CIPR Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2019
PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS
––
cipr.co.uk
Strong,
resilient,
sustainable.

2
Contents
CIPR Annual Report
2019
Foreword
3
Strategy
5
Building a resilient
community
12
Leading practice
development
7
Advocating
public relations
22
Championing
lifelong learning
18
Financial Report
32
Governance
29

We have defined our
purpose more clearly and
this report highlights our
four key areas of work
President’s foreword
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CIPR Annual Report
2019

We have defined our purpose more clearly than ever before. From the
vantage point of Spring 2020, my presidential year in 2019 already seems
like another world, but perhaps this is all the more reason to reflect on
what we were able to achieve during more normal times.
Our main achievement from my perspective
was agreeing our five-year strategy, involving
elected members, volunteers and the wider
views of our members and stakeholders.
As a result of this work, we have defined our
purpose more clearly than ever before and
this report, divided into the four key areas
of our work, is one of the first tangible results
of that effort.
In January, we produced a client guide for
businesses making use of PR services, and a
recruitment guide for those directly hiring
PR professionals onto their staff teams.
We also carried out and shared interviews
with a number of CEOs and business leaders
talking about the importance of PR to their
organisations. Our public affairs work focused
on ethical communications during the general
election, and we received a government
grant to produce and distribute a series of
videos to SMEs about how to prepare their
organisations for Brexit.
While this was going on, much of our staff
time in 2019 we devoted to preparing for a
major digital transformation project, replacing
most of our existing IT infrastructure with
a new integrated system that will serve our
members and customers better than ever
before. This went live in mid-December 2019
and the benefits it brings will start to become
clear during 2020.
All of this was possible because our members
continued to support our organisation, and
our volunteers worked hard to maintain a busy
programme of events and activities up and
down the country, as well as internationally.
I’d like to thank all of them for making a success
of the past year, particularly the elected
members who have worked closely with me
on our Council and Board of Directors.
Emma Leech
Found.Chart.PR FCIPR
President’s
foreword
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Our strategy will provide
a framework for decisions
in the organisation over
the next five years
5
Strategy
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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6
In 2019, in consultation with members, we developed a new five-year
strategy which outlined the four major roles we play. This document is
structured around those four key areas of our work.
Leading practice development
To ensure that our members have timely
access to the most up-to-date resources to
take forward their professional practice.
Building a resilient community
of practice
To create the best and most valuable
community that practitioners will want to be
a part of and contribute to.
Championing lifelong learning
and the value of chartership
To create a streamlined professional
development pathway focused on Chartered
Practitioner status.
Advocating public relations with
employers, clients and the wider public
To create a better understanding of the
standards and services that public relations
professionals can offer.
How will we deliver our strategy?
The strategy will provide a framework for
decisions in the organisation over the next five
years. Our time and other resources will be
committed towards building the outcomes
that we have identified in our strategy. We will
be more market-led, responding quickly to
changes in the working environment for PR
professionals. We will also be more plan-led,
thinking about medium-term priorities, and
ensuring that work undertaken at any time
produces sustainable benefit for members and
the wider public.
Our Board and Council will provide general
leadership in delivering this strategic direction,
but where possible, decision making will be
devolved. This will require us to change and
adapt our governance and the way our Council
and committees are structured, to ensure that
development projects can be assembled,
drawing together teams of staff and volunteers
as and when needed.
CIPR strategy animation developed to engage members
in our five-year plan.
Strategy
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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We published a new guide
designed to help public
relations professionals
prepare for Brexit
7
Leading practice
development
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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We aim to create a profession that can be sustained in the face of
technological, economic, social and political pressure. Challenges such
as the mental health and wellbeing of practitioners, the development of
a genuinely diverse profession and the sustaining of ethical competence
remain at the core of our work. Consistently high professional standards
assure the integrity of members’ work and advice.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
The biggest national conference
in more than a decade
On 13 November, a sell-out audience of
more than 200 public relations and business
professionals gathered at the British Library
in London for our biggest annual National
Conference in more than a decade.
The Conference, ‘Preparing for the Digital
Future’ – chaired by Rachel Royall Chart.PR
MCIPR – explored the opportunities and
challenges faced by PR professionals in the
face of rapid technological advances.
We published three podcasts recorded from
the sessions, led by Tony Langham (Chief
Executive and co-founder of Lansons),
Peter Cheese (Chief Executive, Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development) and
Dr Stephanie Hare (researcher and broadcaster)
which are all available on Soundcloud.
A range of behind-the-scenes video discussions
with speakers from the day were produced
and can be found on YouTube.
