The PRCA has launched a global campaign urging organisations to hire PRCA members when looking for public relations support. As part of our #HireaPRCAmember campaign, we’re celebrating consultancies that have continuously held CMS for more than 15, 10 and 5 years. We sat down with Tali Kramer, Partner & Head of Corporate Development, Instinctif Partners, to chat about the importance of ethical practice and holding CMS accreditation since 2009.
Why ethics and professional standards are important to Instinctif (and PR in general)?
Now, more is expected of businesses than ever before. As organisations and as individuals, we have a responsibility in accelerating the shift towards a more equitable and sustainable future, and the role of ethics and professional standards within that is paramount.
As an advisor to clients across sectors, we must hold ourselves to the same – if not higher – standards, and transparency in operations, policies and procedures is critical to this. It is also thanks to initiatives like the CMS that the PR industry is evolving, away from negative perceptions that have surrounded it in the past.
Why has holding CMS accreditation been important to you as a firm?
We are extremely proud to hold the CMS accreditation – it is a rigorous process and demonstrates the strength of our organisation’s practices and the services we provide to our clients. The accreditation has also enabled us to hold a mirror up to our business – to establish where our strengths lie, but also to critically and honestly analyse where there is room for improvement and take action accordingly. Participating in the CMS allows us to benchmark ourselves and provides a rare opportunity for impartial advice on our practices.
In what way has maintaining those standards helped you achieve success as a business?
For us, a measure of business success is the ways that we support our clients. We value trust in all our relationships – with clients, employees, suppliers, partners and peers – and maintaining the standard set out by the CMS ensures that we are operating with transparency. Our procedures are built to deliver the best client outcomes, and the external assessment and verification by the PRCA of these practices highlights that, driving business success.
What advice would you have to other PRCA members considering going through the process?
The audit is a great opportunity for businesses to be challenged on how they operate. It is thorough and broad in what it covers, but transparency is key, and highlights to those participating where they must focus their efforts in order to ensure they are fit for the future.