European communication monitor 2012: challenges and competencies for strategic communication: results of an empirical survey in 42 countries

The study, run by five leading European universities and sponsored by Ketchum Pleon, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), is conducted annually and is now in its sixth year. It examines the current state of the communications industry in Europe and analyses current trends in communication management and makes suggestions for the development of the industry.

The study is based on an international survey of almost 2,200 communication professionals in 42 countries and is widely recognised as the largest study in the field of strategic communication worldwide.

The study has shown that mobile applications on the social web are seen as important tools to communication professionals, but there is still a long way to go in implementing these in most European organisations. Ethical challenges are more prevalent than ever in the field, but current codes of ethics are seldom used and rated as outdated by many professionals.