New crisis management & terror
related events guidance
We partnered with the government’s Centre
for the Protection of National Infrastructure
(CPNI) to deliver best practice communications
guidance on the preparation and management
of threats from hostile actors.
The guide features a communications toolkit
designed to help PR professionals mitigate the
harmful effects of a terrorist incident on brand
and business reputation, value and continuity.
It highlights the importance of employing
strategic communications as an effective
measure in helping to deter a terrorist incident
in the first instance.
Leading
practice
development
Rachel Royall, Chair of CIPR Health, and Joanna Blackburn,
Government Digital Services at #CIPRConf19.
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
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BBC Presenter Jeremy Vine celebrates
with CIPR Excellence Awards attendees.
The CIPR presentation in regard to crisis management was amazing.
Dealing with various elements in the realization of a terror situation
and the actions to be taken. It is at this stage you realise the importance
of an action and training plan when dealing with these situations.
Also ownership and delegation of important tasks will be key to success.
All this information was backed up with collateral which was extremely
professional. Thank you for this presentation – very inspiring.
John Hennessy, Club and Operations Manager
St. James’s Hotel and Club
Our #AIinPR panel collaborated with
Southampton Data Science Academy
CIPR’s Artificial Intelligence in PR (AIinPR) panel
issued several research papers and guides on
the use of AI within the profession. In April,
the panel worked with the Southampton Data
Science Academy to publish two new webinars
to help members understand the use of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business
and public relations. Research suggests
currently, 12% of PR skills can be complemented
or replaced by AI and this could increase to as
high as 38% in five years.
The CIPR Excellence Awards
In June, the CIPR Excellence Awards returned,
showcasing diverse talent and the impact the
profession is having on business and society.
The Awards – hosted by BBC Presenter
Jeremy Vine – celebrated the stand-out
agencies, teams and individuals from the last
12 months in front of a packed audience of
more than 600 PR professionals at The HAC’s
Artillery Garden in London.
The awards featured 31 categories, including
two new accolades for ‘Best Use of Influencer
Relations’ and ‘Outstanding New PR
consultancy’.
State of the Profession 2019
PR’s most statistically robust survey was
published in April. For the second year
running this was delivered in partnership with
Chalkstream, an agency with a research
specialism, led by a Chartered PR Practitioner.
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LEADING PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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The report focused on three new areas:
• The numbers of practitioners who
attended a fee-paying school
• Exploring details of professional
qualifications
• The sharp rise in reported mental health
issues from the previous year’s survey.
The report highlighted the continuing lack
of ethnic and social diversity within the
profession. It found more than a quarter (28%)
of the public relations workforce are privately
educated – four times the national average.
These privately-educated PR professionals
secure more senior roles, earning an average
of £13,000 more per year than state-educated
colleagues. 92% of PR professionals described
themselves as white compared to 88% in 2018
and 90% in 2017.
The nature of PR work is identified as
contributing directly to poor mental health
amongst practitioners, according to the report.
More than a fifth (21%) of respondents said
they had a diagnosed mental health condition
and over half (53%) said work contributed
highly to their diagnosis, with unrealistic
deadlines and unsociable hours cited as
common causes.
The report revealed a significant number of
line managers fail to address mental health
concerns when raised by employees.
Almost a quarter (23%) of respondents who
discussed concerns about their mental health
with a manager said that nothing happened as
a result of those conversations.
CBI Leadership Development Day
In October 2019, we partnered with the
Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to
deliver an exclusive leadership programme
workshop for members.
This allowed senior members the opportunity
to better plan and prepare for external changes
that will impact their business success.
This one-day workshop focused on the key
strategic issues that companies and
organisations face in the year ahead, the
challenges and opportunities organisations
may face from political change and how to
better anticipate and manage these risks.
State of the Profession 2019 report.
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
STATEOF THE
PROFESSION
2019#StateOfPR
cipr.co.uk
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‘Influence’ won best Association
Magazine
The PR industry’s premier publication,
Influence, was awarded ‘Best Magazine for
a Professional Association or Membership
Organisation with a circulation of under
20,000’ for the third year running at the
2019 Memcom Awards.
Our exclusive member magazine – delivered
in partnership with Think Publishing – saw off
competition from the likes of the Market
Research Society and the Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development, to claim the
award.
Influence has now won eight accolades since
its inception in 2016. The magazine continues
to resonate with the PR industry, attracting
praise for its brave design and astute ability to
assess contemporary issues through a PR lens.
The Creative Shootout by Launch PR
In January, the Creative Shootout returned.
