State of public relations and communications industry in Sri Lanka: PRCA Country Rep

The world’s largest PR body Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Country Representative and Asia Pacific Regional Board member  Thanzyl Thajudeen, a professional marketer turned PR practitioner speaks about the state of public relations and communications industry in Sri Lanka

Q: What has PRCA done in Sri Lanka and the future plans for the industry here?

 We are only a few months into having our presence in Sri Lanka. We conducted a survey to understand the state of the PR industry in the country somewhere in October last year, and we had very interesting findings which were published in various media outlets. This was followed by an industry webinar we held virtually, bringing together three industry veterans as well where we discussed various topics. We recently concluded our sentiment survey on AI among agencies in Sri Lanka and this will be published quite soon. We will be holding more webinars locally in the coming months, and industry awareness initiatives. We also met with key officials with the Ministry of Mass Media recently and extended our fullest support to uplift the media landscape here, and we hope to further discuss and put together proposals in this regard.

Q: What does PR mean to you?

Well, in my view, PR is all about relationships, perceptions, and intentions – all put together in just one basket – and this very basket is all that exists though it’s completely unseen in this highly materialistic world. And we bring and manage the best of this increasingly through messaging, relevancy and stimulations. Also increasingly is that all other forms of marketing and communications are falling into PR whether one likes to admit or not. Honestly, PR is way underrated and misunderstood in many regions, surprisingly including those in the developed categories, and this in itself is a fight that we as PR practitioners work on, apart from all the other issues the industry faces.

Q: How has the PR industry in Sri Lanka evolved?

 We have certainly come a long way. Though still largely agencies here are very much on the surface-level of doing PR, quite a few have dived deep into the broader aspects of PR such as crisis mitigation, internal communications, employer branding, perception changes, social or habitual shifts, reputation management, DEI, ESG and so on. However, we are not quite ready yet as we see a widening skills and knowledge gap in these aspects. There needs to be active collaboration and networking among agencies and other partners to host healthy discussions on such areas, and bring in regional and global voices, insights and success-failure stories, combined with the local contexts and realities on-the-ground. The industry needs to open up and up skill if we are to successfully learn and embrace these contemporary topics in a sustainable manner.

Q: Are the traditional mediums of PR in Sri Lanka fading away?

 Quite interestingly not at all. Physical events are back big time, and so are the colossal budgets for TVCs, radio and outdoor. The usual PR retainers continue, rather on a very surface level. According to our survey done last year among agency leaders here, the print medium topped client preferences but unfortunately, the print media in Sri Lanka receives little or no support from stakeholders. The clients are gradually shifting the print budgets towards social media and other online-only news outlets as well. The PR industry needs to discuss with those involved especially in the print media sector, and help develop a sustainable business model, going beyond just the ‘you-scratch-my-back-and-I-will-scratch-yours’ approach. The print needs to go beyond just advertising vs. carrying PR articles to a greater collaboration where together the quality of the content and audience will enable print to regain its lost glory.

Q: Are we on par with other peers in the region?

 We are quite behind in terms of the scope and range of PR activities we could potentially do. Having been a judge so far this year for two global awards in the APAC region and evaluating numerous campaigns and mandates, other regions are quite rich and full of depth. This can be because every single region comes with its own unique propositions and challenges, but in terms of the solutions we could offer and the skill set required to get our game up, there is a long way to go but we are slowly but surely reaching this. Being in the Board and Council, I actively have dialogues with various leaders across other regions, and constantly updated on their contexts.

Q: What are the challenges and how can we turn them into opportunities?

 Firstly, there is a significant lack of collaboration and networking among the wider PR industry sector for knowledge sharing, though we see somewhat of a gathering among a few selective agency leaders and executives. This is important to keep abreast of the evolving landscape, such as emerging technologies, mental health issues, etc. We at PRCA will work with all local industry stakeholders including associations, academia and policymakers in this regard. Secondly, we undoubtedly have an increasing skills gap and this is not just attributed to the recent brain drain but it’s been the case for several years. We need to pursue industry awareness programs among universities and institutions and offer an apprenticeship-based model. Those entering the PR workforce, though from diverse backgrounds, have little or no knowledge of the true meaning of PR. Again here, it’s that surface-level activities cycling all over again.

Thirdly, practitioners need to actively address and fill in the misconceptions of PR and communications among their clients, who hold a rather contrasting view and opinion of what it is and its potential when used right. This should be an industry-wide effort and ideally a long-term vision, with everyone doing their very bits to the best of their abilities. And finally, the industry lacks ethics and has no such framework in place, though we see a few in the parallel sectors like the media for instance. But that too needs more involvement from independent parties instead of just the state. It is only then that we can have a real favourable and workable plan in motion.

Q: How can PR and communications professionals help in challenging issues?

Quite honestly, they have always been at the forefront of various contemporary challenges and themes going around in the corporate world or the evolving social landscape. Whether it’s combating climate change or embracing diversity and inclusivity for instance, they have been the go-to counsellors among organisations, movements and institutions worldwide, and it’s very interesting to see the various initiatives and campaigns done around these especially even in the Asian region. We at PRCA even have various groups working on such, for example the Climate Comms Group or Asia Pacific Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee. It is crucial that we as PR and communications professionals keep ourselves constantly up-to-date with the knowledge, insights, technical know-how, and networking to be thought-leaders in this.

Q: Does the industry and Sri Lanka as a whole need policies and guidelines in this regard?

 Certainly yes. We need a national-level policy in terms of communications which should be co-created and developed by the state together with numerous contributions from the PR industry, the media, advocacy organisations, associations, trainers and academia, and so on. This could act as a voluntary guideline and go on to highlight the unification of communications that Sri Lanka should maintain as a nation, whilst taking into consideration the different contexts, situations, and social groups. We also need a separate code of ethics and professional code of conduct for the PR industry itself, especially when there is little or no regulation in terms of communications and even advertising. Every organisation cannot go about just throwing about their statements or claims, they need to be held accountable and verified for example.

Q: What are the future plans?

 Being the largest PR body in the world and the region, with over 35,000 members in 82 countries, and possibly the most influential, we are here to fully support the industry in Sri Lanka in any way possible. Our mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. We also manage the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) – the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LGcomms – the UK’s national body for local government communicators. We are well positioned and have always had the best interest for the country and collaborate with local stakeholders to uplift its diverse standards and maintain the highest standards of ethical practice.