Global communications and public relations organization BlackHouse Media (BHM) has announced the launch of its pioneering report on the Nigerian PR Industry.

The 106-page book is a compendium of quantitative and qualitative research augmented by industry-wide perspective and knowledgeable commentary concerning PR practice in Africa’s largest economy.

Nigeria PR Report is done in collaboration with the group’s research arm – BHM Research & Intelligence (BRI), digital agency ID Africa, and Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN).

Notable dignitaries from the PR, advertising and academic sectors converged on the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, on January 29, 2016 where the report was officially made public, to discuss and review its findings.

“The inaugural Nigeria PR Report is an unbiased endeavour to depict the history, current state, existing challenges and prospects of the PR industry in Nigeria. Despite increasing intervention by PR to help communities, organizations and governments resolve problems they considered insurmountable, there is little data, if any, on the role of in-house PR teams and external consultancies in aiding local and international brands make sense of Nigeria’s chaotic business environment. This is the latest focus of BHM Research and Intelligence,” Ayeni Adekunle, Founder and CEO BHM Group said.

Ayeni disclosed that BHM Research & Intelligence (BRI) is the group’s independent intelligence team working from Nigeria, Germany and England, to gather and analyze data for brands and organizations in public relations, advertising, ICT and Media.

“In particular, achieving the maiden edition of the Nigeria PR Report took almost a year of research, data collation, and analysis. We aim to make this an annual publication and shore up available information about Nigeria’s formal PR industry,” he added.

The report joins a host of groundbreaking initiatives executed by the BHM Group. In 2014, the company launched Nigeria’s first PR app, simultaneously recording over one billion social media impressions for its portfolio of client campaigns. Recently, BHM Group launched its own digital agency, ID Africa, and has since its inception in 2006 been at the forefront of efforts to develop the media and public relations sector in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Leveraging on its savvy knowledge of African audiences, the group continues to maintain its staying power, as evidenced by a retinue of local and multi-national clients.

BRI’s report covers an overview of public relations in Nigeria, its evolution, and an analysis of BHM’s #PrisDead campaign. For the campaign, about 200 Nigerians from three major cities (Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja) were interviewed for the offline section of the research, with findings already presented in a series of videos, infographics, memes, blurbs and articles.

Also contained is a detailed overview on the perception and reception of PR in Nigeria. Here, case studies include the defunct Virgin Nigeria, Indomie Noodles and even musicians Don Jazzy, Dr. Sid and Sound Sultan. Readers can also expect inside analysis on challenges such as the “brown envelope” syndrome bedevilling the media industry, and the future of PR with a focus on how social media is disrupting the industry and how practitioners can adapt.

Ayeni explained that: “the aim is to shed more light on the workings of the PR industry in Nigeria and chronicle the public – and practitioners’ – perception of the industry, with a view to ensuring its development moves apace with global standards of practice and the changing consumer demographics and preferences Nigeria is experiencing.”

The report concludes powerfully, with the data-rich results of BRI’s survey of PR firms, analysing various indices of the industry, including: revenue; average PR budget; clients & contracts; services offered, as well as age and staff strength of the reviewed firms.

It proffers recommendations, alongside extensive quotes from eminent experts in Nigeria’s PR Industry, including Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, MD CMC Connect Burson Marstellar, Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman Troyka Holdings; Chido Nwakanma, MD,Blueflower Communications Limited and John Ehiguese, President, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) and CEO of Mediacraft Associates.

The primary audience for the maiden and subsequent issues of the Nigeria PR Report are chief executives, brand managers, students, institutions,  journalists, consultants, regulatory bodies and researchers.

Ayeni notes the ultimate goal of the Nigeria PR Report is to “purposefully place Nigeria on the global PR map by producing annual analyses; giving insights into tools, trends, campaigns and issues the industry should pay attention to.”

The report can be downloaded for free on the BlackHouse Media website, as well as on Amazon and iTunes.