ICCO Country Reports Press Release V1.
November 18, 2003

ICCO World Report Shows Healthcare & Public Sectors Are Twin Growth Engines for PR Consultancies; Individual Practitioners Pose New Threat to Margins

The Healthcare and Public sectors have emerged as the key engines for growth for PR agencies across the globe, according to the latest ICCO World Report, published by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) this week. The Report is based on a bi-annual survey of the members from twenty one national PR trade associations from East & West Europe; India and the USA and, as such, represents a global barometer of the state of the health of the PR agency industry worldwide.

Among the key findings to emerge from the Report are:

• The primary opportunities for each member country remain local ones, not global ones. These opportunities are predicated on
   the state of each country's economy and its attitudes towards PR and communications.

• Weak economies continue to put pressure on agencies' margins with a new threat coming through; that of individual    practitioners who can undercut agency rates

• Healthcare and Public Sectors are well in advance of other industry sectors as offering the most opportunities for ICCO    members

• The best margins follow these two strong growth sectors

• The adoption of audited management practices; audited accounts and the level of graduate recruitment remain patchy

Commenting on the Report, ICCO President, Carlos Lareau said: "To become a member of the ICCO, each trade association has to have a membership representing over 50% of the local PR agency market share, so our World Report represents an accurate reading on the state of the global PR agency market. And it is showing global consensus regarding areas for future growth and areas of continued concern. These issues set the agenda for the management of PR agencies worldwide and will become the focal points for the ICCO's activities".

For a copy of the Report can be downloaded from the ICCO website or contact Ms Jayanti Ghosh at PRCAI

Contact: Simon Quarendon

Email: simon@iccopr.com

Telephone: 44 (0)7850 618418

About the ICCO: The International Communications Consultancy Organisation is the voice of public relations consultancies across the world. It is the umbrella association for more than 850 consultancies through their trade associations in 24 countries. ICCO's 20 full member countries all have a formal trade association of PR consultancies. There are also four observer members where the local industry is moving towards establishing a formal association. Altogether, the associations that make up ICCO's family employ more than 25,000 people.