The event, hosted by Corporate Affiliate
member, Launch PR, celebrates the best
creativity across the public relations and
marketing professions.
Nine agencies were briefed by charity ‘A Plastic
Planet’ and were given four hours to produce
a compelling and creative campaign.
PR agency, Wire, emerged victorious and,
together with their new brief, won support
from discovery and native advertising
platform, Outbrain, broadcast specialist
agency, markettiers4dc, and creative comms
agency, Launch. We were proud to support
The Creative Shootout once again, along with
other associations including CMA and IAB UK.
‘Brexit – A Practical Guide
for Members’
Brexit dominated the political and economic
conversation in the UK during 2019. In February
we published a new guide designed to help
public relations professionals prepare for Brexit.
The guide delivers information relevant to the
profession on matters such as data protection,
copyright law and travel. It also highlights
the role public relations professionals can
play in helping businesses prepare for every
eventuality, particularly if the UK leaves the EU
with no deal.
The practical guidance was published amid
growing political uncertainty, ahead of the
UK’s scheduled exit from the European Union
and alongside our monthly Brexit reports.
Rachael Clamp, Influence Editorial Board and Rob Smith,
Editor of Influence on stage at Memcom 2019.
We published a new
guide designed to
help public relations
professionals prepare
for Brexit
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Our regional and
sectoral groups and
networks provide a
vital platform
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Building a resilient
community
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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CIPR membership provides access to a professional community sharing
ideas, inspiration, encouragement and expertise; enabling members to
learn from and support each other whilst fostering a resilient community.
A culture of sharing and mutual support offers the best prospect for
everyone to respond to challenges such as AI and digital communication.
Our regional and sectoral groups and networks provide a vital platform to
sustain this collaborative culture.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
CIPR Corporate Finance
In 2019, the Corporate Finance group
committed to professional development by
providing ample learning opportunities
through regular lunchtime talks, connecting
members with national and international
speakers.
CIPR East Anglia
In 2019, the East Anglia group hosted their
annual conference, which brought more
than 60 practitioners together to discuss
professionalism in communications, wellbeing,
building brands and influencer marketing.
The group also collaborated with the
Association for Project Management to deliver
a workshop exploring the impact of good
stakeholder engagement. The event hosted
more than thirty communications professionals
and project managers and covered topics
including:
• Planning engagement, identifying risks
and making sure engagement delivers
• Delivering engagement, how to do it,
what to consider and measurement
• Tools and techniques to support change
with effective stakeholder engagement.
Building a
resilient
community
13
CIPR Annual Report
2019
Jenni Field Chart.PR MCIPR talking at the CIPR East Anglia
Best PRactice conference on comms in 2019 beyond.
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CIPR Greater London
The Greater London group shone a light on
the value of PR during London Technology
Week at a gathering of more than 40 people
to discuss whether London is the global centre
of excellence for PR and comms for the
technology industry. Their annual charity pub
quiz also raised £1,000 for iprovision, CIPR’s
benevolent charity.
On World Mental Health Day, the group
proudly collaborated with Birkbeck, University
of London to evaluate ways that PR professionals
can manage a key challenge within the
industry: the ‘always on’ culture which can be
detrimental to our mental health.
CIPR Health
2019 was a productive year for CIPR’s Health
group. Following a relaunch earlier in the year,
the group delivered a skills guide and webinar
aimed at improving the understanding of mental
health and wellbeing amongst practitioners
working in public relations. The skills guide
was endorsed by mental health charity, Mind.
The guidance is designed to help employers
build a working environment that supports
positive mental health and advises practitioners
on how to take care of their mental wellbeing.
The member-only, half-hour webinar features
health experts, professionals in health
communications and those with experiences
of living with a mental health condition,
discussing how to take positive action on
mental health in the profession.
The resources followed the research from the
State of the Profession survey – which revealed
the link between the nature of PR work and
poor mental health amongst practitioners.
The results show that 21% live with a diagnosed
mental health condition whilst almost a quarter
(23%) of respondents who discussed concerns
about their mental health with a manager said
that nothing happened as a result of those
conversations.
CIPR Inside
CIPR Inside group hosted their
#ChangingTheConvo 2019 Conference.
160 Internal Communications practitioners
attended to analyse practical solutions to raise
the credibility of internal communications.
The conference was supported by a new
report – Measurement and ROI for Internal
Communication – in partnership with
the Institute of Internal Communication,
which reveals the importance of internal
communications by encouraging communicators
to demonstrate, by effective measurement,
how they can make a significant impact in their
organisation.
