Communications – the cruellest cut?

Posted in Communications, General News

We all knew it was coming but George Osborne’s recent announcement that £1.5 billion will be lopped off consultancy costs – including communications spend – has sent a shudder through the UK’s public sector comms teams.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s marketing, media and creative sector group has argued that investing in government communications is crucial in the current climate, given an already distrustful electorate.

But, in the swings and roundabouts of public sector / private sector fortunes,  the position of internal communicators isn’t as precarious as one might think.  “The recession has meant that in-house PR’s have had to work hard to keep employees motivated and engaged, conveying often difficult corporate messages throughout,” says Lynne Wilkins, The Works Co-Director. “Their profile will be further raised because of the need to keep employees, shareholders and customers informed about upcoming changes in policy, ” adds Lynne.

The strengthened position of internal communicators is borne out by a recent survey,  which found that 68% of respondents reported that their senior executive teams are either generally supportive or active champions of the discipline, a 12% increase on this time last year.

Which can only be good news for those looking for promotion or new in-house communications positions…