One trend we’ve noticed at Eulogy! is the movement of public relations from agency to in-house, particularly in the B2B space, and drilling down even further – most noticeably within the marketing services and media sectors. Having spent over a decade agency-side and with no in-house experience to my name, I’m definitely not the person to write a well balanced appraisal of the pros and cons of each – I suspect if I did, agency would win. Yet, with a number of friends opting to move in-house over the last few years, and having worked very closely with in-house comms teams at organisations such as Royal Mail, GyroHSR and JWT I am not blind to the advantages that having dedicated resource affords a business (although would obviously argue voraciously against).

That said over the last few weeks I have noticed a series of articles within both the national and trade media focusing on the phenomenon that is groupthink – such as this one in The Telegraph, which blames groupthink for the financial crisis and this one in Money Marketing, which talks about the dangers of groupthink on policy.

Stepping down a bit from the recession and financial policy it is widely recognised that groupthink can also be a destructive force and a real issue for businesses. At its worst it stifles creativity and independent thinking often stilting development, which can ultimately impact the bottom line of an organisation. Typically, however, it manifests itself by championing a status quo and all too often businesses find themselves getting on with the day to day jobs without looking at the bigger picture and creating regular challenges. This I believe is where outsourcing (irrespective of discipline) can really add its value. Working with teams that know you well, but ultimately sit outside of the business, can help inspire and ignite ideas and forward thinking.  This is precisely why we work with people such as the (marvellous) Amber Group, to challenge our thinking and assist us with our own direction. The fact that consultancies, such as PR, have this ability is what I enjoy most about agency life.

But there are two sides to every story. No one can argue that the government does have a tricky task mopping the fevered brow of a nation under duress from swine flu panic and ongoing financial disasters. These issues alone require constant communication with the public, and some sections of society perhaps justifiably believe that helpful messages still aren’t reaching them at vital times.

From a PR point of view, the government remains one of the industry’s biggest paymasters. The COI figures reveal that spend on news and PR grew by 52% year on year from £26.9m to £40.9m. It’s interesting to note also that digital marketing spend rose by 84% to £40m. I’m sure some of this wad was splashed out on combined campaigns, harnessing the growing power and reach of joint PR and online messaging.

COI chief executive and advertising grandee Mark Lund believes “the need for government to communicate with the public is greater than ever as society faces challenges such as obesity, climate change and the recession – government campaigns can help save lives and save money.” Assuming COI doesn’t enter General Election purdah before the financial year ends, could it be that we will see the PR budget rise even more sharply next year?

Yet purists and mathematicians will argue that giving 110% is an unachievable goal. If 100% is everything, how can anyone possibly deliver anything more? 

But whether the phrase is correct or not, the sentiment is one which is increasingly championed in business.

Indeed, we always aim to deliver our clients 110%.  We do the job, and then some.  It’s going the extra mile; the cherry on the cake; going beyond the call of duty. 

More clichés than you can shake a press release at, but especially in these difficult times, as every business carefully monitors any budget it spends, being able to give that little bit extra can help to show PR as a necessary and worthwhile investment. 

It does of course mean we’re busier than ever, but the goal of giving our clients 110% (so ultimately our efforts have a positive impact on their own business objectives) is a pretty good reason to jump out of bed in the mornings!

But, as we all know, slacking is no longer the optimum way of keeping hold of your job in this troublesome climate. (In fact, one of the recurring themes at shows so far this year seems to be touting your services for a new job, rather than looking for fresh business leads, if 2009’s TFM&A is anything to go by.)

This job insecurity might be especially pertinent for event organisers. Marketing services stalwarts such as the IDMF and the DM Show have been consigned to the dustbin of history already, so there’s no room for anyone in conferences and exhibitions to rest on their laurels.

That said, the two-day, four-shows-in-one format adopted by Centaur for Marketing Week Live earlier this summer seems to have struck a chord. Not only did it give greater focus to several sprawling shows, it also allowed exhibitors, marketers and other visitors to chinwag with people they might not necessarily have made acquaintance with otherwise.

Anecdotally, the event was well received by visitors and exhibitors and, it has to be said, PR people on the hunt for new business leads. So despite the fact that large sections of the industry have been hamstrung by budget cuts this year, the business of show seems alive and kicking.

The fact remains: bad news sells.

So as we see the first tentative green shoots of economic recovery, the question should be posed, can we talk ourselves out of this mess, just like we were talked into it?

In very simple terms, convincing the public that things are on the up can only stand to increase their overall confidence, and with any luck begin to encourage them to start spending.  Thus, the more people spend, the greater the demand for products and services, and the more profitable businesses and manufacturers will become. 

Sounds like a job for PR if you ask me.