Chartered Institute of Public Relations Annual Review 2009
Annual Review 2009
AT THE HEART OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSION
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Annual Review 2009
2009 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS GUIDELINES and case studies on Communicating with Children were produced
LAUNCH of CIPR Member Survey ‘The State of the PR profession’
6%INCREASE in membership admissions
28 Chartered Practitioners in December 2009
LAUNCH 40 approved
of Internal Communication Certificate
CENTRE FOR LEARNING launched in September
undergraduate and postgraduate courses
£3 MILLION of new business referred to members through Matchmaker
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The CIPR AGM will take place on 15 June, 6pm at the CIPR Public Relations Centre, 52-53 Russell Square, London, WC1B 4HP. Guest speaker, Matt Tee MCIPR, Permanent Secretary for Government Communication, will be talking on the current and future challenges for government communications. All members are invited. If you would like to attend or have matters to raise please notify Ying Couper at pa@cipr.co.uk The full agenda is on the CIPR website at www.cipr.co.uk The CIPR accounts are available in full online at www.cipr.co.uk
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Annual Review 2009
2009 OVERVIEW PRESIDENT’S VIEW Well that was quite a year. We made some significant strides, and we faced up to some significant challenges. We increased our share of market voice, but found ourselves talking about some difficult issues. And as the PR industry rose to the task of delivering results in a harsh economic climate, we dealt with a harsh economic outlook of our own. The year began quite calmly. We set out with a theme to make membership meaningful and to work hard to reconnect the CIPR with the heart of its membership in the regions and sectors. We unveiled a new member resource – the PR Means Business website – and secured a deal with the nearby club One Alfred Place that gives all our members free social membership and use of the bar and restaurant at the club after 5.30pm on weekday evenings. In addition, we entered into a corporate governance review to sharpen our processes and procedures and to make the most of the valuable advice we were getting from our auditors, Chantrey Vellacott. But as the year progressed, and negotiations on the dilapidations charge for our former home in St James’s Square neared a conclusion, the full implications of the last minute change of ownership and therefore landlord at St James’s became clear. The net result is in our accounts, and we quickly faced up to the fact that, with the difficult trading conditions we were facing, the CIPR was on course to record a significant loss. We went public on the likely financial outcome early in the process. We emailed all members and proactively informed PRWeek. We faced difficult questions from the media, from Council, from bloggers and from the membership. We chose complete transparency and elected to answer every questioner with as much detail and information as possible. I am proud of the effort we put into our communications. Hindsight has 20:20 vision and there are things I would now do differently. But throughout the property process, I firmly believe that every decision that was taken was the right one with the information available at the time. Indeed, the vast majority of those decisions I would not change even with the benefit of hindsight. We went through all this at a time when our Director General, Colin Farrington, was undergoing a period of extended illness. We were very pleased to hear from Colin that he has recovered but – as I am sure you are aware – his time at our helm has now come to an end. During an 11-year term as DG, Colin oversaw a period of great change, growth and progress – including the award of the Institute’s Chartered status. We thank him for his contribution, and wish him well for the future. In his absence, Deputy Director General Ann Mealor rose to the challenge and was a great source of strength as your Executive Board began to put in place a plan to ensure a sustainable future for the Institute. I would like to thank all of my Board and Council colleagues for the time and commitment they are making to our future success. A word of praise too for the dedicated CIPR staff who have made personal and financial sacrifices. Your contribution is truly valued.
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Annual Review 2009 Despite all these challenges, the year deserves to be remembered not simply for the financial issues or any of the other slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. It deserves to be remembered for two lasting legacies. Firstly, we secured our future on a long-tem lease at favourable rates with a stable landlord in an ideal location. Our headquarters in Russell Square is a fit for purpose building that will serve the CIPR well in the coming years. But perhaps even more importantly, the year also saw the creation of our first ever cohort of Chartered Practitioners. My thanks to the team who helped see this project through to its conclusion and my congratulations to our inaugural recipients who demonstrated their skills and strategic thinking through a challenging qualifications process. Individual Chartered status is a major milestone in our profession’s history, and a significant contribution to my stated desire to make membership meaningful. In the coming years, I believe that CIPR membership and Chartered Practitioner Status will become the norm for all the leaders of our profession and for all those who aspire to be the leaders of tomorrow. I have great confidence in the leadership skills and strategic focus of your 2010 President Jay O’Connor and I am convinced that the future for our profession and our Institute remains strong. Despite the challenges of the past year, the CIPR is well placed to be at the heart of our industry’s success and to provide influence and insight to its direction and development.
Kevin Taylor FCIPR CIPR President 2009
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Annual Review 2009
ACTING DIRECTOR GENERAL’S VIEW 2009 was a difficult year for the Institute. We suffered exceptional propertyrelated relocation costs and our trading saw a downturn in the autumn. However, member subscriptions held up well as did our Excellence Awards programme, both showing growth on the previous year. Our loss for 2009 – of £580k – is substantial. However, it is less than the originally anticipated £700k due to the swift action taken to cut costs. Reductions were made to staff salaries and pensions, and activities that were not a priority were cut. The results of these actions will be seen in 2010 in lower costs and further benefit should follow through to 2011. I am grateful for the effort of everyone who helped us achieve these savings while we continue to invest in and maintain our services to members. At the heart of this loss are the property costs around our move from St James’s Square to Russell Square. The circumstances around our move, including Serious Fraud Office investigations into our previous landlord who gave us notice to quit, have been widely reported. However, the move left us with £308k of exceptional costs and we faced a further £205k of rent payments due to overlapping occupancy. On the positive side, as a result of the rent free period our cash flow remained strong throughout 2009 and continues to remain so. We now have, in Russell Square, a building that is accessible, fit for purpose and will allow us to expand our training and qualifications programme when the market is right. The newly established CIPR Centre for Learning, which delivers our qualifications out of Russell Square, has proved to be very successful and is becoming increasingly popular with students. We are determined to make our building work hard for us and are already sharing some of our space with the British Promotional Merchandise Association. The other reason for our loss was a downturn in key activity areas such as qualifications and training due to the recession. However, as we enter this new year, early indications are that trading conditions have improved. We have our 2010-2012 Strategic Plan in place, costs are being closely monitored and we are reviewing the structure of our organisation in order to ensure it best fits the needs of our members and the profession. We are streamlining processes and ensuring efficient operations are in order to deliver our 2010 plan to budget. Membership remains buoyant. Our goal is to produce a surplus for this year in order to build up our reserves. I would like to thank my CIPR colleagues and Executive Board members for their commitment and support in reshaping the Institute to face the challenges ahead.
Ann Mealor FCIPR Acting Director General
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Annual Review 2009
EXTENDING OUR REACH Throughout 2009 the CIPR has engaged with members, government and other stakeholders to address issues relating to professional standards and to improve the reputation of the PR profession.
OUR MEMBERSHIP Our membership continued to grow across 2009, with improved levels of retention and a 6% increase in membership admissions. We concentrated very much this year on supporting our members in tough times – helping them demonstrate their professionalism, raise their standards, work smarter and make their budgets go further. In 2010 we’ll be focusing on engaging with our members and listening to their needs and expectations to make sure we are delivering world class member services and resources. We’ll be developing the future of our Institute and strengthening our voice by widening our membership to ensure we are representing, and representative of, the whole PR community. CIPR membership by nation/region (at December 2009) Channel Islands Cymru Wales East Anglia Greater London Home Counties South Midlands North East North West Northern Ireland Scotland Thames and Chiltern Wessex West of England Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Overseas Total
1% 4% 4% 28% 7% 9% 2% 7% 3% 8% 7% 3% 6% 5% 6% 9690
CIPR membership by grade (at December 2009) Affiliate Associate Member Fellow Student/Affiliate Studying Global Affiliate
12% 20% 57% 3% 5% 3%
SUPPORTING OUR MEMBERS: DEVELOPING MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES AND SERVICES We continued to develop our services, resources and benefits for members and 2009 saw us updating our skills guides on key areas of PR practice. We commissioned new and updated skills guides on topics including media relations, internal communications, broadcast & digital PR, and strategy & PR planning. All our skills guides are free to members and can be downloaded from our website – www.cipr.co.uk The free business and legal helpline continued to be valued by members, providing expert advice on everything from contract law to personnel issues as well as advice on protecting intellectual property. CIPR Matchmaker referred more than £3million of new business to our members and the CIPR Plus scheme helped our members make their money go further, with average member savings of £73.
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Annual Review 2009
OUR POLICY COPYRIGHT Updated guidelines and a ‘frequently asked questions’ document were published to help CIPR members understand more about the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) and how it affects their copying activities. Throughout the year the Institute also worked to combat the NLA’s proposed digital charges – writing to the Minister responsible for copyright, meeting with his office, and supporting other industry efforts and coalitions. The NLA eventually suspended its plans to introduce the charges pending the outcome of the legal challenge.
LOBBYING In January 2009 the Public Administration Select Committee published its report Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall. The report recommended a mandatory register of lobbyists and challenged the different bodies currently representing those involved in lobbying to come forward and establish a single umbrella organisation. This would cover all those involved in lobbying as a substantial part of their work. The CIPR has actively engaged with members, government and industry bodies to respond to the report’s recommendations and is proud to be represented on the implementation team of the United Kingdom Public Affairs Council.
FAIR ACCESS TO THE PROFESSIONS The CIPR submitted evidence to the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, which was established to ensure professional careers were open to as wide a pool of talent as possible. The final report was published in January 2010.
CIPR CODE OF CONDUCT Following a member consultation during spring/summer 2008, a number of changes were made to the CIPR’s disciplinary procedures. The revisions are mostly procedural, making the complaints process more transparent. The main changes are: To emphasise conciliation To involve experts from outside the PR profession in conciliation and investigating complaints To stipulate that members can be held accountable for the actions of subordinates or subcontractors for whom they are responsible in relation to work that has been complained about.
CIPR MEMBER SURVEY In December the CIPR launched its membership survey - ‘The state of the PR profession’ - in partnership with ComRes. More than 2,000 members took part in the survey which tracked our members’ views on subjects such as the economic contribution of PR and the ramifications of the economic crisis.
GUIDELINES AND CASE STUDIES ON COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN The first of their kind for the PR industry, our ‚Communicating with Children‛ guidelines were produced in consultation with CIPR members and the NSPCC, Department of Health and National Schools Partnership and Yell. The guidelines were launched in October and looked at the issues and implications of communicating with children and promote best practice in this area. The case studies highlight good practice from the NSPCC, Yell and the Department of Health’s Immunisation Branch.
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Annual Review 2009 PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME The CIPR’s Partnership programme continues to recognise leading organisations that have shown their commitment both to the profession and to the Institute. Current partners are markettiers4dc, Media Evaluation Research, the Precise group, our media partner PRWeek, Transport for London and Vocus Europe. As a result of our move to the borough of Camden, we did not renew our partnership with Westminster City Council but three new partners did join our scheme – ComRes, Gorkana and Fox Print Services. All of these organisations play an active role in contributing to development of public relations through the services they provide to the CIPR, our members and the profession in general. More detailed information about each of them can be found on our website at www.cipr.co.uk
SPONSORS 2009 was an incredibly difficult year for sponsorship. Our member survey, sponsored by our partner ComRes, indicated that this was the area of greatest decline in activity, at 55% overall, among the 2,000 members surveyed. We concentrated primarily on sponsorship for our national Excellence and regional PRide Awards events. Some of this sponsorship was in kind as a result of services provided. The CIPR is extremely grateful to the organisations and partners who continue to support us in this way, particularly Precise as headline sponsor of all 12 PRide Awards dinners. Information on sponsorship opportunities at the CIPR can be obtained from Elspeth Graham at elspethg@cipr.co.uk
CIPR SPECIAL AWARDS The President’s medal for 2009 was awarded to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, in recognition of his contribution to communications. The Sir Stephen Tallents medal for 2009 was awarded to Professor Anne Gregory of Leeds Metropolitan University for her outstanding contribution to the profession.
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Annual Review 2009
OUR CIPR GROUPS STUDENTS AND YOUNG MEMBERS 2009 saw the launch of a new and improved student rep scheme. As it develops it will look to forge much stronger and more beneficial links with CIPR regional practitioners. The annual Student Rep Day was held at the CIPR in November and proved to be very successful with 23 reps attending on the day, representing 18 of the 25 universities that have CIPR approved courses.
Behind the Spin magazine continues to go from strength to strength with Richard Bailey as editor. Moving online has allowed the magazine to open up to a wider audience, providing readers with interesting articles, book reviews and careers information. 2009 also saw the launch of PR Student, a website offering careers advice and help to student and affiliate studying members looking to get that all important first interview. PR Student, which will form part of the CIPR’s new website in 2010, provides up-to-date information from the CIPR’s Twitter feed, PR-related articles of interest to students, and an events diary of regional and student rep activity. The CIPR work placement finder can also be found here, offering members valuable placements within the PR industry.
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL GROUPS All of the groups continued to provide a quality programme of events for members and non-members across the UK. Highlights included the annual Greater London Group’s Maggie Nally Lecture, run in conjunction with the CIPR International Group, which featured guest speaker Sir Howard Davies, as well as the CIPR Northern Ireland Press and Broadcast Awards. The regional PRide Awards programme continued to spotlight the best and brightest of the PR industry with over 1,400 entries received. After an exceptional year, the CIPR Wessex region was presented with the Group of the Year award, which recognised the dedication and commitment of the committee during 2009. All of the groups have worked hard to provide events that add value to both members and the industry. They are determined to continue to lead the way in 2010 when demonstrating the value of public relations becomes ever more relevant. Information and details about CIPR national and regional groups, including their events and activity programmes, can be found at www.cipr.co.uk
SECTORAL GROUPS The CIPR has 12 sectoral groups, each providing support and a range of services for practitioners within various industry sectors. A volunteer committee of CIPR members runs each group. Each committee works hard towards building and holding a broad spectrum of events. This varies from group to group, but can include networking receptions, conferences, seminars, debates and awards. Some also produce publications and online resources for their group and other CIPR members. Some of the most successful events were the Local Public Services Group annual conference and awards held in Edinburgh and the regular high profile speaker events held by the Government Affairs, Corporate & Financial and Health & Medical Groups. The Sectoral Group of the Year Award was presented to the Marketing Communications Group in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the industry.
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Annual Review 2009 UK-based Full, Associate and Affiliate members are eligible to join sectoral groups. The first choice is free as part of the CIPR membership subscription. An additional three groups can be selected for a charge of £20 each a year. If you would like to play an active role in any of our sectoral groups, please contact the relevant Chair or administrator. Contact details, events and further information on any of the CIPR groups can be found on our website www.cipr.co.uk
DEVELOPING THE TEAM The main focus for the first part of the year was our move from St James’s Square to Russell Square. Our new offices provide a more open plan work environment and staff have been able to learn more on a day to day basis about the work carried out within other CIPR teams. Our internal newsletter, renamed Square Talk in a staff competition, continues to keep the team up to date with weekly goings-on. We’ve maintained our programme of staff round tables which is a useful forum for exchanging ideas and also introduced some social events, which have been self-funded by selling raffle tickets and have been hosted by different departments in turn. Staff have been able to take advantage of the extensive range of courses on offer on the CIPR training and events programme, and have continued to develop their own professional and personal skills. We also introduced a flexi-time scheme, enabling staff to work to core hours and more effectively manage their own time around these hours. Since October we have initiated regular staff updates, immediately following each Executive Board or Council meeting, to ensure staff are involved with and kept up to date with decisions and activities at this level. In many ways, 2009 was not an easy year, but staff responded well to the challenging times. Ann Mealor took up the post of Acting Director General. Also our financial situation resulted in reductions to salaries and employer’s pension contributions across the board. A structural review of CIPR was announced in October 2009 with a view to ensure skills, structures, processes and resources are in place to deliver the 2010 - 2012 Strategic Plan. A review group commenced work on this in January 2010.
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Annual Review 2009 Iprovision is a registered charity – number 242674
IN TIMES OF NEED Iprovision is the CIPR benevolent fund. For the last 45 years, it has been supporting members and their immediate families in times of need. The Fund was set up in 1965 ‚to provide assistance in cash or kind or in any other appropriate manner‛ in order to alleviate member hardship. In 2009, the Fund spent over £20,000 on benevolence, including £15,000 in grants and loans to ten members facing hardship, usually as a result of a serious illness or incapacity. Those supported included: A member undergoing intensive treatment for cancer A penniless younger member, who having recently been made redundant, then urgently had to go into hospital for surgery An out-of-work member suffering from a debilitating illness A disabled member who required some additional support in her home A member struggling with debts who needed essential items for her family. Iprovision can provide a one-off grant or continuing grants, or, if in exceptional circumstances, interestfree loans to any CIPR member in need. It can also help a close dependent of a member or a dependent of a member who has died. Respite care can also be funded. With an investment fund of around £550,000, Iprovision is small in comparison to other occupational benevolent funds. The aim remains to build an endowment fund of over £1 million to meet the current and future needs of our members. Iprovision appreciates the continued support of the one in three members who contribute the voluntary £10 donation with their annual membership. Where companies pay for membership of the CIPR, members are encouraged to give a donation to Iprovision to help others less fortunate. Many members ‘gift aid’ their donation, and we are keen to see more members who pay UK income tax do this, as we receive almost £3,000 a year from the Inland Revenue through gift aid. Over the last year or so, two CIPR groups have raised funds for Iprovision at their events or at PRide Award dinners. These additional donations to the Fund are most welcome and we hope more groups will help Iprovision during 2010. All applications to the Fund are treated confidentially by the Trustees, who are all CIPR members or fellows and who meet quarterly. Urgent applications are reviewed in between meetings. The Trustees come from across the UK and represent a cross section of the membership. The Trustees are June Beedham FCIPR, John Brown FCIPR, Beccy Boden-Wilkes ACIPR, Gill Dandy FCIPR, Marc Evans FCIPR, Pat Gaudin FCIPR, Janet Hildreth FCIPR, Keith Johnston MCIPR, Peter Quigley FCIPR and Stuart Render FCIPR. At the Trustees meeting in February 2010, John Brown was unanimously elected as chair. The Trustees thanked June Beedham for her long commitment to Iprovision and for her service as Chair and ViceChair. They also thanked John Aspery FCIPR, a Past President of the Institute and Janet Hildreth, who both retired in December 2009 after 10 years dedicated service as Trustees. If you know of any member who is facing hardship, please suggest they contact Jane Wharam, the parttime Administrator at Iprovision on 020 8144 5536 or by email at administrator@iprovision.org.uk An application form and details about the Fund are also on the CIPR website at www.cipr.co.uk
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Annual Review 2009
THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY PR AND MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Our PR and marketing team ensures that information about the Institute and its messages, initiatives and activities, reach the widest possible audience through an integrated communications programme that includes media relations, e-communications and social media, direct marketing, and internal communications.
CIPR IN THE MEDIA The CIPR continues to enjoy a positive media presence and receives widespread coverage. We achieved more than 1,300 items of coverage in 2009 – 7% more than in 2008. Across 2009, 99% of our coverage was beneficial or factual in tone and less than 1% was negative. Coverage of our Excellence and PRide Awards went up four-fold, generating good coverage for the CIPR in media titles across the UK. The CIPR groups and their work accounted for around 17% of our coverage, while 25% contained a key message. Our spokespeople were asked to comment on a wide range of issues including reputation and brand management; CSR; professionalism, best practice and raising standards, evaluation, lobbying and ethics. Kevin Taylor, CIPR President, was a regular business advisor for the Daily Telegraph Business Club and our sectoral, national and regional Group Chairs have provided their expertise and insider knowledge in trade, regional and national publications. An overview of the latest CIPR media coverage (provided by Precise and evaluated by Media Measurement in 2009) is posted each month on www.cipr.co.uk
PR AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS: HIGHLIGHTS In 2009, we ran the ‘make membership meaningful’ campaign. At the heart of the campaign was the launch of the ‘PR means business’ online resource kit. Our lead messages ‘The CIPR supports its members, helping them to demonstrate their value and work smarter’ and ‘PR is good for business’ received significant coverage in connection with the launch. Our qualifications were expanded with the introduction of the Internal Communication Diploma and online versions of existing courses, and were supported by an integrated communications campaign. The Chartered Practitioner scheme was launched, attracting 83 applications. We continued to promote the CIPR’s PR in Practice series ensuring that the Institute’s book sales remained constant, despite increased competition from other distributors. Amongst new editions published in 2009 was the 4th edition of Creativity in Public Relations, the 3rd edition of Public Relations Strategy and the 2nd edition of Online Public Relations. Professor Anne Gregory FCIPR is the Consultant Editor, and the publisher is Kogan Page. A programme of briefings, roundtables, and social events, supported by a weekly internal enewsletter, helped staff at CIPR HQ to share ideas and information, and to co-ordinate information about the CIPR’s ever-increasing range of activities.
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Annual Review 2009 PROFILE In 2009, we conducted a review of our online presence, including how we deliver content to our members and the wider public relations community. As a result we will be launching a greatly improved website in early summer 2010. Our goal is that the new website will be richer in content, easier to navigate and structured to fully support our groups and members. In preparation for this launch, a first step was to move the quarterly Profile magazine online. From February 2010, all of Profile’s content was made available at www.profile-extra.co.uk. The move online not only enables us to update content more quickly but the money saved is being invested in our new website and different types of content.
PROFILE EXTRA E-magazine Profile Extra continued to attract contributors and subscribers and a variety of features, case studies and articles were uploaded on a regular basis. Contributors to Profile Extra also had the opportunity to raise the profile of their websites, blogs and other online resources by including links on submitted items. All members automatically receive free access to Profile Extra, just key in your name and membership number in the log-in section on the home page at www.profile-extra.co.uk Now updated throughout the week, Profile Extra delivers PR news to members in addition to highlighting news from leading industry publications, articles and best practice case studies. Members now also receive a monthly e-newsletter flagging the best of Profile Extra's content.
Profile Extra will be rebranded and incorporated into the CIPR’s new website when it launches in early summer 2010. Please send any ideas for articles and features to the editor, Amanda Foran at AmandaF@cipr.co.uk
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Annual Review 2009
CIPR ONLINE THE CIPR WEBSITE During 2009, the CIPR carried out a complete review of its web and online services. This resulted in new processes being put in place to help us work more efficiently and effectively. The redevelopment of the new website is well underway and it will launch in early summer 2010 with a host of new features and content. The upgrade of the website is a significant piece of work as it involves transfer to a new platform as well as a restructuring of content.
PR JOBSHOP PR JobShop, managed for the CIPR by PRWeek, continues to generate income for the Institute. The jobs that feature on the site are based throughout the country and cover a wide range of PR sectors and skill levels. www.prjobshop.co.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA In 2009, we launched the CIPR Twitter account (www.twitter.com/CIPR_UK). By the end of the year we had attracted almost 2,000 followers and this number is still growing. We also continued to feed out information about Institute activities via the CIPR Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CIPR.UK). Many of the groups successfully used Facebook to promote their events in 2009 too. The President’s blog, PR Voice continued to prove popular, with Kevin Taylor, CIPR President 2009, commenting on a number of issues and topics including the Newspaper Licensing Agency, the importance of reputation, and the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners. In 2010, our new website will allow us to further develop our use of social media and online offering to members.
E-NEWSLETTERS The CIPR’s e-newsletters and e-fliers continued to keep members informed about Institute news and activities. And we continued to monitor the numbers sent out to ensure we didn’t overload our recipients with too much information.
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Annual Review 2009
ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The CIPR is committed to raising professional standards. That is why we are growing our qualifications and taking our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme online.
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 12% of eligible members are registered on the CIPR’s CPD scheme for 2010. 231 members have now achieved Accredited Practitioner status, an increase of 10% since 2009. A new online scheme has now been launched with a greater focus on learning and development activity and recognition of activity completed on employer based schemes and CPD schemes at other professional organisations.
CHARTERED PRACTITIONER STATUS The Chartered Practitioner scheme’s first year launched in April 2009, attracting 83 applications from senior candidates. The scheme encompasses three assessment stages: a statement of experience, original paper and interview. Some 28 of those that applied successfully completed all three assessment stages and were awarded their status in December 2009. Congratulations to our inaugural group of Chartered PR Practitioners:
Matt Appleby MCIPR, Director, Golley Slater Hilary Berg MCIPR, Associate Director, Corporate Culture Ltd Paul Corry MCIPR, Director of Public Affairs, Rethink Jonathan Cross MCIPR, Communications Consultant, People, Words & Pictures Ltd David Crundwell FCIPR, PR Consultant Jane Cumming FCIPR, Managing Director, Platform PR Group Limited Tricia Defty MCIPR, Managing Director, Thinc PR Susan Fox FCIPR, Director of Communications & External Relations, Information Commissioner’s Office Pat Gaudin FCIPR, PR Consultant Jane Howard FCIPR, Chairman, Mandate Communications Emma Leech FCIPR, Director of Communications & Marketing, University of Nottingham Matthew McKay MCIPR, Head of Public Relations, BioMed Central Anne Moir MCIPR, Director of Communications & Marketing, Institution of Civil Engineers Paul Mylrea MCIPR, Head of Press and Media Relations, BBC Paul Noble FCIPR, Partner, Noble Ink Jay O’Connor FCIPR, Partner, Influence Crowd David Russell FCIPR, Communications and Democratic Services Manager, East Lothian Council Alan Smith MCIPR, Associate Director Corporate Communications, Altium Limited Paul Smyth MCIPR, Consultant, River PR Matt Tee MCIPR, Permanent Secretary Government Communication, Cabinet Office Martin Turner MCIPR, Director of Communications, NHS Warwickshire Francoise Van Buuren FCIPR Peter Walker FCIPR, Executive Chairman, Pielle Consulting Group Jason Wassell FCIPR, Director, Global Government Relations, DLA Piper UK LLP Sue Wolstenholme FCIPR, Founder, Ashley Public Relations
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Annual Review 2009 QUALIFICATIONS CIPR enjoyed growth in a number of areas. A total of 95 candidates enrolled for the Diploma overseas (77 in 2008); 141 students studied for the Foundation Award (102 in 2008) and a new award – the Internal Communication Certificate, recruited 129 students. However, numbers of students on the UK Diploma and Advanced Certificate were lower than in 2008, the best year to date. Work continued with the Association of Colleges and a number of FE College Principals took and passed the special Leadership for Reputation qualification. Outstanding developments of 2009 included: The establishment of a new qualification, the Internal Communication Diploma, which commenced in January 2010. Continued expansion overseas with new centres opening in Kazakhstan and Kenya and a qualification partnership established with the Swiss PR Institute. The creation of a dedicated micro-site information centre for CIPR students; an increase in the number of online journals made available to CIPR students and other members; and the creation of a customised book, The PR Digest, specifically for CIPR Diploma students. Linking the Introduction to PR workshop to a CIPR qualification, the Foundation Award, showing the way for further, similar arrangements to be established in 2010 The establishment of the CIPR’s own teaching centre ‘The Centre for Learning’ providing tuition for the CIPR Diploma by CIPR teachers from the UK and abroad.
Delegates attending the CIPR Diploma course at the opening of our very own Centre for Learning
CIPR RECOGNISED COURSES The CIPR launched a new recognition system for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes following consultation with members and academics in 2009. We now have 40 approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses with interest from a further 20 institutions following the launch of the new recognition process. These range from single honours Public Relations degrees to courses covering corporate communications, international and European PR, lobbying and public affairs, communications management and multi-discipline awards.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS The 2009 training and development programme saw a significant increase in the number of scheduled workshops, with the CIPR running 228 courses throughout the UK. Some changes were made to the workshop programme with the introduction of new workshops and Approved Trainers. In 2010, the CIPR is looking to run a similar number of workshops, featuring a range of new topics including; Corporate & Social Responsibility, Practical PR photography and Mastering the art of writing. Full details can be found on our website www.cipr.co.uk
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Annual Review 2009 IN-HOUSE TRAINING 2009 saw a continued demand for CIPR in-house and tailor-made training both at home and overseas. As well as continuing our relationship with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Executive Information Service of Northern Ireland, the CIPR also ran UK-based training for the Metropolitan Police, Department for Work & Pensions, NHS London, Viridor and The Big Consultancy. 2009 also saw the CIPR running bespoke training in Moldova, Algeria, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and the USA. Full details of in-house training can be found on our website www.cipr.co.uk
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CIPR events in 2009 reflected the changing needs of the PR profession and attracted members and nonmembers alike. The role of digital communications remained a key focus at all CIPR conferences, with leading PR professionals imparting advice on the increasing number of digital channels available, how and when to use them and, importantly, how to measure their impact.
FRESHLY SQUEEZED BREAKFAST BRIEFINGS This well established series of breakfasts provided over 750 PR professionals with information and advice on key PR activities – from writing press releases to pitching for new business. The programme comprised 24 sessions in London and eight in Scotland. An additional three sessions were added in late 2010 to meet demand for training in digital communications.
STRATEGIC FOCUS CONFERENCE This one-day conference was held in June and repeated in September. Speakers represented organisations and companies such as UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Transport for London, Trimedia, Anglian Water, Leeds Metropolitan University and Kindred. Delegates sought advice on strategy development and looked at the impact of the recession and other external factors.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE In association with CIPR Inside, the specialist group for internal communicators, this annual one-day conference was held at the Inmarsat Conference Centre, London, in September. Addressing issues such as budgetary restraints, justifying the value of internal communications and motivating employees in the wake of redundancies, delegates reflected on the challenges posed by the economic climate and looked at the opportunities created by post-recession recovery. Speakers shared their insights from Hill & Knowlton, City & Guilds Group and Camden Council.
DIGITAL FOCUS CONFERENCE This conference took place in December at the CIPR Public Relations Centre. 47 delegates from around the UK were guided through the basics of digital communications and examined the opportunities and challenges that new technology poses for communicators. Breakout sessions provided delegates with a practical look at social media sites and their features, as well as exploring how these sites can be used to engage with internal stakeholders.
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Annual Review 2009
CIPR AWARDS EXCELLENCE AWARDS There were some 920 entries in this year’s Excellence Awards - an 8% increase in entry numbers on the previous year. In 2009, London accounted for 52% of the entries with the rest spread across the UK and Europe. More than 150 finalists and winners were presented with their awards and certificates at the Excellence Awards Dinner, which took place in July at The Honorable Artillery Company’s Showground in London. At the dinner, Kevin Taylor FCIPR also presented the Sir Stephen Tallents medal to Professor Anne Gregory and the President’s medal to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the worldwide web. The 2010 Excellence Awards will take place at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, London, on Wednesday 16 June 2010. More information is available at www.cipr.co.uk
PRIDE AWARDS The PRide Awards maintained its leading position in the market in 2009, receiving 1,448 entries from 12 regions and nations across the UK. The biggest growth in entry numbers was seen in Wessex (up 116% on 2008) and Thames and Chiltern (up 23% on 2008). PRide Award dinners took place in cities and towns across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales showcasing the best in regional and national public relations campaigns. Information on the 2010 PRide Awards is available at www.cipr.co.uk
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Annual Review 2009
CIPR STRATEGIC PLAN 2010 – 2012 OVERVIEW The CIPR’s goal is to be the advocate and voice of the public relations profession, a champion of our members’ professional interests and a respected partner to the broader communications community. Through education, knowledge sharing, research and ethical conduct, our role is to enhance the professionalism of our members and the reputation and understanding of our profession, including the impact we have on the efficiency and performance of all sectors of the economy, for the public benefit. The Institute has a clear vision: to be at the heart of a profession that is widely respected for its professionalism and diversity, attracting the brightest people and where organisations, government and civil society understand the value of what we do. A profession that: Has a reputation for, and is built on, best practice, ethical standards, research, practitioner and academic leadership. Makes a vital contribution to society through the ability to build dialogue and trust, and is recognised for this contribution. Is as welcome and valued at the boardroom table as it is in other areas of the organisations we support. Is dynamic, collaborative and networked, reflecting the converged nature of communications and the pace of technological change. Everything that we do, every campaign that we award, every practitioner that qualifies, every training course that we deliver or guidance paper that we write, will be geared towards supporting this vision. This will enable our members and the profession to grow stronger, more resilient and, most importantly, more successful. In these challenging times a strong vision is vital but it will take time to deliver. The CIPR’s 2010-2012 plan looks at the very fundamentals of what we do and how we do it. How do we best advance the interests of our members? Do our professional development programmes meet the needs of all members, from those embarking on their first role to the most senior practitioners? How can we build a dynamic community of practitioners and experts, online and offline? Do we have a voice on the most important issues affecting our members and the profession? The CIPR’s mission, vision and values as well as our Charter obligations will be on our new website in early summer 2010.
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Annual Review 2009
CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the UK’s leading public relations industry professional body. The CIPR represents and serves the interests of people working in public relations in the UK and overseas. We offer access to information, advice and support, and provide networking and training opportunities through a wide variety of events, conferences and workshops. For further information about the CIPR, membership or training opportunities, please contact us at the address below.
Chartered Institute of Public Relations CIPR Public Relations Centre 52-53 Russell Square London WC1B 4 HP T 020 7631 6900 E info@cipr.co.uk www.cipr.co.uk
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