WPP highlights growth of PR globally

"Public relations saw some of the greatest growth in the group, aided by social networking sites and polling" Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP was quoted in the Financial Times (6th March 2009) referring to its end of year results for 2008. This continues the trend which WPP highlighted of PR currently growing fastest of any of its disciplines in its previous Annual Report and Accounts.

Apart from the headline figure, the significance of this for PR is that WPP as one of the world's leading marketing communication groups is specifically identifying PR as an increasingly important component of its operations and so in turn this will influence the planning within global and national organisations worldwide as they consider their marketing and communication budgets. The WPP Report and Accounts over the last 15 years one imagines would provide an interesting historical record of the growth of PR alongside other "promotional culture" disciplines such as marketing, advertising etc.