaired by Ukrainian communications leader Nataliya Popovych and former ICCO President and PRCA Chair, David Gallagher.

The USCN invites communications professionals around the world to submit proposals and projects under 12 categories for communications projects supporting Ukraine and those affected by the war.

The Network’s Steering Committee – comprised of prominent Ukrainian and international communications leaders – will oversee an approval process for voluntary activities designed to accelerate and amplify support for the people of Ukraine.

The Network will work closely with a growing volunteer base of more than 200 communications professionals and agencies to ensure practical support reaches those in need quickly and efficiently.

The 12 categories are:

1. Secretariat Support for UCSN
2. Slova / Ukrainian MOFA Support
3. International Media and Journalist Support
4. Promote Independent Journalism In Ukraine
5. Promote International Refugee Support
6. Promote Domestic Refugee Support
7. Legal Aid Support
8. Public Awareness
9. Business Continuity Support
10. Digital, Web and Developer Support
11. Social Media and Content Production Support
12. Credible Information / Counter Misinformation/Disinformation

All voluntary activities must be delivered on a pro-bono basis. Organisations and individuals approved by the Steering Committee will be eligible to refer to themselves as ‘Members of the PRCA / ICCO Ukraine Communications Support Network’ on collateral and related content.

– Visit the UCSN webpage

– Submit a proposal

UCSN Co-Chair Nataliya Popovych commented:

“It is rewarding to see that the appeal to public relations professionals with high moral compass has generated so many supporters willing to commit their time and resources to helping Ukraine win. Be it in increasing the cost of war for Russia or helping ease the unnecessary suffering of the Ukrainians via humanitarian solutions, Ukraine now has many briefs for the pro bono agency partners globally, and we will not forget those who have been our friends in need.”

Fellow UCSN Co-Chair David Gallagher said:

“There’s no shortage of demand for thoughtful, professional communications support for the causes and issues associated with this devastating war, and the generous response from the international PR community is inspiring. We hope this effort will make it easier for professionals and agencies to focus their efforts in meaningful ways.”

UCSN Steering Committee Members
Elena Bakum-Ramola, Publicis Groupe Ukraine
Alexandra Bell, Golin
Rod Cartwright, Rod Cartwright Consulting
David Gallagher, DG Advisory
Iva Grigorova, MSL Bulgaria
Heather Kernahan, Hotwire
Nitin Mantri, Avian WE
Alex Myers, Manifest
Nataliya Popovych , One Philosophy
Olena Sukhanova, MSL Ukraine
Grzegorz Szczepanski, Hill + Knowlton Strategies

PRCA and ICCO ban award entries from Russia

/in

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) have announced a blanket ban on award entries from Russian organisations and individuals.

The ban, which applies immediately to all PRCA and ICCO awards programmes, is a direct response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The PRCA and ICCO stand firmly beside Ukraine and are united in their condemnation of the atrocities committed by the Russian Government. The organisations also wish to reiterate their support for colleagues in Russia who oppose the actions of their government.

The ban follows ICCO’s indefinite suspension of Russian PR Association, AKOS, and the PRCA’s warning to members working with Russian organisations.

PRCA Director General and ICCO Chief Executive Francis Ingham MPRCA commented:

“Russia has continued its senseless killing campaign in Ukraine. It’s clear our industry has a moral duty to cut all ties with Moscow. For ICCO and the PRCA that responsibility extends across our international awards programmes. We will simply refuse all award entries from Russian organisations and individuals.

“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. We will share further comment on the expansion of our communications and humanitarian support for Ukraine in the coming days.

CMS More Accessible with 5 New Auditors Added to Roster

/in

For more than 20 years, PRCA and ICCO have offered CMS audits framework for independent certifications to help agencies be accountable and to improve their business processes. Customers’ growing demand for trust and accountability is fuelling a desire from clients to work with more quality certified agencies.

The growing international demand for certifications has, in turn required ICCO to actively grow its pool of approved auditors, making the standard more globally acknowledged and accessible in alternative languages. The most recent a CMS auditor development course took place in Vienna from 16th to 18th February, hosted at the premises of The Skills Group. Organised by ICCO’s audit partner organisation AgencyExperts.org

Five distinguished PR experts and ICCO board members have successfully passed a state-accredited auditor exam under the auspices of the inspection organisation TÜV, comparable to BSI or ISO.