CIPR International
The CIPR International Group continue to have
a wide number of nationalities represented
on their committee, through whom they
published flyers and blogs to all members
(one third of whom are based overseas). They
organised many events on subjects including
fintech, mental health and AI, as well as their
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BUILDING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY
CIPR Annual Report
2019
CIPR Health’s ‘Understanding
Mental Health and Wellbeing’
skills guide was endorsed by Mind.
This guide is worth 5 CPD points
Understanding
Mental Health
and
Wellbeing
Skills Guide
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
–
cipr.co.uk
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annual lecture, given in 2019 by Dr David
Landsman, a former UK Ambassador to
Greece and Director of Tata Ltd. In order to
reach a wider community they have edited
podcasts of all events and promoted these
to members. Due to their large cohort of
members in Africa, the Group supported
professional learning and development in
that continent and developed a new group
in Mauritius, which attracted 20 new CIPR
members on the day of its inauguration.
CIPR Midlands
The new year kicked off with the first ever
#PowerandInfluence Live event debating
the idea that ‘everyone is entitled to PR
representation’.
The group attended the annual Midlands PR
Conference: The Business of Communications.
The conference – hosted at Birmingham City
University – examined the role PR plays to
make organisations effective at engaging with
their audiences, externally, internally and
across the digital landscape.
Mental health played a key role in shaping
the group’s activities in 2019 and in July –
in collaboration with the PRCA – they hosted
the ‘Resilience, Agility and Flexibility in PR’
and ‘Creative Services Mini-Conference’;
an event hosted in response to the current
mental health epidemic our profession faces.
CIPR North East
Our North East group held a successful
#GetChartered Assessment Day with all
attendees achieving chartered status. The group
were also active in advocating the importance
of PR in business for management and strategic
growth at the Newcastle Start Up Week.
CIPR Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland group delivered a
seminar – hosted by Maud Davis – on how to
achieve better client relationships. The event
highlighted the value of PR whilst engaging
with those working in-house and in consultancy.
Later in the year they hosted an event on the
benefits of chartership with CIPR President,
Emma Leech and local Chartered Practitioners.
At the PRide Awards in October Translink,
Northern Ireland’s main public transport
provider, were the big winners of the night,
taking home four Gold Awards for their PR
campaign to launch the country’s first-ever
Rapid Transit Service – Glider.
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Jo Hooper, Founder of the Mad and Sad
Club, gives a lightning-talk at the CIPR Inside
#ChangingTheConvo conference 2019.
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CIPR Not-for-Profit
In June, we relaunched the Not-for-Profit
group – a group which works with charities,
social enterprises, associations and local
government. The group kicked off with a ‘meet
the journalists’ event to equip PR professionals
with skills to engage with reporters.
CIPR Scotland
In September, CIPR Scotland’s Future Leaders
Forum launched ‘Inspiring Future Leaders’, a
series of inspirational and thought-provoking
events where influential communications
industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and other top
professionals shared personal stories and
learnings from their careers.
Alex Aiken, Executive Director of Government
Communications, was the inaugural speaker at
the event in Edinburgh, which was attended
by over 50 young professionals.
CIPR Wessex
CIPR’s Wessex group strengthened
relationships with local universities by hosting
a ‘Meet the Professionals’ event in collaboration
with Bournemouth University; an event which
provided networking opportunities for PR
students with local business owners, agencies
and other CIPR members. They also harnessed
local talent by sponsoring the Universities
‘Best Student Dissertation’ Awards.
Nine members became chartered at the first Chartership
Assessment Day in the North East. The event was hosted
by nesma.
Nine members
achieved chartered
status at the
first Chartership
Assessment Day
in the North East
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Race in PR research
The findings from our State of the Profession
Report 2019 revealed that ethnic diversity
within the PR industry hit a 5-year low – 92%
of PR practitioners described themselves as
white. The industry widely acknowledges that
diverse teams are more creative, insightful and
effective, however, the figures show we are
becoming less diverse year-on-year.
In 2019, CIPR began work – in partnership with
Jungle Green Market Research Agency –
on a qualitative research study conducted with
17 BAME practitioners which explores the
lived experiences of BAME PR professionals.
Commenting on the findings from State of
the Profession, Avril Lee MCIPR, Chair of our
Diversity and Inclusion group commented:
“The PR industry agrees that diversity is
important for attracting the best talent to
bring fresh thinking, creativity and insights into
new audiences, but our actions speak louder
than our words. And our actions are building
a profession of White British public school
alumni; we are less diverse than we’ve been
for the past five years, with 92% of our industry
being White British (compared to 88% in 2015)
and nearly one in three practitioners (28%)
coming from fee-paying schools, compared to
only 16% in 2015.”
