Issue management are important to each management. The reasons why CEOs find strategic communicators so important are quite simple. The need for skilled strategic communicators is growing parallel with the globalization. Without professional help from senior communication expert or PR gurus, as they are usually liked to be called, many businesses would have had to close their doors for good. Balkan states have learned a great deal from West when the PR business and Issue management is concerned. This ability to learn proved itself more than useful in quite some different occasions where crisis threatened to put companies out of business. We can claim that every single issue that gets published in the media has minimum one PR advisor that supports the organization get safely through the course of negative communication events. Possibly the crucial path that crisis communication experts of the region decided to take for the past few years is the change of crisis communication and PR occupation from damage control to preventing it from happening. It is a clear proof that PR and strategic communication business has nothing to fear in the future. There is no fear that the profession of PR in all its expert fields will be facing a lack of demand for those kinds of services.



This is at no means a reason to sit still and wait for the future!

Business concentrated around communication consultancies looks good, the need for senior advisors in fields of pharmacy and other strong industries is progressing in incredible pace. One could fence that communication market entry barriers are becoming harder and harder to solve.

For many PR experts in the SE European Region the future of PR rests on the shoulders of individual professionals who have what it takes to become the best in servicing one single sector like IT industry.

We will see that day when a communication expert without industry specific experience will have many troubles finding his money on the field of strategic communications. Each single PR agency looking forward is decisively taking care of expert knowledge investing into key knowledge and experience, preparing communication professionals for crucial industry fields.

In Slovenia, this is one of the most developed countries in the Balkans; PR business has been lead and shaped by two competing PR agencies. SPEM Communication agency was the first PR agency in ex Yugoslavia, and Pristop d.o.o., which is the largest one in the region. It is totally clear that communication business is evolving towards high value added niche communication opportunities; and that is the name of the game for regional PR professionals like SPEM and PRISTOP. Following those entire developments you must not underestimate the position of modern research methods. Analytical departments of PR businesses face that huge question called web 2.0 and 3.0. Increasingly important in every communication strategy, world wide web continues to be a media hiding many unresolved challenges.

Analyzing communication business, that is where leading PR and PA agencies of SE European countries see potential for growth. The specialization of public relations communication businesses is revealing a new sort of PR experts working hand in hand with the management board of the client, managing their communication requirements . Handling difficult crisis communication tasks and together with innovative research departments, PR and PA gurus of today save their clients more time for leadership and simplify their day to day management calls. Books written by Bozidar Novak: Krizno komuniciranje in upravljanje nevarnosti (Gospodarski Vestnik Ljubljana 2000) "Crisis communication and issue management".

Accompanied by experts any agency, has to try to find the valuable answer to the eternal question on: How to satisfy business objectives of the client providing management of the client's communication issues?

There are still many self proclaimed communication professionals who want to offer high added value communication services without being able to build their own image as trustworthy communication business. It is not enough to be able to polish ones image on the field or in the media or with the journalists, one has to do it within the company as well.

Relating to the vision of communication agencies in Balkans communication consultants have to be living and breathing the principles they like to teach their clients.

PR agencies like SPEM and Pristop d.o.o., active in business strategic communications, need to live what they preach to their clients. Showing respect to those same values within your own company, other stakeholders and the environment; this kind of attitude gives the professional edge to companies like SPEM and its competition. For any agency active in the strategic communication environment, the strict democratic system of values must be a part of your identity, if you look for ways to come up with solid foundations robust enough to help you through long term market operations.