European Communication Monitor: a 15-year retrospective
The European Communication Monitor provides insights for public relations practice on issues such as trust, management and inclusivity - and a signpost to how practitioners should develop future skills.
I had the opportunity to join a European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) webinar last week hosted by Prof Dr Anca Anton with Prof Dr Ralph Tench and Prof Dr Dejan Verčič, two of the lead researchers from the European Communication Monitor (ECM) team.
The session was a retrospective of ECM, exploring insights from the project conducted for 15 years across nearly 50 European countries. It is the longest-running research project in the public relations industry that explores the relationship between management and public relations practice.
As someone who bridges management and public relations research and practice, my contribution to the discussion was to provide a critical analysis of the project and comment on the relevance of its outcomes to practitioners.
A potential limitation of the ECM project is its focus on a practitioner audience. Testing aspects of the theory developed by the ECM team, particularly with a management audience, may form part of my future PhD research.
Trust as a constant
A constant of the ECM project introduced by Tench was the concept of trust. It has been a steadfast concern for communicators and public relations practitioners since 2007. "It peaked with its most relevance in 2018," he said.
It is no surprise. Trust is fundamental to relationship management and reputation. It is critical for developing long-term relationships with stakeholders and public engagement. It is integral to effective public relations, ensuring organisational communication is credible and organisations can achieve their objectives.
Integrating strategy and communication
Tench emphasised this point, citing the growing recognition by practitioners of the opportunity to contribute to organisational management planning and decision-making. The link between business strategy and communication has been a theme of ECM for more than a decade.
A related insight was the interest in sustainability and social responsibility. It has re-emerged as a critical concern in recent years.
"These issues are on the rise. It is probably no surprise at all bearing in mind the worldwide landscape," said Tench, recognising the mounting pressures organisations face regarding environmental and societal issues.
Digitalisation and data
The webinar examined the issue of digitalisation and big data, marking a shift toward a more data-driven public relations practice.
AI is not a new concept. "Big data and algorithms have been a part of our discussions since 2016. In this sense communications practitioners have been future focussed," said Tench.
Dejan Verčič developed this theme, focusing on the changing competencies required for public relations practitioners as a result of technological advancements.
"Technology is changing the game," Verčič stated, urging practitioners to be at the forefront of these shifts to maintain relevance and leadership.
Verčič developed the discussion, examining the evolving nature of audiences in today's hyper-connected world, stressing the need for communicators to adapt swiftly.
"We should be able to be much faster and understand how these different audiences communicate directly between themselves," he emphasised, highlighting the importance of agility in audience engagement.
Empathic leadership and inclusive teams
Reflecting on leadership within organisations, Tench presented the emergence of empathic leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He described empathic leaders as those who truly understand and feel for others' perspectives, a trait that is becoming more prevalent.
But he cautioned, "we must, as an industry, work harder to embrace and actively endorse equality, diversity, inclusion." Positive change is happening, but there is more work to be done.
Relationships to counter for disinformation and misinformation
Finally, Verčič emphasised the importance of the relationship perspective of public relations in management. He said this is an opportunity for practitioners to take a leadership role within organisations and society.
“New ways of creating misinformation and distrust are appearing, building relationships in this context is a new challenge,” he said.
Tench and Verčič underscored the need for public relations practitioners to critically assess personal competencies, embrace technological advancements, and uphold ethical standards in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It's a call for the industry to respond to change and lead it proactively.
The long-range insights shared by ECM provide an important signpost for practitioners seeking to future proof their skills.
