Louis Capozzi, president ICCO, congratulates AKOS

In the ten years since AKOS began, there has been tremendous growth in the global public relations industry. The fee income of the world's largest public relations firms has virtually doubled over that time, with the largest firms billing over $500 million today, with nearly 5,000 employees. And that growth is projected to continue. A ccording to projections from the Veronis Suhler Stevenson 2008 Communications Industry Forecast 2008-2012, the public relations industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 10% through 2012. Personally, my forecast is more optimistic.

There are several reasons for my optimism. First, public relations people have exactly the skills required to succeed in the new communications environment. We know how to work in an environment where we don't control the message. We understand the critical role of third parties, and how to involve them. We are skilled at orchestrating multiple disciplines, and are not married to just one. And we have been trained to act as advisors on behavior as well as communication.

These skills position our profession strongly as organizations struggle to compete in a fast-changing world, where communications are instant and transparency is complete. We're extremely well prepared to guide participation in social networks, the blogosphere and more traditional forms of communication.

In order to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities before us, though, we've got some work to do. We have to develop talent pool by attracting more, better employees. We've got to improve our education network, offering higher-level degrees to public relations professionals at a broader scale. We've got to understand the full range of activities in the marketing mix, not just our niche. And, perhaps most importantly, we must find ways to measure the impact of our work in terms business people can understand and appreciate.

At ICCO, we're working to make a contribution in several of these areas. Our Consultancy Management Standard (CMS) offers firms an opportunity to evaluate their management processes and to elevate them to a global standard. Our Gobal Summits convene leaders from across the industry to share perspectives and learn from each other. Our website ( www.iccopr.com ) offers information on best practices, hot topics and research reports. Our annual World Report offers perspective on the growth and health of the industry. And our board members participate in conferences around the world, offering a global perspective to local events.

In a market like Russia, where our industry is still relatively young, the opportunities for growth are fantastic. Congratulations on your 10th anniversary, AKOS. I am sure the next ten years will be even better.

Louis Capozzi
president, ICCO
Retired Chairman and CEO, MS&L

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