CIPR’s STATE OF THE PROFESSION 2018: THE IMPACT OF AI AND NEW TECHNOLOGY ON PUBLIC RELATIONS




By Anthony Olabode Ayodele (Chart.PR, MCIPR, FIIM IDM CPD Award 2017 & 2018) 

 Highlighting the fact that elements of ‘the most commonly undertaken activities in PR (established as ‘copywriting, editing and Media Relations’- alongside Social Media Relations – another big-time PR activity) are at risk of automation, CIPR’s most recently released State of the Profession (2018) report brings PR’s Practitioners face to face with the question whether they are really prepared for the continuous change the future is set to ‘impact’ upon the profession.

An over two-minute video summary on the report goes further to state PR ‘faces a longer-term challenge to establish new sources of value to counter the risk posed by Artificial Intelligence and New Technology’. Proponents of the latter two elements however would argue rather than poise as a risk A.I and New Technology enhance the profession. The question remains whether activities that require their introduction remain traditional PR or the profession is being overtaken by other disciplines. The big question is: are PR Practitioners on the verge of seeing the emergence of a branch of PR redefined and tagged as ‘Digital PR?

Benstock, General Manager and VP at Paragon Honda – a car dealer, put it this way: ‘what’s best for the customer is best for business’! The dictates of the day indicate that A.I and Automation are holding sway in our day to day lives.

 According to an online platform, Flevy, ‘technology is shifting from playing the role of the business enabler to that of the business driver.‘ Digital Transformation is being embraced by companies across most industries…’ Flevy states this is ‘driven by six Technology Trends being: Social Media, Mobility, Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, Big Data and Cloud’!  

It is not just PR as a profession that is faced with this Paradigm Shift. Rob Norman, of GroupM North America’s ‘said marketers shouldn’t fear ‘the move toward automation’ which ‘will only create more need for the work marketers do to build relevant, assistive brands’.

With regards to HR, Kouichi Shirayanagi quoting the Wall Street Journal points out a banks 3500 employee survey which usually took three months to produced, produced ‘almost instant results’ when handled by A.I.
Then there’s the issue of not embracing or ignoring A.I and Technology. The same CIPR State of the Profession 2018 report states ‘1 in 6 PR professionals surveyed admitted experiencing mental health issues… More than double’ the figure of the previous year, when six per cent said the same’.
Is there a positive correlation between A.I and automation and mental Health cases in PR? Probably! BBC states: ‘In many factories, humans already work alongside robots - some think feelings of displacement could have knock-on effects on mental health…’!
Trendkite again states: ‘The advancement of artificial intelligence is excellent news for PR pros’ .. . but ‘terrible news for organizations and folks who refuse to evolve because they will be outperformed by the competition and ultimately left behind’. Even CIPR, the regulatory body For PR Practitioners, this year used statistics from ONS - an organisation that has fully embraced A.I in its work. Welcome to the future, A.I, Automation and New Technology!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anthony Olabode Ayodele is the CEO/Principal Partner of   Ideas, Concepts, and Products (ICP Media).
 He is a Chartered PR Practitioner, a back-to-back IDM CPD Award 2017 & 2018 recipient and a Fellow of the Institute of Information Management (FIIM).
 He is also the Founder of Improving Public Relations for Africans in Diaspora (IPRAID), a body made up of Public Relation Influencers in Diaspora aimed at increasing the influence and membership of BME PR Practitioners in mainstream regulatory PR bodies.
 He holds a BSc in Business Management Travel and Tourism Pathway from Plymouth University. He is also Harvard University (Leaders of Learning) and World Bank (Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risks for Development) Certified.
 Ayodele additionally has Diplomas in Public Relations and Project Management. He is a qualified trainer having completed a Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS)  course obtaining the certificate for training.
He is an elected Board Member (also serving as the General Secretary of it Social Tenant and Engagement Committee) of the Wenlock Barn TMO Board and just in February 2018 was nominated/elected to serve as a member of the CIPR's Education and Skills Committee during the latter's AGM held in Manchester.
 He operates from and is based in London, UK.

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