Chelgate analysis: Romanian communication industry’s trends in 2014

Chelgate Public Affairs & Public Relations Romania made, in the beginning of the year (January and February), an analysis (available in Romanian) to see which are the trends in the Romanian communication industry this year, compared to 2013.

The study gathered answers to 21 questions from 22 multinational companies from domains like retail, FMCG, IT, auto, financial-banking, pharma and travel.

Communication industry is a very competitive environment, in continuous transformation, which determines the specialists to develop fast new competencies to align with the new trends. As the budgets remain the same, the newly acquired know how help them implement impact and efficient projects in terms of costs involved

Mirela Meita,

General Manager Chelgate Romania

According to the analysis, the main challenge the communication managers face in 2014 is to answer their companies’ needs to attract as high as possible audiences via different communication channels using a limited budget (73% subjects pointed that out).

Other challenges for communicators this year are adapting the communication strategy to online’s evolution and development (59%), building and maintaining a good reputation for the organization (55%), redefining the relation between marketing and PR  (27%), adapting communication strategy to company’s sustainability and social responsibility politic (23%), and mapping the communication strategy for each of company’s business segments

When it comes of online communication, the most used instruments are social networks, mainly Facebook, videos and blogs. The trend is to focus on multimedia communication and focus less on traditional techniques, in order to get closer to the target publics and involve in companies’ activities. Companies also aim to adapt to the mobile environment, as the number of mobile internet users is growing.

In most companies, communication budgets for 2014 remained to the same level as in 2013. Most of the companies that answered to analysis’ questions had over Euro 100,000 budgeted for communication (55%), while 14% had 50.000 – 100.000, 18% between 25.000 – 50.000 and 13% – under Euro 10.000.

Same as last year, companies will continue to work with PR agencies for projects and punctual activities, as they need an extended area of expertise or too much workload internally.

Most of the companies aim to develop campaigns with a social component, with storytelling to be also in 2014 the key word, translated in building stories to reach emotionally the target and influence its involvement in the campaigns