CorpComms Magazine

The big difference between this recession and the last is that PR budgets seem to be far more resilient, with organisations valuing reputation and the need to communicate through difficult conditions.

Having said that, I think the experience of corporate communicators this year will be greatly determined by the sector or sectors that pay your wages. Those working in the automotive sector, personal finance or the media, for example, should probably not be booking their summer holidays just yet.

No doubt some corporate communicators will lose their jobs this year, but I suspect this will be because they are working for companies that are unable to sweat out the credit drought and the downturn in consumer spending.

I would expect to see cuts in areas such as research and evaluation, but increases in online communications, internal communications and in issues management. I think savings will be highly selective rather than broad swathes of cost cutting across the communications budget.

We have developed as a profession and universally provide a highly valuable service that is seen as mission critical by business - only to be axed as a very last resort.

PR has an even bigger role to play in a downturn, helping to boost sales, maintaining employee commitment, and managing the new issues that arise from a downturn. Those communicators that do survive this year will, I am sure, emerge in an even stronger position, as their employers and clients recognise the essential role they have played in protecting and promoting reputation through what will be a very uncertain year.

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