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New study puts spotlight on state of the European communications industry
The study, run by five leading European universities and sponsored by Ketchum Pleon, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), is conducted annually and is now in its sixth year.
The study examines the current state of the communications industry in Europe and analyses current trends in communication management and makes suggestions for the development of the industry. It is run by professors from the Universities of Leipzig, Amsterdam, Ljubljana, Madrid and Leeds Metropolitan.
The study is based on an international survey of almost 2,200 communication professionals in 42 countries. It is widely recognised as the largest study in the field of strategic communication worldwide.
The study has shown that mobile applications on the social web are seen as important tools to communication professionals, but there is still a long way to go in implementing these in most European organisations. Ethical challenges are more prevalent than ever in the field, but current codes of ethics are seldom used and rated as outdated by many professionals.
Professor Ralph Tench commented: "The study has shown that coping with the digital evolution and linking communication to business strategies are the most important topics to deal with for European communication professionals. Other key points of concern were shown to be: the need to address more audiences and channels with limited resources; how to build and maintain trust with the public and society; explaining the communication function to top management and proving the value of communication; a shortage of up-to-date training and the poor reputation of public relations in society. In terms of social media, the survey reveals a large gap between its perceived importance and its actual rate of implementation."
All the data and analysis is freely available and further details about the research and its findings can be found at www.communicationmonitor.eu.
With members from more than 30 countries, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) is an autonomous organisation that aims to stimulate and promote the knowledge and practice of communication management in Europe. Academic scholars and experienced practitioners work together to advance fundamental and applied research. More information is available at www.euprera.org.