DODS Women in Communications
conference and the BME PR Pros
conference
In April 2019, we supported the DODS Women
in Communications Conference to examine the
barriers currently facing female professionals
and future leaders in communications and learn
how to overcome them and raise the visibility
of women as senior leaders in communications.
According to our State of the Profession
research, just over two-thirds (67%) of the
public relations industry is comprised of
women, but the number of women occupying
board and director-level positions remains
stubbornly low.
In November, we supported the inaugural
BME PR Pros conference – ‘Comms in a
Post-Mainstream World’. The sold-out event
provided an opportunity to share knowledge,
reflect on changes within the profession, and
discuss how the profession is evolving with
sessions on ‘Black Twitter’, ‘Reporting Truth
in a Fake News World’ and ‘Why Credibility is
the Real Currency’.
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2019
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Our actions
speak louder than
our words

Maintaining a
competitive
advantage in a rapidly
changing world
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Championing
lifelong learning
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Maintaining a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing world
requires a commitment to lifelong learning. CIPR membership enables
this through MyCPD – an online platform which makes it easy for members
to learn, gather and share resources, book events and record everything
they do to develop themselves. Chartered status is the normal aspiration of
those entering the profession, while many also complete formal qualifications
or training. This learning opens career paths into senior roles both within
the public relations sector and beyond.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
Good Governance Institute’s
Festival of Governance
2019 President Emma Leech addressed the
Good Governance Institute’s ‘Festival of
Governance’ – urging businesses to put
public relations at the heart of strategic
decision making and highlighting the
importance of a highly skilled public relations
professional when key issues arise.
The speech preceded a panel discussion
exploring how public relations can support
governance by strengthening relationships
and challenging leadership. Various high-
profile ethical collapses in 2019 highlighted
the greater need for businesses to prioritise
the role of public relations in corporate
governance.
CPD completions
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
is the route to professionalism in PR. In an
industry that never stands still, CPD enables
practitioners to proactively develop the
knowledge and skills they need to stay relevant.
CPD completions over the past four years:
• 2018/2019 – 2,241
• 2017/2018 – 2,225
• 2016/2017 – 2,280
• 2015/2016 – 1,894
Championing
lifelong
learning
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
CIPR President Emma Leech addressed senior
practitioners at an exclusive Good Governance
Institute event.
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300th Chartered Practitioner
September 2019 saw the 300th public
relations practitioner gain chartered status,
following an assessment day looking at skills,
knowledge and competencies in ethics,
strategy and leadership.
Chartered Practitioner status is the highest
level of professional accreditation in public
relations and our research projects continue
to highlight the career benefits of chartership
for our members.
At the end of 2019, 323 members were
Chartered PR Practitioners.
New Digital Diploma
In April, we launched the CIPR Specialist
Diploma in Digital Communications to equip
PR professionals with a strategic understanding
of social and digital communication.
The Digital Diploma – taught at postgraduate
level – explores social media community and
stakeholder engagement, the legal and ethical
implications of digital communications and the
impact of digital technologies on business and
society.
CIPR qualifications
Each year hundreds of PR practitioners
undertake CIPR professional qualifications to
boost their careers. 2019 saw a 26% increase
in the number of students completing CIPR
qualifications, with 574 students from countries
around the world becoming CIPR qualified.
Students from as far as Kenya and Quatar
came to celebrate their success with family
and friends at our 2019 Graduation Ceremony,
hosted at Ketchum’s Southbank Office in July.
The event was attended by more than 150
guests from around the UK and overseas.
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CHAMPIONING LIFELONG LEARNING
CIPR Annual Report
2019
Paul Howlett-Davy Chart.PR MCIPR
became the CIPR’s 300th Chartered
PR Practitioner.
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New training courses
To support the profession to adapt to new
and existing challenges, as well as strengthen
our training offering, we developed nine new
training courses.
Our State of the Profession survey 2019
identified the changing social and digital
landscape as the biggest challenge facing
the industry, so we focused on providing
more digital and social training courses to
help practitioners improve their technical
and tactical ability.
The survey also highlighted that crisis and
issues management was becoming a more
commonly undertaken activity, so we launched
a new ‘social and digital crisis management’
course.
New training courses in 2019:
• Coding: Essentials for PR
• High performing PR leadership
• Introduction to digital photography
• Introduction to market research
• Introduction to podcasting
• LinkedIn for PR professionals
• Paid media management
• Personal branding masterclass
• Social and digital crisis management
We focused on
providing more digital
and social training
courses to help
practitioners improve
their technical and
tactical ability
21
Delegates on our ‘How to create video content’
course in November 2019.
