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W7Worldwide, a Saudi homegrown PR consultancy agency, released a report, titled “Making the PR Impact in the Digital Age,” focusing on the state of the PR industry, its relations with market forces, its challenges, and contributions to Vision 2030 in the face of technological changes in the world.
The W7Worldwide report, which shines a spotlight on useful data, is also a telling commentary on the impact digital has brought about on traditional media, which is “fast going out of fashion.” It is being replaced by online platforms, throwing new challenges for the public relations industry.
“The world today is undergoing a sea of change. As society goes digital, the whole gamut of our behavior and business, education and careers, progress and developments, and even the nature of crimes and conflicts have been shaken to the root,” the report read.
Driven by an urge to take cognizance of digital development, W7Worldwide “felt the need to review the development considering its impact, mainly on the PR sector, and outline or revisit PR strategies based on those new changes.”
The report, which focuses on the state of the PR industry, the challenges it faces, and contributions to Vision 2030, asserts that Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to understand the importance of the sector, which is why the Kingdom took little time to create a digital media committee to activate the digital media in the Kingdom, to contribute to developing the business sector, create partnerships, and benefit from the media experts.
W7Worldwide says the digital takeover of the media has “affected the image, relevance, and the need for a PR agency.” Yet, it said, the rapid evolution of technology with an eclectic mix of uncertainties is driving the industry to embrace smart strategies.
“While research, effective communication, and creative content telling the story differently still hold the key, PR practitioners need to keep their workforce agile with a digital culture in place,” the report noted.
