Print media continues to retain its supremacy as the most preferred channel among public relations (PR) professionals in Sri Lanka over other channels online, social media, TV/radio, and others, reveals a survey by the Asia Pacific branch of the world’s largest professional PR body- the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

The survey carried out with the view of understanding and informing on the state of the PR industry in Sri Lanka has found that 84 per cent of PR practitioners preferred the print media which is one of the oldest means of disseminating information. It is a popular form of advertising that uses physically printed media.

This comes as the second survey, following the first one on October 2022. The respondents once again cited the PR industry as being highly competitive with its own challenges, and one fourth shared positive sentiments that it has improved. When asked about which channels the agencies were promoting, online (90pct) dominated the list however this was closely followed by print (87pct), social media (71pct), TV/radio (50pct), community and outreach (23pct), and outdoor (13pct), PRCA board member and communications expert Thanzyl Thajudeen said.

Nearly 80pct of the respondents cited clients engaged mostly with routine PR activities followed by an equal weighing towards reputation building, brand positioning and product communications (65pct), with only 34pct on crisis response mitigation, followed by executive communications (25pct), internal communications (22pct), and ESG, DEI related (19pct).

However, their clients are also increasingly requesting for crisis response PR strategies (84pct) and internal communications (81pct), including ESG and DEI related activities and executive communications. These areas are a key highlight for 2024 and years to come in Sri Lanka, and agencies will need to gear up to bridge skills gaps to be counsel ready.

Respondents stressed the following learning areas to get through 2024, with 69pct rating social intelligence, followed very closely by analytics, DEI, ESG, AI, storytelling, and domain specific knowledge.

Proving the PR value to clients continue to be the most pressing challenge in the PR industry (56pct), followed by client acquisition and talent retention (47pct), and securing coverage and exposure (31pct). The diminishing budgets among clients allocated for PR is the biggest challenge (81pct), followed by payment delays (60pct), and skills gap (41pct). The challenges their clients were facing include external and economic pressures (68pct), budget cuts (65pct), retaining talent (55pct), proving ROI to their leadership (52pct) and finding customers and markets (39pct).

Mental wellness in the PR industry should be a key priority. Over a two-third surveyed had mixed thoughts on this, and positively nearly half of them said they had a well-balanced approached. However, two-third of the respondents cited having experienced poor mental health at some point in 2023. Many stressed that they had to work long hours (29pct) and also often during weekends (29pct).

Learning (66pct) followed by agency reputation (62pct) was cited as why they work where they work, followed by networking, compensation, and job mobility. 29 out of 32 respondents said they had received training at some point, and a majority of them (83pct) have networked with other peers in the industry in the last twelve months. Self-learning (84pct) continues to lead, followed by on-the-job training, workshops, events, and related qualifications.

Over 80pct stressed that the PR industry needs to work more on knowledge sharing. This was followed talent and capacity building (65pct), collaboration and partnerships (62pct), networking, and uplifting its ethical standards.

Many PR agency leaders and executives commented that a shift towards digital channels is crucial but it should come with the required literacy and ethical framework, and concerns on the widening skills and knowledge gap between experienced PR professionals and freshers need to be addressed, including advocating as a whole on the long-term impact and investment of PR among clients. Some also suggested that social and behavioral research, data-driven skills, transparency in communications, agility and collaboration, tech integration, and continuous learning are paramount to stay ahead in delivering impactful and resonating communications.