Key Takeaways
- The global public relations market size was valued at $129 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $249 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.6%.
- U.S. PR industry revenue reached $15.2 billion in 2023, up 5.4% from the previous year.
- The PR software market is expected to grow from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $13.6 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 14.5%.
- There were approximately 198,000 public relations specialists employed in the U.S. in 2023.
- PR industry workforce in the U.S. grew by 2.1% from 2022 to 2023, adding 4,100 jobs.
- Globally, PR professionals number over 1.2 million as of 2024 estimates.
- 65% of PR campaigns now incorporate social media, up from 45% in 2020.
- 82% of PR pros use TikTok for campaigns in 2024.
- Average earned media value (EMV) from social PR posts: $4.2 per $1 spent in 2023.
- Average PR agency budget allocation to digital/social: 42% in 2023.
- U.S. companies spent $5.4 billion on PR services in 2023.
- Global PR spending per capita highest in U.S. at $45 annually 2023.
- 67% of PR campaigns report positive ROI exceeding 3:1 in 2023.
- Average media impressions per PR campaign: 250 million globally 2023.
- 74% of executives credit PR for reputation enhancement post-campaign.
The global PR industry is booming, driven by digital growth and strong returns on investment.
Budgets and Spending
- Average PR agency budget allocation to digital/social: 42% in 2023.
- U.S. companies spent $5.4 billion on PR services in 2023.
- Global PR spending per capita highest in U.S. at $45 annually 2023.
- In-house PR budgets grew 7% to average $2.1M per Fortune 1000 firm 2023.
- Agency fees account for 55% of total PR expenditures globally.
- Digital PR tools spending up 28% to $1.2B in agencies 2023.
- Crisis PR retainers average $250,000 annually for mid-size firms.
- Influencer PR partnerships budgeted at 15% of total marketing spend 2024.
- UK businesses allocate 3.2% of marketing budget to PR on average.
- Event PR spending recovered to $3.8B globally post-2023.
- Tech sector PR budgets average $4.5M per company in U.S. 2023.
- 22% of PR budgets now go to content creation services.
- Healthcare PR spending totals $1.9B in Europe 2023.
- Average retainer fee for boutique PR agencies: $15,000/month.
- Measurement and analytics tools: 12% of PR budget allocation 2024.
- Consumer goods firms spend 2.8% of revenue on PR annually.
- Global ad agencies cross-sell PR services worth $8.7B 2023.
- Startup PR launch budgets average $75,000 for first year.
- Non-profit PR spending per org: $450,000 average 2023 U.S.
- Travel and hospitality PR budgets up 19% to $2.1B in 2023.
- Enterprise software firms allocate $1.8M to PR yearly.
- Wire services expenditure in PR: $900M globally 2023.
- ESG PR initiatives budgeted at 18% of corporate comms spend.
- Media training sessions cost average $5,200 per executive annually.
- Pitching software tools annual subscription: $12,000 avg per agency.
- Financial services PR spend: $6.2B in U.S. 2023.
- Awards and recognition PR entries cost $2.5M industry-wide yearly.
- B2B SaaS PR monthly retainers average $18,500.
Budgets and Spending Interpretation
Digital and Social Media Trends
- 65% of PR campaigns now incorporate social media, up from 45% in 2020.
- 82% of PR pros use TikTok for campaigns in 2024.
- Average earned media value (EMV) from social PR posts: $4.2 per $1 spent in 2023.
- 71% of organizations use AI tools for social listening in PR, 2024 survey.
- Video content drives 78% of social media engagement in PR campaigns 2023.
- 56% of PR teams prioritize SEO-optimized press releases in 2024.
- Instagram Reels generate 22% higher engagement for PR than static posts.
- 92% of PR professionals monitor brand mentions on social media daily.
- User-generated content used in 67% of digital PR strategies 2023.
- LinkedIn drives 45% of B2B PR lead generation via social 2024.
- 48% increase in short-form video usage for PR since 2022.
- Sentiment analysis accuracy with AI in social PR: 89% in 2023 tools.
- 75% of crises now break first on social media, per 2024 PR study.
