CorpComms Magazine

When Francis Ingham was appointed director general of the Public Relations Consultants Association in October 2007, he found a professional organisation that lacked the ambition and drive that it needed to propel itself forward.

'The PRCA was not as ambitious as it should have been,' Ingham says, with the diplomacy that he has become known for. 'It was representing leading agencies but there was a real sense of complacency. There was no ambition to grow the organisation.'

And yet, from initial talks with members, Ingham knew that there was a huge desire for change. 'They did want the PRCA to take a lead on the issues that concerned them, and there was definitely an appetite for us to up our game,' he says.

Ingham hit the ground running. 'I met as many members as I possibly could. Membership bodies only work when they engage with members and find out what motivates them,' he says. 'I recognised that I need to be in contact with my members on a regular basis. If you lose that sort of contact then there is the danger that membership bodies do things in the interest of the secretariat and their agenda rather than in the interests of members.'

He was undaunted by the challenge. During his career, which includes stretches at both the Conservative Party and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Ingham spent two years at the CBI. 'The great thing about working for the CBI is that you get very used to dealing with 'famous people',' says Ingham. 'For all its faults, it is a fantastic training ground. It had a membership ranging from very large members to some very small enterprises, who quite often had competing agendas. You learned to achieve a balance between them.'

When Francis Ingham was appointed director general of the Public Relations Consultants Association in October 2007, he found a professional organisation that lacked the ambition and drive that it needed to propel itself forward.

'The PRCA was not as ambitious as it should have been,' Ingham says, with the diplomacy that he has become known for. 'It was representing leading agencies but there was a real sense of complacency. There was no ambition to grow the organisation.'

And yet, from initial talks with members, Ingham knew that there was a huge desire for change. 'They did want the PRCA to take a lead on the issues that concerned them, and there was definitely an appetite for us to up our game,' he says.

Ingham hit the ground running. 'I met as many members as I possibly could. Membership bodies only work when they engage with members and find out what motivates them,' he says. 'I recognised that I need to be in contact with my members on a regular basis. If you lose that sort of contact then there is the danger that membership bodies do things in the interest of the secretariat and their agenda rather than in the interests of members.'

He was undaunted by the challenge. During his career, which includes stretches at both the Conservative Party and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Ingham spent two years at the CBI. 'The great thing about working for the CBI is that you get very used to dealing with 'famous people',' says Ingham. 'For all its faults, it is a fantastic training ground. It had a membership ranging from very large members to some very small enterprises, who quite often had competing agendas. You learned to achieve a balance between them.'

SIMILAR DEMANDS

When it came to the members of the PRCA, there was a consistency to responses coming back from these meetings. Agencies wanted the body to 'push' its Consultancy Management Standard (CMS), a hallmark of PR excellence, and actively promote its new business referral offering.

Launched ten years ago, CMS is now also recognised within 13 European countries. To achieve the standard, public relations agencies must be audited by an independent global auditor on eight separate issues, ranging from financial planning to human resource practices to succession planning. Checks continue on a regular basis to ensure that the agency has not slipped back into bad habits.

'It is a health check,' explains Ingham. 'All members must go through it. They must achieve a pass rate of 75 per cent on each individual element. If they fail one of the elements, they fail. The standard was originally launched because there was a feeling that too many people in the PR world were good at being creative but not at running an organisation.'

The PRCA does not learn members' scores, but instead whether they have passed or failed. Against the current economic background, CMS has become even more important. 'People are being more careful about spending their money,' says Ingham. 'CMS gives them comfort that the agency is professionally run with solid accounts and that it is not going to go bust.'

A HELPING HAND

If the PRCA becomes aware that a member with CMS accreditation is involved in a pitch to win new business, it will alert the client on what the standard actually means. 'It can't hurt,' says Ingham reasonably. 'And if only one agency on a shortlist of three has CMS status then it can only help.'

On another level, CMS deters agencies that feel they would not pass its rigorous tests from applying for membership. 'Arguably, we wouldn't want them,' says Ingham. 'We would turn agencies away as we are meant to represent those who engage in best practice. Certain agencies and individuals would not be welcome.'

He hesitates: 'For example, Mr Clifford would find his cheque returned.'

For 32 agencies, at least, the CMS has not acted as a deterrent. During his 18 months as director general, Ingham has grown membership from 128 agencies to 160 while Weber Shandwick, in a much publicised move, has returned to the fold.

'That was hugely important for us. The decision to leave only a few years ago was taken by the same individual [European chief executive Colin Byrne] who made the decision to return,' says Ingham. 'Weber Shandwick left because they felt the PRCA did not provide value for money. They returned because they felt it was being transformed. For us at the PRCA, that was a huge vote of confidence. It all adds up to good PR for the PRCA and increases our media profile.'

A VOICE FOR CHANGE

This is not an ego trip. Ingham reckons that the more profile the PRCA receives, the more it will be viewed as a relevant voice for the industry. 'We are concerned about the issues that affect our industry, and we want to be a thoughtful but firm voice for the profession,' says Ingham.

The PRCA is currently heavily involved in discussions with the Public Affairs Select Committee regarding the governance of lobbying. 'Over 40 of our members have a significant public affairs offering,' says Ingham. 'It is an important issue for our members and we must represent their views.'

