ICCO Summit, Portugal, 2011
The ICCO Global Summit is a gathering of senior executives from PR companies across the world. The two day event, held every two years, is designed to provide delegates with top line views of key industry trends in all major regions, and this year, speakers, including the CEOs of some of the largest global agency groups covered topics like gaining and retaining a voice in the C-Suite; talent development; what a PR agency will be like in 5 years; the threat from other marketing functions, especially in the digital space and the opportunities opening up in so-called emerging markets.
Although perhaps somewhat repetitive in relation to the key challenges – especially the challenges from and within emerging markets – the presentations indicated, to this observer at least, just how insecure PR agencies are feeling about their roles. Lord Chadlington, owner of Huntsworth, admitted that if he were a company looking for a PR agency to hire in Asia, he wouldn’t include his own agencies on the short list – lacking expertise/knowledge and value! Tweet traffic rose pretty sharp-ish as he said that…
From a measurement perspective, it was really rather depressing to see any real focus on delivering accountability through analytics and measurement. Only one presentation from amongst around a dozen (by Rob Flaherty of Ketchum – and one of our most valued clients) included any mention of analytics to support the PR profession’s accountability and effectiveness. On the other hand, the two workshops on measurement (specifically focused on ROI) that I ran at the Summit were very well attended indeed. Using the AMEC Valid Metrics grids to illustrate how to calculate financial and non-financial ROI indicators, it was gratifying to see the audience reacting positively and intelligently.
Increasingly, I am convinced that the measurement business’s key priority must be to educate, educate, educate. If PR agencies don’t begin to see measurement as an aid to their business rather than as a threat, no matter how many speeches are given bemoaning the lack of presence in the C-suite, they will be forever doomed to be perceived as those guys who take people out to lunch. The lively debate and close attention from the Summit workshop attendees showed how important some agencies take this issue – shame their CEOs aren’t taking more of a stand to show their commitment to improving the PR industry’s professionalism.
I’m presenting in South Africa next month, and will be very interested to compare the discussions amongst agencies and clients in that environment in contrast to the perhaps rather sterile debate in Portugal.
