PRCA MENA’s ‘Value in PR’ Report: From navigating reputation and crisis to financial trends in the MENA region

The Public Relations and Communications Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) has released its ‘Value in PR’ report during the PRCA MENA Digital Awards and Conference 2023 in Riyadh, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Public Relations (PR) landscape in the region. This report is a resource for professionals in the industry, revealing the evolving role, significance, and financial trends of PR in MENA.

The report states that professionals in the region recognise PR as a strategic tool for managing an organisation’s image and navigating crisis situations. Notably, 36% of respondents emphasise reputation-building, while 31% prioritise crisis management. The study highlights the dynamic nature of PR, encompassing both proactive reputation building and reactive crisis management.

In the digital age, the report emphasises the importance of social media and online communications in shaping modern PR strategies. A significant portion of respondents (41%) believes that the rise of social media and online communications has made PR more important than ever. This shift is reflected in budget allocations, with ‘digital marketing’ being the most selected area for budget reallocation (34%).

The ‘Value in PR’ also provides insights into financial trends in the MENA region. It indicates that over the past 12 months, 44% of respondents reported a slight increase in their company’s PR spend, with 34% reporting a substantial increase.

The report was conducted by YouGov on behalf of PRCA MENA and surveyed 714 respondents from 11 different MENA markets. The survey took place from 6th June to 10th July 2023 and encompassed professionals from various industries and companies, with a designation of Manager or higher, who have used PR agencies in the past two years.

Other key findings:

• 36% of professionals in the MENA region perceive PR as a strategic tool for reputation-building.
• 48% believe it is extremely important for businesses and organizations to invest in PR.
• 66% of respondents are using a single PR agency, while 34% are using multiple agencies.
• 43% expect PR spending to increase a little over the next year, and 33% expect a significant increase.