- Podcast mentions in PR boosted reach by 34% for brands in 2023.
- 61% of PR teams use influencer collaborations on social platforms weekly.
- Twitter (X) real-time engagement peaks at 2.5x during live PR events.
- 83% of millennials discover brands via social media PR in 2024.
- AR filters in PR social campaigns increase shares by 29%.
- Email newsletters integrated in 52% of digital PR funnels 2023.
- Social commerce sales from PR-driven posts: $79 billion globally 2023.
- 94% of PR firms use analytics dashboards for social performance tracking.
- Live streaming used in 39% of product launch PR strategies 2024.
- Negative social sentiment resolved 24 hours faster with AI PR tools.
- YouTube Shorts adoption in PR up 41% YoY in 2023.
- 68% of PR ROI measured via social media impressions 2024.
- Metaverse PR events attended by 1.2 million virtual users in 2023.
- Social listening tools used by 88% of enterprise PR teams.
- PR-driven viral challenges on TikTok average 50M views each in 2024.
- Cross-platform social PR campaigns yield 18% higher engagement.
- NFT promotions via social PR generated $1.5B in brand value 2023.
Digital and Social Media Trends Interpretation
Effectiveness and ROI
- 67% of PR campaigns report positive ROI exceeding 3:1 in 2023.
- Average media impressions per PR campaign: 250 million globally 2023.
- 74% of executives credit PR for reputation enhancement post-campaign.
- PR drives 27% more website traffic than paid ads per dollar spent.
- Brand awareness lift from PR: average 23% measured via surveys 2023.
- Crisis PR recovery time reduced by 40% with proactive strategies.
- 82% of B2B buyers influenced by thought leadership PR content.
- Earned media value averages $5.50 per $1 invested in PR 2023.
- Share of voice gained via PR: 15% average increase for clients.
- 91% of PR pros report campaigns met or exceeded objectives 2023.
- Lead generation from PR: 2.6x higher quality than other channels.
- Reputation score improvement: +18 points post major PR effort.
- 56% sales increase attributed to integrated PR/marketing campaigns.
- Media pickup rate for optimized press releases: 42% in 2023.
- Influencer PR endorsements boost purchase intent by 28%.
- ESG PR campaigns yield 4.5x ROI in stakeholder trust.
- 73% of crises mitigated with under 10% budget overrun via PR.
- Thought leadership articles generate 3x more inbound leads.
- PR measurement using AMEC framework adopted by 68%, improving ROI tracking.
- Event PR attendance uplift: 35% via targeted media outreach.
- 64% of CMOs say PR most effective for long-term brand building.
- Average AVEs deprecated; new PR value model shows 4:1 ROI.
- Digital PR backlinks average 150 per campaign, boosting SEO 22%.
- 79% customer retention improvement linked to consistent PR.
- Viral PR stunts achieve 10x reach at 1/3 cost of traditional ads.
- 51% revenue growth for startups with dedicated PR in first 2 years.
- Sentiment positivity shift: +31% after targeted PR interventions.
- PR contributes 19% to overall marketing ROI in enterprise firms.
- 88% of award-winning PR campaigns delivered measurable business outcomes.
- Healthcare PR patient acquisition cost reduced 27% via earned media.
- Tech PR product launches see 2.8x demo requests post-coverage.
Effectiveness and ROI Interpretation
Employment Statistics
- There were approximately 198,000 public relations specialists employed in the U.S. in 2023.
- PR industry workforce in the U.S. grew by 2.1% from 2022 to 2023, adding 4,100 jobs.
- Globally, PR professionals number over 1.2 million as of 2024 estimates.
- Women comprise 70% of the PR workforce in the U.S., according to 2023 data.
- Average salary for PR managers in the U.S. was $137,160 annually in 2023.
- UK PR sector employs 92,000 people directly, per 2023 PRCA census.
- Entry-level PR specialists in U.S. earn median $62,800 per year in 2023.
- 25% of PR professionals worldwide are freelancers or contractors in 2024.
- India’s PR industry employs over 150,000 professionals in 2023.
- PR agency staff turnover rate averages 22% annually in the U.S., 2023 survey.
