Ragan’s Communications Benchmark Report Shows Importance of Communications in Organizations

Ask anyone working in the field of communications throughout the last year — there was certainly no shortage of communications needs at any organization! But, just how transformative have the last 12 months of public health, economic, and social-justice crises been to communicators?

In Ragan’s third annual Communications Benchmark Report, an exclusive study from Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council, results from the more than 750 respondents show that communications professionals found their roles more vital than ever before.

Overall, respondents felt that direct access to senior leadership increased throughout 2020. Many respondents also noted that they formed important and new connections with peers in other departments, such as HR, finance and workplace wellness.

The survey also found that:

• Approximately 46% of respondents said they did not create a crisis communications plan in 2020. About 69% of respondents said they had a crisis plan prior to 2020, which suggests that many moved forward with their existing plans through 2020.
• Survey respondents were pleased with their organization’s communications efforts, with an 11 percentage gain from last year’s survey. Some noted that more integration of internal and external communications efforts, or more story telling, could improve communications even more.
• Communicators feel that the most significant obstacle in producing effective communications is receiving too many last-minute requests. Other barriers include a lack of staff, lack of budget or too many distractions.

Looking ahead, survey results suggest that moving forward:

• There will be an increased focus on communicating with remote workers
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be an increased focus.
• Technology will continue to change the landscape, including artificial intelligence and mobile communications.
• Many respondents noted that if they were given the chance to increase departmental spending, they would invest in more full time staff members.

To read the full report, visit the Ragan website.