Another issue troubling members of the PRCA related to the roster for PR agencies applying to work for the Central Office of Information (COI). 'It was a less than perfect system, and members expressed their concerns about the process,' says Ingham. The basic problem was that the COI required agencies to supply additional information for second round interviews before it had completed the first round. As a result, some agencies that did not get through to the second round had wasted time and resources on unnecessary paperwork preparing for those presentations. 'We reflected their concerns to the COI,' says Ingham. 'And we achieved change, which has pleased many of our members.'

They are also pleased by last year's 75 per cent increase in new business referrals through the PRCA, while this year to date referrals are double the levels of the same period in 2008. 'About one third of those referrals come from companies simply Googling How to find a PR agency and our independent, objective free service comes up,' says Ingham.

Going forward, the emphasis is to further extend the PRCA's relevance as a professional body and to grow membership to include in house communication teams and overseas agencies.  Some observers may feel that the PRCA is now encroaching on the territory of Ingham's old employer, the CIPR, where he was assistant director general, with responsibility for public affairs and business development. 'I think that a lot more can be achieved to move the industry forward if the representative professional bodies work together rather than bickering,' he says. 'The PRCA can move forward without it being at the expense of the CIPR.'  

When it came to the members of the PRCA, there was a consistency to responses coming back from these meetings. Agencies wanted the body to 'push' its Consultancy Management Standard (CMS), a hallmark of PR excellence, and actively promote its new business referral offering.

Launched t en years ago, CMS is now also recognised within 13 European countries. To achieve the standard, public relations agencies must be audited by an independent global auditor on eight separate issues, ranging from financial planning to human resource practices to succession planning. Checks continue on a regular basis to ensure that the agency has not slipped back into bad habits.

'It is a health check,' explains Ingham. 'All members must go through it. They must achieve a pass rate of 75 per cent on each individual element. If they fail one of the elements, they fail. The standard was originally launched because there was a feeling that too many people in the PR world were good at being creative but not at running an organisation.'

The PRCA does not learn members' scores, but instead whether they have passed or failed. Against the current economic background, CMS has become even more important. 'People are being more careful about spending their money,' says Ingham. 'CMS gives them comfort that the agency is professionally run with solid accounts and that it is not going to go bust.'

A HELPING HAND

If the PRCA becomes aware that a member with CMS accreditation is involved in a pitch to win new business, it will alert the client on what the standard actually means. 'It can't hurt,' says Ingham reasonably. 'And if only one agency on a shortlist of three has CMS status then it can only help.'

On another level, CMS deters agencies that feel they would not pass its rigorous tests from applying for membership. 'Arguably, we wouldn't want them,' says Ingham. 'We would turn agencies away as we are meant to represent those who engage in best practice. Certain agencies and individuals would not be welcome.'

He hesitates: 'For example, Mr Clifford would find his cheque returned.'

For 32 agencies, at least, the CMS has not acted as a deterrent. During his 18 months as director general, Ingham has grown membership from 128 agencies to 160 while Weber Shandwick, in a much publicised move, has returned to the fold.

'That was hugely important for us. The decision to leave only a few years ago was taken by the same individual [European chief executive Colin Byrne] who made the decision to return,' says Ingham. 'Weber Shandwick left because they felt the PRCA did not provide value for money. They returned because they felt it was being transformed. For us at the PRCA, that was a huge vote of confidence. It all adds up to good PR for the PRCA and increases our media profile.'

A VOICE FOR CHANGE

This is not an ego trip. Ingham reckons that the more profile the PRCA receives, the more it will be viewed as a relevant voice for the industry. 'We are concerned about the issues that affect our industry, and we want to be a thoughtful but firm voice for the profession,' says Ingham.

The PRCA is currently heavily involved in discussions with the Public Affairs Select Committee regarding the governance of lobbying. 'Over 40 of our members have a significant public affairs offering,' says Ingham. 'It is an important issue for our members and we must represent their views.'

Another issue troubling members of the PRCA related to the roster for PR agencies applying to work for the Central Office of Information (COI). 'It was a less than perfect system, and members expressed their concerns about the process,' says Ingham. The basic problem was that the COI required agencies to supply additional information for second round interviews before it had completed the first round. As a result, some agencies that did not get through to the second round had wasted time and resources on unnecessary paperwork preparing for those presentations. 'We reflected their concerns to the COI,' says Ingham. 'And we achieved change, which has pleased many of our members.'

They are also pleased by last year's 75 per cent increase in new business referrals through the PRCA, while this year to date referrals are double the levels of the same period in 2008. 'About one third of those referrals come from companies simply Googling How to find a PR agency and our independent, objective free service comes up,' says Ingham.

Going forward, the emphasis is to further extend the PRCA's relevance as a professional body and to grow membership to include in house communication teams and overseas agencies.  Some observers may feel that the PRCA is now encroaching on the territory of Ingham's old employer, the CIPR, where he was assistant director general, with responsibility for public affairs and business development. 'I think that a lot more can be achieved to move the industry forward if the representative professional bodies work together rather than bickering,' he says. 'The PRCA can move forward without it being at the expense of the CIPR.' 

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