PRCAI unveils new client-consultancy partnership charter to enhance PR industry standards

Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter offers framework to streamline operations, boost transparency, and strengthen client-agency engagement.

The Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) announced the launch of its new Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter. These guidelines aim to improve collaboration and efficiency in the industry, reflecting PRCAI’s commitment to an ethical and professional PR sector.

The Public Relations industry is set for growth, with PRCAI SPRINT 2024* indicating a 19.6 percent increase in FY 2022-2023, reaching Rs 2,500 crore from Rs 2,100 crore in FY 2021-2022. PRCAI is focusing on three key areas: Request For Proposal, Collaborative Work Environment, and Artificial Intelligence code of conduct guidelines to strengthen the industry.

"The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter is a testament to our commitment to innovate and strive for excellence as the PR industry continues to grow and mature further," said Deeptie Sethi, CEO of PRCAI. "These guidelines are not just about aligning client and consultancy efforts but can be a powerful tool to achieve shared objectives and help to have gold standard behaviour spelt out for all to embrace."

Despite robust growth, the PR industry in India faces significant challenges, including financial disparities between client budgets and rising consultancy costs, expectation gaps between clients and consultancies, a persistent shortage of skilled talent, and certain operational inefficiencies. The Client-Consultancy Partnership Charter addresses these issues head-on, providing a comprehensive framework to streamline operations, enhance transparency, uphold ethical standards, and improve client-agency engagement.

Neha Mehrotra, national chair for standardisation and growth at PRCAI, said: "The standardisation guidelines are designed to address the contemporary challenges faced by the PR industry and will pave the way for a more cohesive and effective working environment. Through transparent communication, respect for commercial priorities, and the ethical integration of emerging technologies, these guidelines will empower all PR practitioners to deliver superior results with exceptional impact and value."

The collaborative efforts to develop these guidelines have been monumental, where PRCAI brought together 35 industry experts, represented by different size and scale of PR firms and seasoned corporate communication experts through closed door workshops.

With a combined experience of 1,000 years, over 100 days, these professionals dedicated 400 hours in crafting precise guidelines for standardisation. This intense collaboration exemplifies the industry’s collective passion for elevating standards and driving positive change.

Minari Shah, a member of PRCAI and director, International (APAC, EU, LATAM) – Owned content and channels, Amazon, said, "This initiative by PRCAI is a positive step forward in professionalising our industry and ensuring that all parties work together harmoniously. The guidelines are the start of bringing much-needed clarity and structure to clients and agency collaborations. By clearly defining expectations and focusing on transparency and accountability, they could help pave the way for stronger and more productive relationships between clients and consultancies."

"This initiative by PRCAI attempts to build a level playing field for a strong client-consultancy partnership in this new digital era. The AI guidelines are essential for every single PR practitioner, not only for ensuring ethical and responsible use of technology but also for nurturing trust with key stakeholders through a fair and accurate use of data, insights and information," said Seema Siddiqui, former director of communications, Microsoft India.

PRCAI encourages its members, including fifty PR firms and several practitioners to embrace the new code of conduct guidelines, which serves as a guiding framework rather than binding regulations.