The Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII)‘s Annual Conference recently ran over two days, covering a range of topics from Supporting Economic Recovery, ESGP (Environmental, Social and Governance Purpose), Measurement & Evaluation of Integrated Campaigns, Covid-19 Communications, New Ways of Working for the PR Sector and The Future of Sports Sponsorships.

Here are our four key takeaways from the discussions that took place: 

Holistic evaluations

Orla Graham, Account Director at CARMA, delivered an excellent presentation on Measurement and Evaluation of Integrated Campaign.  A key focus of this discussion was the over reliance of using advertising value equivalency (AVE) as a KPI. Though many CEOs and Managing Directors like to see this figure appear in their campaign reports, it really has little to no value as a unit of measurement. 

Instead, as communication professionals, she outlined a more holistic approach to campaign evaluation, using frameworks like the Barcelona Principles. This is something we are proud to uphold at Springboard Communications as part of our reporting lab.

Simplifying complex information into engaging content

Communications has played a major role in ensuring that people around the world remain informed throughout the pandemic. For Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, World Health Organisation, he saw the impact that communication has had in helping to build trust in governance. 

Dr Ryan noted that lives were not just saved by people working in intensive care units, but also by those who crafted information through translating complex science into policy and communications. Whether you’re putting together a full campaign strategy, a blog or creating a short video for use across social channels, the same principle applies: cut away all the noise and go straight to your Storytelling Sweet Spot. Find out more about our content studio at Springboard.

Diversifying recruitment

Rohan Shah, Reuben Sinclair & RS-Engage Talent Management Consultancy, spoke about the need for more diversity in the communications industry. 

As a recruiter, he said that firms come to him with ‘closed’ requirements for a role that limits the pool of candidates. They want people with specific experience or qualifications, sometimes even from specific educational institutes. This excludes people who could be great communications professionals but don’t fit into traditional boxes. 

Green values

Laura Wall of Thinkhouse gave a great overview on how young people want the brands they work with, and buy from, to match their green values. The younger generation are more engaged than ever and are driving the narratives and encouraging change.  Communications professionals need to understand that group and how they use media. 

TikToktivism is huge, and according to Reach3, 77% of Gen Z claim the platform has helped them learn about social justice and political issues. They can see through greenwashing too and are willing to use their strong voices online to call brands out – and rightfully so! This is something at Springboard we wrote about a few months ago; how organisations need to embrace sustainability holistically, so their communications campaigns are authentic and credible. You can read our blog here. 

That’s just a small snippet of the fascinating discussions at this year’s conference, with trust and authenticity the two recurring pillars in this year’s event. 

If you’re keen to discover more on how Springboard Communications can help you to meet your business objectives, contact us today at info@springboardcommunications.ie