PR Statistics: 2024 Global Comms Report by the Numbers

The 2024 Cision and PRWeek Global Comms Report surveyed more than 400 senior PR and communications professionals across the world to get their perspective on the industry’s biggest trends and challenges.

The full report is available to download now, but if you’re looking for quick takeaways, we’ve pulled out key PR statistics from the report’s global data to give you food for thought. You can also view these PR stats by downloading the infographic below.

PR Statistics: Influencing Decision Makers

92% of communications leaders who participated in the Global Comms Report agree that the C-Suite has sought comms’ counsel more in the past 12 months than in previous years.&

Key takeaway: Comms teams now have a seat at the table and the ability to influence decisions, but with that comes an expectation to move the business needle and deliver proof of revenue and customer growth.

PR Statistics: Data and Analytics

42% of comms leaders say they are "very much so" relying on data and analytics this year – a significant uptick from the 30% who said the same last year.

Key takeaway: Organizational leaders must strive for data literacy and ensure their business does the same. Being able to monitor, measure, and interpret what the data means to them will also ensure teams can use it to inform and refine PR strategy going forward.

From the figures below, it’s clear that “ability to identify and invest in the best tools for my team” is the biggest challenge in both Europe and APAC (at 61% and 63% respectively), but it only registers at 28% from U.S. respondents. Of greater concern for U.S. PRs is the need to secure appropriate budgets (at 60%).

PR Statistics: Measuring Effectiveness

50% of communications leaders cite "inability to measure impact effectively" as one of their biggest challenges. In fact, only 25% of comms leaders agree "very much so" that they have the necessary tools to effectively measure and demonstrate the impact of their work.

Key takeaway: PR and comms teams need to invest in tools to demonstrate the impact they’re having on the bottom line. Platforms like CisionOne can help here with monitoring and social listening capabilities.

PR Statistics: Dealing with Crises

21% of global comms leaders would rate their current ability to prevent crises before they happen as "excellent."

Key takeaway: When crises happen, they can be devastating. What happens next is critical. Teams should embrace an “always on” approach and have a full plan (that’s continuously being refined) in place to execute when required.

PR Statistics: Content Creation

45% of communications leaders identified content creation as a top priority... whereas only 33% rate themselves as "excellent" at articulating a compelling brand story.

Key takeaway: Making good content requires time, skill, and investment in the right creative tools. Monitoring traditional and social media conversation can help you understand messaging that resonates and inform engaging audience content. From there you can begin to understand the story you want to tell and align on messaging, from the C-suite through to creatives.

PR Statistics: Generative AI Adoption

32% of communications teams are using generative AI regularly; 33% are using it, but infrequently; and 27% are considering starting to use it.

Key takeaway: Generative AI is still in its infancy within PR and comms, but it’s clearly not something to be ignored. Teams that make AI part of their overall strategy today have the potential to gain a competitive advantage and will benefit in the long term.

PR Statistics: Connecting with Reporters

Only 22% of corporate comms leaders rate their teams as "excellent" in their ability to identify and collaborate with the right journalists to tell their stories.

Key takeaway: Forging relationships with journalists can be a challenge for PR and comms teams. Working with a media database provider, like CisionOne’s Outreach platform, can help you assemble a list of relevant reporters quickly and get timely pitches into their inboxes.

PR Statistics: Finding Impactful Influencers

"Everyday consumers" beat out all other types of influencers – including celebrities – in terms of the impact on their brand, according to 57% of comms leaders.

Key takeaway: Brands should look at ways to engage consumers to help further their brand story. One way is to make social listening part of your strategy to find people talking about you online, understand the messages that resonate, and uncover opportunities to engage further. And if you struggle with identifying the right influencers for your efforts, a comprehensive media database can help you quickly find relevant media influencers to partner with and amplify your brand’s story.

PR Statistics: Social Media Strategy

31% of comms leaders intend to add Threads to their social media strategies this year, while Instagram is gaining on Facebook’s lead as the top social media channel of choice.

Key takeaway: Social media doesn’t sit still. New channels are emerging constantly (while others are seeing a decrease engagement), so ensure your social strategy is nimble enough to experiment with emerging platforms – but ensure efforts are focused on the feeds that deliver the most engagement and ROI.

Making Sense of the Data

These PR statistics shed light on how your industry peers and competitors are evolving their tactics and strategies amid new technologies and higher expectations from CEOs – as well as the obstacles they are encountering along the way. Use these insights to your advantage: Consider how you can apply these learnings to your own strategy and turn others’ challenges into your opportunities.

For more industry insights, download the full 2024 Global Comms Report.

Find out how Cision can help your team meet your top challenges and stand out among industry peers by speaking to one of our experts.