Public Relations and Communications Association

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is a trade association for the public relations sector in the United Kingdom. The association lobbies on behalf of its member companies and also provides a forum for sharing information.[1] It is the largest PR association in Europe, with more than 12,000 members including agencies, in-house communications teams and individual media professionals.[2]

PRCA Office Interior
Public Relations and Communications Association
FormerlyPublic Relations Consultants Association (1969-2016)
TypePublic
IndustryTrade association
Founded1969 (as Public Relations Consultants Association)
2016 (as Public Relations and Communications Association)
United Kingdom
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Number of locations
United Nations
San Francisco, California, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Websitewww.prca.org.uk

The PRCA aims to raise standards in the PR and communications industry by sharing industry data, information, and best practices, as well as creating networking opportunities.[2]

History

It was founded in 1969 (as the Public Relations Consultants Association), and was originally an organisation for PR agencies; its membership includes 400 agency members, including most of the top 100 UK consultancies; over 100 in-house communications teams from multinationals, UK charities and public sector organisations. The PRCA launched in-house membership in February 2009 and individual membership in October 2011.[3]

In 2001, the PRCA sought a meeting with the Financial Services Authority to develop a code of practice for financial PR consultants.[4]

The PRCA was one of three organisations which founded the UK lobbying self-regulation body, the UK Public Affairs Council, in 2010 - alongside the Association of Professional Political Consultants and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.[5] However, the PRCA resigned from the UKPAC the following year, in December 2011.[6]

It changed its name to the Public Relations and Communications Association in August 2016.[7]

The PRCA expelled Bell Pottinger in September 2017 after a disciplinary hearing found that a secret campaign by the company to spread racial hatred in South Africa was the worst-ever breach of ethics by a member company. Francis Ingham, the PRCA's director-general, said: "the PRCA has never before passed down such a damning indictment of an agency’s behaviour," and condemning the campaign, which incited racial hatred, as "absolutely unthinkable".[8][9]

Governance review

In April 2022, a leading member of the PRCA - John Brown, founder of agency Don’t Cry Wolf - formally raised concerns about Ingham's "increasingly erratic" behaviour, actions and comments, particularly in relation to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The complaint was not investigated, and in October 2022 Brown cancelled his agency's membership.[10] Other agencies also raised concerns about the PRCA's governance, and a "comprehensive governance review" by an independent panel was instigated.[11][12] The panel's membership was announced in November 2022 with the review scheduled to be completed by March 2023.[13] The Financial Times reported agencies' concerns about Ingham's "weird chest beating" rhetoric on Russia, which was said to have put PR professionals in danger of Russian retribution - in September 2022, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had placed 30 people, including Ingham and another PR professional, on its black list, banning them from visiting Russia.[14] Ingham believed he might have to resign as director-general, but intended to pursue legal action against the PRCA's board if he was forced out.[14] However, on 16 March 2023, the PRCA announced that Ingham, aged 47, had died after a short illness.[15][16][17]

Arms
Coat of arms of Public Relations and Communications Association
Notes
Granted in 1976.
Crest
An ibis crouching Proper.[18]
Escutcheon
Per pale Sable and Or a chevron composed of annulets interlaced and counterchanged.

See also

References
  1. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100807034701/http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/gcreview/evidence/prca.pdf
  2. "Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)". GCS - Government Communication Service. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  3. "PRCA launches individual memberships for PR professionals". Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  4. Julia Day (14 November 2001). "PR body plans to work with City watchdog | Media | MediaGuardian". London: Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  5. "The History of UKPAC". UK Public Affairs Council. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  6. "CIPR responds to PRCA decision to leave UKPAC". CIPR news, 9 December 2011. CIPR. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  7. Griggs, Ian (12 August 2016). "A whole new word: PRCA announces new name and brand refresh". PR Week. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  8. Key, Alys; Harris, Julian (4 September 2017). "Bell Pottinger senior management criticised in damning South Africa report as chief executive resigns". City AM. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  9. Sweney, Mark (4 September 2017). "Bell Pottinger expelled from PR trade body after South Africa racism row". Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  10. Brown, John (15 October 2022). "WE'RE OUT OF HERE, PRCA (15 October 2022)". Don't Cry Wolf. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  11. Halliwell, James (18 October 2022). "Francis Ingham: 'I stand by my record' as PRCA vows to investigate". PR Week. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  12. Dunne, Helen (19 October 2022). "The PRCA and the issue of governance". CorpComms. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  13. Pawinska Sims, Maja (23 November 2022). "PRCA Appoints Independent Panel For Governance Review". PRovoke Media. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  14. Alim, Arjun Neil (28 November 2022). "Global PR trade body at war over Ukraine comments". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  15. Harrington, John (16 March 2023). "PRCA director general Francis Ingham dies". PR Week. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  16. Sims, Maja Pawinska (16 March 2023). "PRCA Director General Francis Ingham Dies". PRovoke Media. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  17. Thomas, Andrew (16 March 2023). "Francis Ingham, PRCA director-general, dies following a short illness". Communicate Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  18. "Public Relations Consultants Association". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  19. "The Art of Perception by Bob Leaf". Public Relations Consultants Association. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.


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