Q&R’s PR AGENCY PULSE CHECK™ SHOWS SLOW UPTAKE OF ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE PRACTICES IN CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES
January 28th 2015: Question & Retain (Q&R) recently pulse checked 600 + PR Agency CEO’s and MDs for their views on how ethical and responsible practices were featuring in their client’s communications strategies.
Worryingly, only a third claimed their clients were actively incorporating ethical & responsible practices into their communications activities. 39% said that only a small number of their clients were adopting this approach with 26% saying none of their clients were prioritising this at all.
One respondent observed, “They might say they are but most only pay lip service,” with another suggesting this remains a “nice to have rather than an essential necessity in business.” One other respondent noted, “It’s not something they ever discuss,” while another senior director commented, “We have some clients in the public sector and they are minded to ensure that any work adheres to ethical policies of their organisation as part of the buying process.”
Annabel Dunstan, Co-Founder at Question & Retain added, “It’s interesting to see how companies are responding to external pressures that encourage them to be more ethical and responsible. The results from our Pulse Check™ would imply we still have some way to go in helping clients articulate their ethical and responsible practices. This in turn presents itself as an attractive organic growth opportunity for any discerning account lead on the Agency side.”
The Pulse Check™ was conducted between 23rd-26th January 2015.
See coverage in PR Week at:http://www.prweek.com/article/1331319/pr-clients-not-promote-ethical-practices-says-question-retain-survey