ECM – European Communication Monitor

The largest study on strategic communication
and public relations worldwide

The European Communication Monitor (ECM), together with its affiliated surveys Latin American Communication Monitor (LCM), Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor (APCM), North American Communication Monitor (NACM), is part of the Global Communication Monitor series, the largest regular global study in the field of strategic communication and public relations worldwide, with a longitudinal participation of more than 30,000 practitioners.

While communication management and public relations in Europe is growing both in quantity and quality, empirical data on the professional field is still rare. There are a number of studies in national markets, but trans-European research has been limited by paradigmatic barriers (different research cultures) and pragmatic limitations (lack of databases with would allow an investigation across many countries). The European Communication Monitor closes this gap. It is an empirical survey which tries to identify current challenges and future trends in strategic communication throughout Europe.

ECM, run annually since 2007, is:

• the leading and most comprehensive analysis of the European market with more than 2,000 participating professionals each year (decision makers in PR, average age 40 years, from 40+ European countries)
• conducted by a cross-national research team of professors from five renowned universities plus a network of national contacts/professors in nearly 20 countries within the framework of EUPRERA
• organized together with EACD, a transnational body of leading communication professionals in companies and organisations
• in partnership with Cision Insights, media partnership with Communication Director

Project leader

Prof. Dr. Ansgar Zerfass
University of Leipzig, Germany
zerfass@uni-leipzig.de

Publications

Beside the yearly booklet with the outcomes of the survey, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the project, the ECM team published the book Communication Excellence.

Communication Excellence. How to Develop, Manage and Lead Exceptional Communications.
Tench R., Vercic D., Zerfass A., Moreno A., Verhoeven P.
ISBN 978-3-319-48860-8, Palgrave, 2017

Can Euprera members still join the project?

The research team has been established and is working well; the group shall not be expanded at the moment.

EUPRERA members from countries not represented in the ECM network (“national contacts” are kindly asked to support the project by helping to spread the word about the survey in their country/region: see the project website).

Moreover, they may contact the project leader and inquire about possibilities to use the data for country-specific interpretations, including joint reports/papers in national languages with the research team.