PRBI barometer: even more clients are expecting agencies to show ROI

        According to the recently launched PRBI barometer many clients have recognized a growing need for asking ROI from agency services they are buying. The agency owners see also a correlation between a monetary value of their service and client’s communication budget: the clients are willing to pay more, if the agency can prove strategic…

According to the recently launched PRBI barometer many clients have recognized a growing need for asking ROI from agency services they are buying. The agency owners see also a correlation between a monetary value of their service and client’s communication budget: the clients are willing to pay more, if the agency can prove strategic influence of their work.

PRBI barometer is based on the answers from agency owners across the globe, who belong to the international PR network called PR Boutiques International. The answers were collected from 30 PRBI agencies through the world. Brunnen Communications is a proud member of PRBI representing Finland and Northern Europe.

According to the barometer altogether 50% of the answerers estimate that PR service demand will increase in 2021. The other 50% see that budgets stay at the same level as in the previous year 2020.

The target of the international PRBI barometer is to help clients to see in which PR services are being invested and what do the decision-makers exptect from the agencies. For those clients who are considering to buy PR services, the barometer helps them to figure out the most critical competence areas where the client shall need to invest more.

The PRBI barometer als shows that clients see media relations (70% of the answerers) and strategic consultancy (65%) as the most important services they need from the agencies. After that come social media consultancy (39%), content management (30%) and crisis communication (22%). The clients are more eager to tight the service they buy to the measurable targets, but most of the clients are not familiar to ask ROI from the agencies so far.

”The only way to prove PR’s strategic role in leading the company successfully is to connect it to the strategic business aims. In all situations, agency should find those activities from its service portfolio which most evidently help client to reach its business target. This means that the agency cannot do only what the client wants, but what the client needs. Everybody knows that work load in a PR department never ends, so the use of the right strategic metrics helps client and agency to focus on the most relevant activities”, states Taru Nikulainen, Managing Director of Brunnen Communications.

PR Boutiques International is a global network of founder-led agencies from over 40 countries in 5 continents. PRBI members are recognised as fresh perspectives informed by deep levels of experience, an unusually high level of access to senior consultation, and a scalable consideration of client’s unique communication and budgetary specifications.

The next PRBI barometer will be published in early 2022.

This article has been corrected December 7th, 2021. The next PRBI barometer will be published in early 2022, not in the summer 2021.