Now AgencyExperts has a growing pool of international CMS auditors who can be booked to run quality certifications in communications agencies and in in-house comms departments. The newly certified CMS auditors are all in the leadership teams of their national PR associations and experienced agency managers:

Alexander Dourchev, Bulgaria
Dimitris Roulias, Greece
Patrik Schober, Czech Republic
Andras Sztaniszlav, Hungary

(Photo: from left to right, incl. Anita Mohl, CEO AgencyExperts, Juergen H. Gangoly)

The new auditors are enlarging ICCO’s and AgencyExperts existing auditor team with experts from 11 different countries, additionally including Austria, Germany, Egypt, Switzerland, and the UK. With the PR associations of Ireland and Turkey also processing audits.

The next CMS auditor development course shall take place in autumn 2022. If you would like more information about gaining CMS accreditations or becoming a certified auditor, contact rob.morbin@iccopr.com

Almost a third of PR leaders ‘Open to 4-day week’

/in

London, 21st February, 2022

 

23% of global communications leaders are interested in trialling a four-day working week with no reduction in pay and a further 9% have already adopted the model, according to new research published by the ICCO and PRCA.

The study – conducted by Question & Retain – follows a recent PRCA MENA study revealing UAE professionals believe they work more efficiently under the new four and a half day working week adopted in UAE.

128 CEOs, Directors, and Department Heads took part in the latest ICCO and PRCA  quarterly Confidence Tracker, which assesses market confidence in the global public relations industry.

Market confidence boost

The study reveals impressive levels of confidence amongst PR and communications leaders. The research shows more than two-thirds (72%) of PR agencies and in-house teams globally are hiring and almost nine out of 10 (87%) respondents are ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ about the future of their organisation – this is a three percentage point rise since the last Confidence Tracker in October 2021.

Download the ICCO results here and the PRCA results here.

 

ICCO Chief Executive and PRCA Director General and  Francis Ingham MPRCA said:

“The data from our latest Global Confidence Tracker is very encouraging. Market confidence around the world is now higher than at any point since the beginning of the pandemic and the growing confidence is reflected in the number of organisations hiring. The four-day working week is an interesting proposition for agencies and in-house teams, many of whom are looking for creative ways to attract and retain the most talented professionals. The model won’t work for everyone but there are clear benefits for those willing to embrace change.”

HAHM SHOUT DOODLE Makes History as first South Korean PRCA Member 

/in

HONG KONG, 25th January, 2022 – The Public Relations and Communications Association Asia-Pacific (PRCA APAC) has announced Hahm Shout Doodle as its first ever South Korean corporate member.

Hahm Shout Doodle is a full-service PR and marketing agency, offering strategy, PR and risk management, digital, creative and influencer solutions. They work with more than 300 clients across industrial, distribution, culture and entertainment.

The PRCA’s regional voice in South Korea will also be strengthened with Hahm Shout Doodle’s CEO, Siwon Hahm, joining its PRCA APAC Board.

As the world’s largest professional PR association, the PRCA has become the leading body for communications professionals across the Asia-Pacific, with members in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and now South Korea.

 

PRCA Director-General Francis Ingham MPRCA said:

“Raising professional standards all around the world depends on our ability to understand nuances across local regions. We want every PR professional in South Korea and across the wider APAC region to have access to world-class support and representation. And so, it’s a pleasure to welcome one of South Korea’s most dynamic PR agencies – Hahm Shout Doodle – to PRCA APAC, as well as the esteemed Siwon Hahm to the Board.”

 

Siwon Hahm MPRCA, CEO of Hahm Shout Doodle, said:

“As the newest member of the PRCA Asia Pacific, Hahm Shout Doodle is truly excited for the various global networking opportunities our inclusion in the PRCA will present. As a representative of Korea, we look forward to sharing our know-how and expertise with the esteemed member agencies of the PRCA and are eager to begin the highly fruitful partnerships.”

 

ABOUT PRCA

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body.

We represent more than 35,000 PR professionals in 82 countries worldwide. With offices in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and Buenos Aires, we are a global advocate for excellence in public relations.

Our mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. We champion – and enforce – professional standards around the world through our Professional Charter and Code of Conduct. The Code compels members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice.

We deliver exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking, and development opportunities.

We also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) – the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LG Comms – the UK’s national body for local government communicators. Additionally, we support the delivery of the Motor Industry Communicators Association (MICA).

