Whilst practitioners here may constantly debate whether the rightful home of new media is with the marketers or the PR/corporate communicators, American research has shown that by an overwhelming majority it is the PR and communications department who are taking the budgetary and strategic control of digital communications and social media. 

The research, by the influential Strategic Communication and Public Relations Center (SCPRC), showed that within more than 25% of US firms the PR and communication function had 81 to 100 percent of budgetary control over their digital and social media function. Only half as many — 12.6 percent — said that the marketing department had that level of control. Similarly, the figures showed that 23.8% of those within PR or communications had 81 to 100% of the strategic control of digital communications, where as only 9 percent said that of marketing.

These are among the findings of the sixth Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) Study, which is published on a biennial basis by the SCPRC. A total of 382 communication decision makers in corporations, not-for-profits, and government agencies participated in GAP VI, for which most data was collected in the last quarter of 2009.

Jerry Swerling, the Strategic Communication and PR Center’s director commented “A very persuasive argument can be made that PR and communications, rather than marketing, is the logical home for these highly personal and social media, because they require a relatively non-commercial approach; they entail dialogue rather than monologue; they often convey objective information rather than product features; and they tend to be free form in nature, which is just the opposite of the highly controlled world of marketing.”

See also