CHAMPIONING LIFELONG LEARNING
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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22
Collaborating on
common issues and
demonstrating the
value we bring
22
Advocating
public relations
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Employers and clients are the primary beneficiaries of professionalism
in public relations. A key driver behind the growth of professionalism in PR
is the perception that it contributes value to recipients both directly and
indirectly. We actively engage with business and the sectors, collaborating on
common issues and demonstrating the value we bring.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
The Government’s Professional
and Business Services Council
In 2019, we joined the government-sponsored
Professional Business Services Council (PBSC).
Our remit spans across the PBSC Working
Groups with a focus on ‘Skills and inclusion’,
‘Importance of place’ and ‘PBS communications’.
Joining the PBSC provides us with an
opportunity to help shape the future of the
professional business community, represent
the public relations profession and use our
voice to communicate the sector as a global
success story.
DODS Public Affairs conference
In January 2019, DODS invited us to become
an official partner of the Public Affairs
Conference. The conference focused on
delivering public affairs in a changing world
and explored the role of public affairs
professionals having to face increased
uncertainty in their roles related to political,
economic, social and technological insecurity.
Marketing in Construction conference
The construction industry faced a series of
negative headlines in 2018; severe safety
problems, quality issues, executive pay and
high-profile business failures were key
examples which have damaged the sectors’
reputation.
Advocating
public
relations
The conference
focused on delivering
public affairs in a
changing world
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Partnering with the Marketing in Construction
conference enabled us to hear key case studies
from our peers and to reflect on the lessons
learned, and it offered an opportunity to
discuss ways to improve the sector’s reputation.
After the successful conference in February,
our Construction and Property Sector Industry
Group (CAPSIG) were invited to the Marketing
in Construction Summit in February 2020
to present the CIPR’s Crisis Management for
Terror Related Events guidance.
Data Science Foundation’s
Data Science Awards
Together with our AIinPR Panel, we supported
the inaugural Data Science Foundation’s
‘International Data Science Awards’ in Silicon
Valley.
The awards – judged by an esteemed panel
of international experts – recognise excellence
and innovation in data science, artificial
intelligence and advanced analytics.
World Energy Congress
CIPR’s Energy Leadership Platform (ELP)
attended the 24th World Energy Congress
(WEC) in Abu Dhabi this year, where they
spoke on the importance of strategic
public relations to global leaders.The event
followed the signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding between H.E. Eng.
Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi, of the World
Energy Congress, and the CIPR’s former
Deputy CEO, Phil Morgan Chart.PR MCIPR.
The Panel were featured in a discussion on
‘Refuelling the Talent Pipeline: The energy
professional of the future’ which concluded the
importance of communication and that public
engagement is central to the future of the
energy industry. The discussion highlighted the
growing relevance of “soft skills” within the
energy sector and the value of public relations
in delivering and communicating social value,
particularly on issues such as climate change
and talent retention and attraction.
H.E. Eng. Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi,
of the World Energy Congress, signing a
Memorandum of Understanding with the CIPR.
24
ADVOCATING PUBLIC RELATIONS
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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The Times Higher Education
Conference
We were represented by President, Emma
Leech, at the Times Higher Education (THE)
Conference in July. During the conference,
Emma sat on a panel reflecting the important
role PR plays in a period of heightened
challenge for the higher education sector.
In the discussion, she highlighted the key role
marketing plays in ensuring universities can
continue to compete for students.
This challenge offers higher education an
opportunity to focus on its core strengths:
the quality of student experience and the
authentic personalised approach – public
relations can play a key role in securing this.
Call to NHS leaders to value
and protect PR Comms
In January 2019, our Health group published
an open letter welcoming the focus on public
engagement in NHS England’s published
‘Long Term Plan’. The group called for
“consistent, open and transparent conversations
that help to drive improvement and address
the real issues that affect our communities”.
In the letter, the group advocated the value of
public relations by highlighting the importance
of our relationships with the public. To sustain
and strengthen these relationships we must
engage “communication teams from the
beginning in the development of their plans.”
The Cairncross review
We welcomed a proposal to create a new
Institute for Public Interest News to protect
high-quality journalism and prevent the
collapse of the local news industry.
The Cairncross Review report warned that a
lack of resource for investigative journalism
and democracy reporting, covering
discussions at local councils and magistrate
courts, poses a threat to the long-term
sustainability of democracy.
The recommendations suggest the new
Institute could operate similarly to the Arts
Council by conducting research, building
partnerships with universities and improving
accessibility and readership of quality online
news.
