CorpComms Magazine

Some people believe the economy this year will see a 'drip, drip' of continuous, slow and steady improvement; some fear a 'double dip' of things getting much worse before they get any better. Me? I think it will be neither drip, drip nor double dip but 'chocolate chip' - a few isolated nuggets of good news thinly scattered through a heavy dough of depression.

That means that budgets will remain under intense pressure and value delivery will remain under the spotlight. And that in turn means that there is one area of PR that must, and will, develop significantly this year: procurement.

I say 'must' because PR remains the least efficiently procured area of marketing and communications - cursed by a lack of process; by a failure to understand the difference between 'how much to pay' and 'how much to spend'; and by the inefficient use of irrationally selected suppliers.

And I say 'will' because early this year the CIPR and PRCA will link with groups including the COI and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply to launch a new initiative on 'Best Practice in Procurement', aiming to raise industry-wide awareness, understanding and appreciation of the role and value of professional procurement in PR. The message: good PR procurement practice is not about mindless hacking of budgets and suppliers - it's about the process, planning and precision without which creativity has no purpose or power.

So, my advice for PR practitioners from every part of the industry: embrace procurement, and get more chocolate chips in your cookie.

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