While 2015 is likely to be a strong year for the public relations industry, PR professionals are wary of the post-recession optimism exhibited last year. The PRCA Consultancy Barometer Q4 2014, a survey of PRCA member consultancies, shows a relaxed optimism towards both the PR industry and the wider UK economy as we move into 2015.

The survey showed a 27% decrease in the amount of people who reported feeling optimistic about the industry compared to the previous year’s final quarter. Those who believed the UK economy would improve over the next 12 months also plummeted from 75% in 2013 to 40% in 2014. Many practitioners also report a rise in over-servicing.

There has been little change among those who believe staff numbers will increase (54%) and those who predict graduate recruitment will increase (36%). Client budgets also remain largely unchanged. Generally the picture painted is one of hesitancy and an uncertainty that reflects the economy at large.

CubanEight managing director Sian Gaskell, who took part in the research, comments, “At CubanEight we had a busy end to the year and our Q4 was a strong one. With new business, we took on three new clients and had a healthy pipeline. We also bolstered the team by 25% and moved to a new office space to accommodate the growth. However, there has been a minor downside due to the uncertainty of the forthcoming election and this manifesting itself into a ‘wait and see’ approach from a couple of clients.”

While the scene is not one of rampant otimism there is also little prediction of decline. Most expect things to stay the same while the economy and the industry find firmer footing.