Research released by new business agency Ingenuity has revealed that 73% of UK agency leaders consider media coverage to be effective in their business, yet only 28% consider PR crucial for business development. Ingenuity surveyed 150 C-suite leaders at agencies across the UK for its latest quarterly insight report, in an aim to understand what’s driving this disconnect.
While many agencies offer services in PR, they often overlook it as a business requirement for themselves. Almost one in ten agency leaders admit they don’t have a PR strategy, and among those that do, only 20% believe their PR strategy is directly aligned to their business development efforts. Other barriers to reaping the benefits of PR include the need to resource budget (28%), a lack of understanding its benefits (36%), and not having the time to resource and properly consider PR (37%).
In contrast, 95% of the agency leaders that use PR also use media coverage to support their marketing and sales collateral, and 74% would advocate using PR to their peers at other agencies.
They also find the value in PR through building the agency profile (41%), as a hook for new business (36%), and getting published where their dream clients already consume content (28%).
These figures demonstrate the gap between the value delivered by PR and the recognition of it as a business tool. With three quarters of business leaders recognising media coverage as crucial for lead generation, the appetite for an integrated PR strategy is there – just perhaps not recognised in its current guise. This gives those working in the PR industry an opportunity to educate colleagues and prospective clients on the value of PR and what it can add to an organisation.
Jessie McLaren-Webb, Director of Communications for Ingenuity, said:“It is clear there is a great misunderstanding amongst agency leaders about the power of PR and how it plays a crucial role in business strategy and development. A strategic approach to PR can have a huge impact on the performance of an organisation, and it is integral to a successful agency ecosystem.”
Kelly Kenyon-Brown, Business Director at Ingenuity added: “These findings tell a crystal-clear story. Effective PR coverage and its subsequent amplification should be recognised as a key component in driving growth. By implementing a well-crafted sales and marketing plan that seamlessly integrates PR, content, and business development, agencies will be in the best possible position to capture prospects’ attention and compel them to take action.”
