Hidden away within the mountain of statistics in the PR and Communications Census 2018 are details about the regional and national differences. It appears that the regions and nations vary significantly in terms of diversity, evaluation, and the top duties that are undertaken.
It would be fascinating to try to understand why the North West has just 4% of people who are not White British, or why Northern Ireland still has 24% of people who think AVEs are the way to evaluate. And who knows why one of the top duties in Wales is 'providing information (to the public/shareholders)'?
Whenever I talk to communications professionals around the country I am always struck by the similarities rather than the differences. We are often dealing with the same issues, facing the same problems and wrestling with the same challenges. The pressure on us is similar and as it states in the Census we are all spending more and more of our day working.
So why are there so many differences in the responses? Is it because of local work and initiatives, for example to address diversity? Is it because there are active PR and communications professionals working to change attitudes? Is it because there are strong networks sharing information and good practice?
The key will be to find a way to unlock the details of the regional breakdowns and start to share the best of each of the areas around the country. We can then help each other to develop the profession to the benefit of everyone.
As the report was published I was already asking "What next?" How do we get involved to ensure that the next Census has seen the industry develop as we want it to? The key is to talk about the findings and then to come up with actions that we can all help to deliver. Let’s start the discussion about building on the positive and addressing the areas for improvement.