25
CIPR Annual Report
2019
The work delivered by
your communications
and PR teams should be
valued, and truly be at
the heart of the planning,
implementation and
delivery of the NHS Long
Term Plan
CIPR Health Group
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DCMS call to tackle fake news
In February 2019 we welcomed a Department
for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
report on tackling fake news. The report
concluded the fabric of democracy is
threatened by disinformation and data misuse
and called for a mandatory Code of Ethics for
social media companies to be enforced by an
independent regulator.
President Emma Leech welcomed the report
declaring “Fake news and disinformation have
far-reaching consequences for our industry
and wider society. We should be bold in our
condemnation of these tactics.”
Lords report on regulation in the
digital world
We welcomed a House of Lords Select
Committee on Communications report, calling
for greater regulation of tech companies to
be overseen by a new, overarching regulatory
framework.
The ‘Regulating in a Digital World’ report –
published in March – calls for a new Digital
Authority to regulate the digital environment.
It points to the failures of self-regulation by
big tech companies, as well as “out of date”
regulatory mechanisms which, it argues, have
failed to recognise the increased role digital
plays in society.
The Digital Authority, to be overseen by a new
joint committee of both Houses of Parliament,
would be guided by 10 principles. These are
designed to make “the internet a better, more
respectful environment which is beneficial
to all”. They include ensuring businesses are
open to scrutiny, that the internet remains
open to innovation and competition and that
ethical consideration puts users and society at
the centre of services.
Government paper to tackle
online harms
We responded to a joint Department for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Home
Office report calling for an independent body
to regulate digital companies, with powers to
impose fines on those that breach their duty
of care.
The Paper calls for digital companies to
outline measures they are taking to ensure
a duty of care, through signing up to a code
of practice as well as a series of proposals to
tackle the prevalence of harmful content,
including “false or misleading information”.
These measures include social media
companies having to submit annual
‘transparency reports’ report on the levels of
this content on their platforms.
Designed to make
the internet a
better, more respectful
environment
26
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Call to respect Wikipedia rules
We called on creative professionals to respect
the rules of Wikipedia, after it emerged that
an advertising agency working on behalf of
North Face edited photos on the company’s
Wikipedia page. We worked with Wikipedia
to provide guidelines for practitioners on
engaging with the Wikipedia community.
The guidance – first published in 2012 –
has become the global standard for brands
and organisations working with Wikipedia.
Oxfam’s approach to reputation
management
We echoed the concerns raised by the Chair
of the Charity Commission about the conduct
of Oxfam in their handling of allegations
against members of staff operating in Haiti.
The Charity Commission report says that
senior executives believed that encouraging
and facilitating the resignation of the Country
Director was the best way manage the
reputational risk to the organisation and
minimise the disruption to its humanitarian
programmes, instead of making them subject
to formal disciplinary procedures.
CIPR AI in PR Panel –
Public Standards Review
Our Artificial Intelligence (#AIinPR) Panel
called on the government to prioritise data
privacy, claiming it is vital that the public is
made aware of how their data can be used
to power AI-enabled services. In a written
response to the Committee on Standards in
Public Life’s AI and Public Standards Review,
the Panel urged the government to adopt
a best-practice approach to data privacy,
by ensuring all public sector contracts were
only awarded to businesses that meet public
standards on data and artificial intelligence.
Preparing for a no-deal Brexit
In the summer we launched a series of short
videos and supporting infographics advising
businesses on communicating effectively
in advance of a potential no-deal Brexit.
The initiative was financed by the government’s
Business Readiness Fund.
The 13 videos featured public relations
practitioners providing advice for small and
medium-sized PR agencies as well as small
businesses across a range of sectors, to support
PR professionals with the basic details to ensure
they operate in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
No-deal Brexit video series aimed at small
and medium sized businesses.
27
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2019
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Recruiting for PR roles
We launched a new Client Advisor Service to
guide businesses through the process of hiring
public relations support.
The service connects businesses considering
hiring PR staff or agencies with experienced
CIPR Client Advisors. The Advisors –
all of whom are Chartered PR Practitioners –
can help businesses identify their needs and
provide support by preparing job descriptions
or briefs and joining interviews or pitch panels.
The service coincided with the launch of two
new CIPR guides sharing best practice advice
on how to recruit PR staff and select PR
agencies. The guides promote the breadth
of public relations’ capabilities and feature
practical advice and case studies.
‘Recruiting for public relations roles’ –
produced in partnership with Reuben Sinclair
– offers advice on how to conduct a successful
recruitment process when hiring in-house PR
staff. It features information on average
salaries and what to include in a job description.
