Center for Public Relations Research
Leveraging connections from our expert faculty and Board of Advisers, the Center for Public Relations publishes research that forecasts trends that will impact the public relations industry, and predicts the skills future professionals will need to be successful practitioners. Our past reports have examined the rise of corporate activism, explored the future of use of AI in communications, discussed the evolution of ethics in our profession, and looked at causes that are relevant to communicators. Industry organizations that provide support by sharing our annual surveys include PRSA and PRSSA, the Institute for PR, Global Alliance, IABC, ICCO, and PRCA.
Global Communication Report
The annual Global Communication Report is designed to provide insight into the evolution of the global communication industry by analyzing emerging trends. Past research has predicted the rise of new activists and assessed how to engage with activist organizations, reviewed the convergence in marketing and public relations, tracked the scale of change disrupting the PR industry, and examined the industry’s evolution of ethics and its future use of technology and artificial intelligence.
Relevance Report
The annual Relevance Report identifies emerging issues and forecasts topics and trends impacting society, business, and communication in the coming year. The book features contributions from PR industry leaders, and USC academics and graduate students.
Energized by AI: How Technology Is Changing Communicators’ Relationship to Work
Our second AI in PR survey with WE Communications finds that communicators have moved beyond the initial fear and hype surrounding AI, with most leveraging AI in their daily work, making them more excited about what they do.
Employee Communication Impact Study 2024
This two-part study, completed in partnership with Staffbase, looks at the role of internal communications from two perspectives – employees and those responsible for communicating with them.
Communicating Culture During a Hybrid Revolution
In partnership with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), our June 2024 study on “Communicating Culture During a Hybrid Revolution” addresses internal communications professionals' role in maintaining corporate culture as their organizations navigate the hybrid work revolution.
Where is the E in ESG?
In partnership with Cometrics, we reviewed all public-facing communications from the 50 largest U.S.-headquartered corporations in 2023 to assess whether they are continuing to promote their environmental communications. Many have reduced the visibility of ESG (environmental-social-governance) as a news or website category.
Ask Gen Z: A Deep Dive into the Next Gen’s Media Diet
This qualitative, mobile ethnographic study produced by Day One Agency and the Center for PR examines how Gen Z consumes news, and their definition of influence. The study uncovers that Gen Z’s relationship with information consumption has fundamentally changed when comparing their habits to their parents and previous generations. And it’s more than where they’re consuming news; it’s also about what, when, how, and why they’re engaging with content today.
Fascinated and Frightened: An AI Readiness Playbook
In partnership with WE Communications, the May 2023 report “Fascinated and Frightened: How are communications professionals viewing the AI opportunity ahead?” analyzes a survey of 400 U.S. communications leaders to understand their expectations on AI and the impact it will have on the industry.
The Polarization Index
The USC Polarization Index, launched in October 2020, measured the changing levels of polarization in the American discourse by assessing social media shares of relevant news stories, cross-referenced by categories of media outlets that range in reliability and political bias.
Brand Purpose Report
The USC Center for Public Relations has conducted a study, in collaboration with PRWeek, focused on identifying trends and best practices for brand purpose. Reviewing the 2019 PRWeek Purpose Award Entries, the comprehensive study highlights how brands can effectively engage in purposeful campaigns and become authentic purpose-based brands with tips for future PR campaigns.