80 agency members of the PR trade body were polled at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
51% reported that the past quarter had made them feel more optimistic for their consultancy. 31% thought the general economic condition of the PR industry would improve, while 49% thought it would stay the same.
This compares favourably with last quarter’s results, which revealed that 51% of respondents expected the economic condition of the industry to get worse this year, with only 12% expecting it to improve.
Where almost one in three (28%) said in the last poll that they felt less optimistic for their consultancy's future, this has dropped to 12%. Meanwhile, 51% felt more optimistic.
24% have seen client budgets increase, compared with just 14% who have seen them decrease. However, 62% have seen them stay exactly the same.
59% described the level of new business as busy, while 18% said it had been very busy.
53% have seen over-servicing levels stay the same.
PRCA chief executive Francis Ingham said: ‘These figures just go to show that the PR industry is bucking the national trend of job losses, pessimism and a reluctance to employ graduates.’
