The document summarizes a lecture on marketing communication and public relations in the Czech Republic. It discusses trends since the country transitioned to a market economy in 1989, including the development of PR agencies and services. It also analyzes current research on communication professionals' views of PR, its role in companies, and use of PR agencies. Key findings include that PR faces challenges in communicating its relevance due to low public knowledge, and PR agencies lack well-known brands. Emerging trends include anti-corruption campaigns, retro brands, innovative tech companies, and outdoor lifestyle passions.

1. MARKETING COMMUNICATION
AND PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE
CZECH REPUBLIC
PhDr. Denisa Kasl Kollmannová, Ph.D.
Charles University in Prague

2. Structure of the lecture
1. Short introduction to the Czech development
after 1989
2. Who do the Czechs trust the most?
3. The current state of Public Relations
4. Some specifical trends in the Czech market:
Innovative companies, Retro, Anti-
corruption, Outdoor, Nuclear Energy

3. More Marketing than Marketing
Communication
• Overall market: stabilized, market economy, transition
completed after the systém change in 1989
• Besides global and international companies strong domestic
brands
• Practice: Sales department rule in the overall strategy of the
company (55%), marketing dep. 22%, financial 14%
• Globalization: strong influence of global companies
• 40% of all companies is following the rules of headquarters,
however 24% of them say they are very independent
• Marketing Education: Economics-based marketing

4. Communication after Propaganda
Press freedom index by
Strong censorship between 1948-89 Reporters without
borders 2012
- Selfcensorship DNA
Communistic propaganda and
persuasion
- Grown through the society since
early age
After 1989: Freedom of speech,
press…
- But what does it actually mean?

6. Development of PR after 1989
Before 1989 – Rapid and Merkur: two leading state-operated PR and
Advertising agencies
Changing structure of media market
Development of PR services – local agencies dominate the market
Since 1995 – Association of PR Agencies (APRA.cz)
Since 2004 – Department of Marketing Communication and PR at
the Charles University in Prague
Since 2006 – Czech PR Award Contest by APRA(CenaPR.cz)

7. Public trust in institutions
Companies
Global
EU
CZ
+18
Slovakia +18
+18
Media NGO´s
+18 +18
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer and survey AMI Communications, 2012, informed publics

8. Trust in industry
„Czechs believe in cars, technology and alcohol“
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer a průzkum AMI Communications, 2012 informed publics
Zdroj: Edelman Trust Barometer and survey AMI Communications, 2012,

9. Trustworthiness of information sources
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer and survey AMI Communications, 2012, informed publics

10. Repetition enhances trustworthiness:
Czechs need more reassurance
How many times do you need to hear an information to
believe it? EU: majority 3-5x, 25% of Czechs more than 6x
Zdroj:Edelman Trust Barometer a průzkum AMI Communications, 2012
Source: Edelman Trust Barometer and survey AMI Communications, 2012, informed publics

11. Public Relations in the Czech
Republic: Current position
• Aim of the research: to analyze the current state of
communication professionals´ position, roles,
opinions about PR, usage of PR services and agencies
• Put the outcomes to the socio-historical context of CR
• First academic research on PR in the Czech Republic
• Focusing on the role of PR agencies
• Respondents: 200 Communication professionals (no
agency employees)
• Commercial and non-commercial sector

12. Research questions
• RQ1. What role does PR play in Czech companies? Is it
significant or rather irrelevant?
• RQ2. What position does PR hold in the company structure
and what is the role of a PR/Communication manager? Does
PR influence the decision-making process inside the
company?
• RQ3. What kind of fields is the PR department responsible
for? Is it merely media communication, or other fields as well,
e.g. internal communication, issues management, online
communication, public affairs etc.?
• RQ4. Do the companies work with PR agencies (and to which
extent) or do they establish their own in-house PR
departments?
• RQ5. Which PR agency do the companies work with and why?

13. Perception of PR by Communication Professionals

14. Frequency of usage of PR in Czech companies and organizations

15. Competence and hierarchy or communication managers in CR

17. Responsibility of PR managers for different fields

18. Most-used PR services

19. Online communication solutions: who would the
communication managers ask for help?

20. Knowledge or experience with Czech PR agencies
Ogilvy PR 3 10 8 45 36
Medea 3 4 5 45 44
AMI Communications 3 9 8 33 48
Bison & Rose 25 9 27 58
Botticelli 3 5 7 22 65
AC&C 1 6 26 67
Ewing PR 23 5 24 68
Native PR 1 5
4 19 73
PR Konektor 1 4
2 21 73
EMC 12
2 21 75
Fleischman Hillard 11
2 20 78
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
We are cooperating We cooperated in the past We were in contact
I know them by name I don´t know them

21. Traits of the best PR agency

22. Current Czech PR and marcomm
trends
Some specifical trends in the
Czech market
1. Anti-corruption
movement
2. Innovative companies
3. Retro marketing
4. Outdoor lifestyle
5. Nuclear Energy boost

23. Anti-corruption movement
Anti-corruption movement: Companies and NGO´s
against corruption (after 2009)
1. NGO´s: Transparency International, Janeček´s
National Fund Against Corruption, Z-Index, etc.
2. Companies which declare their anti-corruption
statement in image-making, PR and marketing
communication: Student Agency, Bernard, Linet,
Unicorn, etc.
3. Anti-corruption as business plan: Corrupt Tour

24. NGO´s case: Karel Janeček´s
Positive Evolution

25. Image
case:
Bernard
Brewery

26. Business case: Corrupt Tour

27. Retro marketing
• Local succesful brands
• Continuity from the socialist
Czechoslovakia
• Kofola, Prim, Botas, Granko, Melta
• Míša, Eta, Sunar etc.

28. Case: Kofola – 1960´s brand

29. Growth of Kofola´s portfolio
„If you love her, there´s nothing else“ Christmas ad

30. New success stories: Innovative
companies
• IT – AVG, Avast, 2K, SocialBakers, Seznam
• Apart from Seznam, no local branding

31. Seznam – the Czech Google
Localization as the key concept for search engine

32. Outdoor: Czech Lifestyle Passion
Outdoor equipment & fashion: Bushman, Loop,
Direct Alpine, Hannah, Warmpiece, Pingiun –
over 50 local outdoor producers

33. Czech anomalia: Nuclear energy
support

34. Temelín: completion or new reactors?

35. Czech media framing

36. Conclusions
Sriramesh and Verčič (Sriramesh & Verčič, 2012: 9) state the three most significant
factors that shape the public relations practice and theory in each culture
1) Globalization
- Apart from global Ogilvy PR, predominantly local agencies win and
knowledge of local context is highly appreciated by professionals
2) Changes in PR practice and pedagogy
- Most of communication professionals are not educated in the PR field,
they value highly PR asset to the company, but have difficulties
explaining it
3) Growing influence and realization of the importance of PR to
contemporary societies
- PR faces a big challenge in communicating and explaining its own
relevance. PR agencies do not possess well-known (and presumably
trusted) brands. Public knowledge of PR is low, and so is marketing-
literacy

37. Discussion
Thank you for your comments!
Denisa Kasl Kollmannová
kollmannova@fsv.cuni.cz