Academic Society for Management & Communication
This summary is provided by the IPR Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Academic Society for Management & Communication examined the role and practice of communication in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) management.

A survey of 1,000 employed people was conducted, as well as interviews with 84 employees and 20 D&I experts.

Key findings include:
  • 56% of respondents perceived a "pro-diversity climate" at work and 45% perceived their organization as "authentic."
  • Around half of the D&I experts interviewed stated that they had encountered “white male backlash,” specifically concerning female quotas and the use of gender-sensitive language in the workplace
  • Managers who are responsible for D&I communication should ensure that the communication strategy is aligned with:
  • The D&I strategy and its goals.
  • The overall corporate communications strategy.
  • Employees’ needs and desires in terms of communication design, type, and channel.
Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors (APACD) and Ruder Finn Asia examined communication leaders' outlook on the industry.

A survey of more than 120 senior in-house communications executives was conducted.

Key findings include:
  • 64% of respondents described their D&I policy as "somewhat effective" or worse, while 14% admitted they don't have one.
  • 35% of respondents said their organization spent more than $4 million on communications in 2021, a 7% increase from 2020.
  • 45% of respondents attributed less than 25% of their organization's total marketing and communication spending to PR and communications, compared to other areas such as advertising, media, and marketing. 
Pew Research Center analyzed public attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.

A survey of 16,254 adults in 17 "advanced economies" in North America, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe was conducted from March 12 - May 26, 2021.

Key findings include:
  • 61% of respondents said people in their society are now more divided than before the COVID-19 outbreak, while 34% feel more united.
  • 88% of U.S. respondents said feelings of division have increased significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, up 11% since 2020.
  • 37% of all respondents believed there should have been more restrictions over the course of the pandemic.
  • For U.S. respondents, this figure is 56%.
  • A larger percentage of adults aged 18-29 years old said their lives changed "a great deal" or "a fair amount" due to COVID-19 compared to other age groups.

Muck Rack explored the current challenges PR professionals are facing and what the future of the industry looks like.

A survey of 1,618 communications professionals was conducted from April 26 - May 17, 2021.

Key findings include:
  • 52% of agencies and 48% of brands and nonprofits said placing coverage in the new news cycle has been a challenge during COVID-19.
  • 42% of PR professionals believe topic relevance is even more important than timeliness when pitching to journalists.
  • 45% of respondents believe budgets for communications and PR will increase over the next year while 50% think they will remain the same.
  • 73% of PR professionals believe “public relations” will need to be redefined in 5 years.

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