 

ABOUT HAHM SHOUT DOODLE

Hahm Shout Doodle is the industry FIRST MOVER which constantly drives innovation, creating value through communication. Whereas most PR agencies settle for PR 2.0, Hahm Shout Doodle leads the industry with IBC (Integrated Business Communication) that produces real business results.

As a First Mover in the era of Communication 4.0, we aim to become a leader in the communication ecosystem through PR/marketing services, online and offline integrated advertising, and marketing automation platform business. Helping business succeed with integrated communication service, Hahm Shout Doodle is Korea’s leading PR & marketing agency moving the market with communication.

Hahm Shout Doodle boasts professional expertise in each field of business, including strategic planning, operation, design, video production, advertising, etc. to provide optimal solutions for the specific characteristics and circumstances of clients.

Cannes Young Lions PR Competitions to begin in March

/in ,

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has opened three prestigious Cannes Young Lions PR Competitions managed by PRCA UK, PRCA MENA, and PRCA APAC, respectively.

Sponsored by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and in partnership with PRovoke Media, the Cannes Young Lions PR competition celebrates outstanding creativity and recognises excellence among up-and-coming public relations and communications professionals.

Competing teams from across the world enter a pre-selection process in their own country established by their local Cannes Lions representatives. PRCA UK, PRCA MENA, and PRCA APAC will join other associations around the world in hosting regional competitions before the world’s very best young professionals compete for the coveted global prize.

Key registration dates and information can be found on the respective PRCA websites.

– PRCA UK page
– PRCA MENA page
– PRCA APAC page

ICCO will host ‘Cannes Uncovered’ on 8th February to discuss all things Cannes Lions, including tips for this year’s Young Lions entrants, register here.

How does the competition work?
Briefed by a charity or NGO, teams of two – aged 31 years old or younger – will have just 24 hours to shape a PR strategy that demonstrates creative process, connects with the organisation’s brand values, engages with the public, and builds relations with relevant stakeholders. The campaigns will be judged by a selection of local industry experts with the winner of each region awarded the opportunity to compete digitally for the global crown at the Young Lions Marketers Competition 2022. The crowned winner will then have the option of attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022.

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham MPRCA said:

“This is the most prestigious competition for any young person in our industry. My advice to anyone thinking of entering? Be fearless and authentic. This is a wonderful opportunity for a young team to shine on a global stage. Best of luck to all our entrants – the PR world will be watching.”

Visit here for more information about Cannes Lions.

Workplace Mental Wellbeing Audit 2021: Francis Ingham Forward

/in ,

Francis Ignham, PRCA Director General

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), Opinium Research and The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) have published new research on the state of mental health in the UK industry. PRCA Director General Francis Ingham reflects on the findings and shares his own battle with mental health.

I thought long and hard about what to say in this foreword. And after a great deal of hesitation, I reached the conclusion that honesty was best. So here goes…

I have suffered from appalling mental health my whole life. Frequent bouts of depression; destructive and pointless anxiety; an underlying lack of confidence. All of which I’ve hidden from almost everybody.

Why do I say this now having kept quiet about it for decades? Because it would be disingenuous to do otherwise given the content of this report, and given the recommendations it makes, particularly about the need for candour.

Covid threw a powerful spotlight on mental health. I have never before had so many conversations about how people were feeling. And they were honest conversations, not the ‘Oh fine thanks. How about you?’ type. That’s one positive of Covid, and I can’t see it going away.

This report delivers data on where we are, and recommendations on what we should do. Some of its findings -such as nine out of ten practitioners have suffered mental ill health over the past year- are shocking. Others -such as three out of four have found their workplace to be supportive- are very welcome.

The four recommendations are simple, sensible, and sound. You shouldn’t feel guilty because you’re feeling unwell. You definitely should talk about the issue. We need to take better care of ourselves, and for many, that’s about workload. And where hybrid working works well, keep on with it -we’ve certainly embraced it at the PRCA and ICCO: some people like working from an office -cool. Some people like working from home -that’s cool too. Most people like a mix.

For many of us, this has been the most stressful, challenging period of our lives. Many people have been broken by it. Even more have come close to breaking point. But every crisis is a catalyst for change, whether for the better or for the worse. If we embrace the recommendations made here, then that change can definitely be for the better.