‘A guide to selecting PR agencies and
independent practitioners’ shares insight on
how to prepare a brief and invite pitches from
PR consultancies.
PR Pays
Launched in 2018, our #PRpays campaign
aims to highlight the strategic value of public
relations to the business community through
a series of exclusive video interviews
with senior business leaders. The interviews
showcase how public relations contributes
to organisational success. The campaign
seeks to shift perceptions of PR from a tactical
offering to a strategic discipline.
The #PRPays video playlist can be found here.
Vicki Davis, CEO, Danske Bank speaks to us
as part of our #PRPays campaign series.
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CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Representing the
members and
upholding our charter
29
Governance
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Board of Directors
All acts undertaken by the officers and staff
of the Institute were in the name of, and with
the authority of, the Board of Directors.
The Board met six times over the year and
focused on the overall strategy for the Institute.
Day-to-day responsibility was delegated to the
Standing Committees and Chief Executive.
Council
Council’s role is to debate important points
of strategy or principle, to provide guidance
and perspective to the Board of Directors,
and to raise issues of concern for the Board of
Directors to pursue. Council met five times
over the year.
Standing committees
In 2020, we will create the new Coordinating
Committee with the purpose of overseeing
the delivery of the 2020 CIPR workplan and its
associated projects.
Increased flexibility and resilience
Following our move from Russell Square in late
2018, our income fell as a result of no longer
having subtenants and room hire. Expenditure
likewise fell as budgeted, due to reduced
property costs. We had one-off redundancy
and recruitment costs in the first half of the
year as we restructured the staff team to meet
changing operational requirements.
The move from Russell Square has increased
our flexibility and resilience, allowing us to
invest more in our services. It has also enabled
us to invest in new IT infrastructure, which
went live in the middle of December 2019.
This infrastructure will ensure that staff are
able to work entirely remotely, that members
can communicate directly with each other and
form groups of interest on their own, and that
our website and database are fully integrated
– providing a more personalised and digitised
membership experience.
We anticipated that membership income
would fall in 2019 as Brexit uncertainty caused
organisations to delay their commitment to
renew, and this indeed proved to be the case.
The Awarding Body (qualifications) performed
well, and the apparent drop in income shown
in these accounts arises from moving
Chartership and Client Services into a different
accounting line this year. Training income
increased in another healthy year of growth.
While revenue for the Excellence Awards grew,
PRide income reduced, although in line with
its normal cyclical pattern. Income raised
independently by our national, regional and
sector groups remained steady year on year.
While the Institute’s reserves have grown for
the last three years, the Board recognises the
importance of strengthening them rapidly.
The budget for 2020 therefore provided for
a surplus of £145,000, although in the light of
the COVID crisis this will not be achieved.
Governance
30
The move out
of Russell Square
has increased
our flexibility
and resilience,
allowing us
to invest more
in our services
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Thank you to the volunteers who led the organisation in 2019:
2019 Board of Directors
Stuart Bruce
Lindsey Collumbell
Shirley Collyer
(appointed 24 January 2019)
Jenni Field
(President 2020)
Sarah Waddington
(President 2018)
Ronke Lawal
Avril Lee
(appointed 24 January 2019)
Emma Leech
(President 2019)
Eva Maclaine
Mandy Pearse
(President 2021)
Steve Shepperson-Smith
31
GOVERNANCE
2019 Council
Andrew Bartlett
Paul Beckford
Michael Blowers
Nicola Brown
Lindsey Collumbell
Jenni Field
Daniel Gerrella
Andy Green
Sarah Waddington
Peter Holt
Laurian Hubbard
Hayley James
Shamma Kelly
Avril Lee
Emma Leech
Trudy Lewis
Clare Parker
Mandy Pearse
Chris Pollock
Rachel Royall
Deb Sharratt
Kerry Sheehan
Jenifer Stirton
Andras Sztaniszlav
Chris Taylor
Gary Taylor
Alison Tobin
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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CIPR audited
accounts for 2019
32
Financial Report
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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Financial
report Financial report
Our audited accounts for 2019 were issued in May 2020 and can be found here.
2019 2018 2017
Income £4,167,924 £4,324,570 £4,308,187
Pre-tax expenditure £4,121,837 £4,293,254 £4,157,725
of which staff costs £1,419,518 £1,339,907 £1,270,216
Pre-tax surplus £46,087 £31,316 £150,462
CIPR Annual Report
2019
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CIPR Annual Report 2019

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CIPR Annual Report 2019