- Millennials make up 52% of global PR workforce in 2024.
- Australia has 12,500 PR practitioners registered in 2023.
- Senior PR executives (VP level) number 15,200 in U.S. firms, 2023.
- 18% growth in PR jobs in Canada from 2018-2023.
- Global PR education graduates annually: 45,000 from accredited programs.
- PR roles in tech sector U.S. employment up 35% since 2020 to 28,000 in 2023.
- Diversity: 78% white workforce in U.S. PR, 2023 Commission study.
- Average tenure for PR directors is 4.2 years in agencies, 2023 data.
- Brazil PR professionals total 35,000 in 2023.
- Remote work adoption: 62% of PR staff fully remote post-2023.
- PR account executives entry jobs: 45,000 openings U.S. annually.
- Gen Z entering PR: 15% of new hires in 2023 globally.
- PR consultants independent: 120,000 worldwide in 2024.
- U.S. PR job growth projected 6% from 2023-2033.
- South Africa PR Council members employ 8,200 staff in 2023.
- PR managers with 10+ years experience: 28% of workforce U.S., 2023.
- Global PR internship positions filled: 22,000 yearly average.
- Female C-suite PR executives: 41% in U.S. agencies 2023.
- Top 150 PR agencies employ 65,000 people globally in 2023.
- Number of PR agencies in U.S. reached 12,500 in 2023.
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Market Size and Growth
- The global public relations market size was valued at $129 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $249 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.6%.
- U.S. PR industry revenue reached $15.2 billion in 2023, up 5.4% from the previous year.
- The PR software market is expected to grow from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $13.6 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 14.5%.
- Asia-Pacific PR market is forecasted to expand at the highest CAGR of 8.2% from 2024 to 2030 due to digital adoption.
- European PR services market size was $28.4 billion in 2023, with a projected CAGR of 6.8% through 2030.
- Global PR market grew by 11% in 2022 to exceed $100 billion for the first time.
- U.S. PR agency billings increased to $14.8 billion in 2022, reflecting post-pandemic recovery.
- The influencer marketing segment within PR is projected to reach $24 billion globally by 2025.
- PR market in India grew at 15% CAGR from 2018-2023, reaching $1.2 billion in 2023.
- Latin America PR market expected to grow from $4.5 billion in 2024 to $7.2 billion by 2030 at 8.1% CAGR.
- Middle East PR market valued at $2.8 billion in 2023, with 9.2% CAGR projected to 2028.
- UK PR industry revenue hit £15 billion in 2023, up 7% YoY.
- Crisis communications segment of PR market to grow at 9.5% CAGR to $18 billion by 2030.
- Corporate communications PR sub-market expected to reach $85 billion globally by 2027.
- PR consulting market in North America valued at $12.3 billion in 2023.
- Global PR agency market share held by top 250 firms was 28% of total $129 billion in 2023.
- Digital PR tools market projected to grow from $4.1 billion in 2023 to $11.2 billion by 2030.
- Australian PR market reached AUD 2.5 billion in 2023, growing 6.3% annually.
- Healthcare PR market globally valued at $6.7 billion in 2023, CAGR 7.9% to 2030.
- Technology PR segment expected to dominate with 32% market share by 2030.
- Global PR market CAGR averaged 5.2% from 2019-2023 despite COVID disruptions.
- China's PR industry grew to RMB 45 billion ($6.4 billion) in 2023 at 12% YoY.
- B2B PR market projected at $45 billion by 2028, growing 6.8% CAGR.
- Event management PR niche to reach $15.4 billion globally by 2027.
- Sustainable PR practices market segment growing at 10.2% CAGR to $20 billion by 2030.
- U.S. in-house PR departments budget grew 4.8% to $8.5 billion in 2023.
- Global multimedia PR services market at $22 billion in 2024, CAGR 8.5%.
- PR market in Africa valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, projected 11% CAGR.
- Food and beverage PR sector to grow from $3.2 billion to $5.8 billion by 2030.
- Overall PR industry global revenue forecast at $200 billion by 2028.
Market Size and Growth Interpretation
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