ICCO announces new Regional Presidents

/in
ICCO is pleased to announce that five Regional Presidents have been appointed, who will represent the recently formed Regional Boards covering Europe, Americas, Middle East, Africa and Asia.
 
The following candidates were elected by the ICCO Global Board of Management:
 
Europe: Juergen H. Gangoly, Managing Partner, The Skills Group; Vice President, Public Relations Verband Austria (PRVA)
 
Americas: Aaron Kwittken, Global Chairman & CEO, Kwittken; Board Director, PR Council
 
Middle East: Loretta Ahmed, CEO, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, Grayling; Chairman, PRCA MENA
 
Africa: Bridget Von Holdt, Executive Director, Glasshouse Communication Management; representative of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)
 
Asia Pacific: Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media; President, Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI)
 
The Regional Presidents will join the Global Executive Committee, comprised of the Global President, Vice President, Treasurer, immediate Past President, the Regional Presidents, and the Chief Executive.
 
The new structure, announced at the Global ICCO PR Summit in Oxford in September, aims to ensure that all regionals, 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.
 
Commenting on the new structure, ICCO President Maxim Behar said: “All regions from now on will be represented in the ICCO Global Executive Committee. But not only that; elected Regional Presidents are great professional colleagues and widely known PR experts and we do believe that their input into ICCO’s management will be significant. We all look forward to working together to strengthen ICCO’s position as the largest global PR community.”
 
Juergen H. Gangoly, newly appointed Regional President – Europe said: “With ICCO’s new regional structure in Europe, we have the goal to further grow the organisation and make the voice of Europe’s PR industry even more heard by the public. We will intensify ICCO’s relations to European institutions and to partner organisations in the wider communications industry all over Europe. Supporting cross-border co-operation amongst our members from training and educational activities to business and information services will be part of ICCO’s working programme in Europe for the coming years.”
 
Aaron Kwittken, ICCO Regional President – Americas said: “I am looking forward to working with my colleagues around the world to better promote cross-border collaboration and conversation around a compelling point of view on our role in an increasingly digital world without agency borders.”
 
Loretta Ahmed, ICCO Regional President – Middle East said: ““As we continue to evolve our agencies and what we do on behalf of our clients, we must also do so with one eye on the rest of the world. That connection, especially for a region emerging as fast as the Middle East is critical. I’m honoured to be elected President for ICCO in the Middle East. Having lived in the region for four years I continue to see communications consultancies delivering world class campaigns and ICCO provides another platform for recognition on all that the Middle East PR sector is achieving.”
 
Bridget Von Holdt, ICCO Regional President – Africa said: “Africa tends to be the forgotten continent, yet is identified as a focal growth point for so many international companies. As the Regional President, I will use the ICCO platform to position Africa and the agencies represented on the continent as strategic partners, as innovative and of course as the experts within the region.”
 
Nitin Mantri, representing Asia Pacific as Regional President, said: “ICCO has been making giant strides in elevating the public relations profession, and now with the regional bodies there will be greater consistency in communications standards across the world. The aim would be to encourage discussions on the issues facing the industry and sharing the best practices across this region to elevate ICCO’s role in Global public relations.”
 
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, agencies and networks 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 President in Oslo: PR is the most challenging business in the world

/in

“Public relations has been turned on its head, only in the past couple of years and has became the most challenging business in the world”, ICCO President Maxim Behar said at the recent international conference “Oslo PR Talks”. Behar was a keynote speaker at the conference, officially supported by ICCO and PRCA.

“These days to practice public relations is a great challenge and it requires very special qualities from our teams – fast decision making, story telling in a very short and catchy way, but also vision to the future and predictions of what will be the next means of communication. The challenges come mainly from the fact also that the three main elements of public communications – advertising, public relations and digital – are merging very fast and we must prove our place as leaders in the future joint business”, Behar said.

“Oslo PR Talks” is the first conference of its kind organised by the The P World. “We were happy to cooperate with ICCO on this significant project, as we also did earlier this year in Reykjavik, Iceland. Our Oslo participants were very pleased by the motivating keynote speech of Mr. Behar”, said Kosta Petrov, CEO of The PR World.

More than 200 participants joined the event, including speakers Mary Jo Jacoby, US Presidential Adviser; Malena Cutuli, Global Head of Brand of Communications for Shell; Donald Steel, former spokesperson of BBC; John Shields, current Director of Communications of BBC and many others.

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

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

Events

Nothing Found

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria