By Francis Ingham (UK)
Director General, PRCA and Chief Executive, ICCO
In a vast, varied, and transformational continental market, the opportunities for African PR practitioners are truly massive in scale, depth, and breadth, and this report conveys the exact same message.
Every part of the PR world has its unique challenges and opportunities, but there are certain common ones, too; the most obvious and positive one is growth. Year after year, our industry grows around the world. It grows in size. It grows in relevance. It grows in stature. The most obvious challenge is talent. We need help to recruit and retain.
And year after year, our industry matures. It continues on its trajectory of increasingly being the CEO’s principal advisor – not just home to the band of people who write the press releases. All of this is great news for our industry.
What salient points would I identify for the African market in this post-covid era?
First, markets differ within regions just as much as they differ between continents. The PRCA operates globally, including in Africa. Therefore, as the market is markedly different in, say, New York compared with Singapore, likewise, it is different in Alegria compared with Nigeria, as well as in Kenya compared with South Africa. This means that we must tailor our approaches in terms of services offered and cultural practices conveyed and the organisation’s outlook.
Secondly, African PR practitioners have the golden opportunity to avoid the mistakes of slightly older markets. If we are honest, the perennial problem of the UK and the US industries is that when they were first established, they understandably undervalued themselves. Having set an initial price point, it is difficult to shift it upwards. As global inflation bites, this will pose a problem for us all, and for this reason, I urge our African colleagues not to underestimate the value they bring and to bill accordingly.
More so, that talent is the key issue for every market worldwide. The data shows that this is especially true for the continent. Developing university PR courses that are practical rather than just theoretical is critical for the future. Delivering work-ready graduates saves organisations time and money and likely ensures that more new employees stick with their chosen careers.
Additionally, that investment in ongoing skill development and acquisition is vital. Across the world, we see management consultancies trying to move into our territory and provide the strategic advice we should be offering in their stead. This also involves moving from the ‘media relations only’ model that many practitioners provide to a higher level of consultancy.
And, of course, evaluation. Over the past fifteen years or so, we have seen a prolonged, sustained move from using meaningless – though easy – AVEs to something that has nuance. This is particularly pressing for the African market, where AVEs remain prevalent. In this regard, I would emphasise the value of the work of AMEC and the accessibility of the evaluation tools it provides for free.
Those are my five practical operations. But allow me to end on a final note.
Africa has the potential to be the world’s most dynamic PR market.
Large. A young population keen to embrace new technologies, attitudes, and working methods. A growing middle class, equipped with the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and not to make them. Indeed, it is a golden age to work in PR on this fabulous continent.