Traditional Media Still Plays a Key Role in PR

The Worldcom Public Relations Group has announced the results of its study on PR trends in Europe. The findings revealed certain similarities across European countries, particularly in recognizing newspapers as a key medium. Other important media identified include newswire services, magazines, radio and television, and blogs. The role of blogs is especially notable, even surpassing print media in the positioning of fashion brands and cosmetic products online.

When launching a new client, the most popular PR actions are one-to-one meetings with journalists and press breakfasts or lunches with a select group of journalists. European differences were noted in the execution of these events. Southern European companies prefer single-city conferences and are generally not in favor of large-scale events. In Eastern Europe, however, mass conferences across multiple cities are common. Central Europe places a high value on direct meetings with journalists, while Northern Europe favors press breakfasts and lunches.

On a European level, journalists show the most interest in events and conferences related to consumer goods, with pharmaceutical events attracting the least interest. Worldcom’s research also highlighted substantial regional differences in topic interest. For instance, organizing a "technology" conference in Southern or Eastern Europe is likely to attract more journalists than if it were held in Northern or Central Europe.


Additionally, Central European journalists are the most selective about attending out-of-town conferences, only participating if the topic is highly relevant and travel costs are covered (compared to Northern Europe, where 40 percent of journalists would attend even if covering their own travel expenses). Worldcom members also believe that foreign press releases should be translated into the local language. Portuguese media are an exception to this, preferring press releases from Brazil in English rather than Brazilian Portuguese.

Nearly 30 percent of Worldcom members view Facebook as an effective tool for B2B campaigns. This practice is particularly popular in Eastern Europe, with 75 percent of firms in the area recommending it. In Northern Europe, Facebook is not used at all for business communication. Furthermore, most partners (70.6 percent) noted that Twitter is not a widely used tool, with less than 25 percent of journalists utilizing it.

The study’s findings are quite fascinating, as they reveal common trends within Europe’s PR industry while also highlighting essential differences. When conducting PR activities, it’s important to remember that each country has unique characteristics that make it distinct. Consequently, the same actions might be carried out very differently abroad, stated Imma Folch, Worldcom EMEA’s marketing director. “The research shows just how adaptable the PR market must be. There is no room in this industry for applying standard approaches that fail to meet the needs and expectations of the market,” added Anna Garwolińska, President of Glaubicz Garwolińska Consultants. “Working on an international and cross-cultural level requires understanding the local market to spare both the company and its client any potential faux pas.”


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The study was conducted in December 2010 among 17 agencies from Central Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria), Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, and Turkey), Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom), and Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal). Its aim was to identify regional differences and analyze media trends in Europe across the following sectors: tourism, public affairs, pharmaceuticals, IT, technology and electronics, health, fashion and cosmetics, food and beverages, and consumer goods.