In-depth Analysis of Agencies Offering Strategic Communication and Public Relations Services in Peripheral Regions: The Galician case

Abstract

This study intends to describe the characteristics and peculiarities of agencies offering strategic communication services in a peripheral community such as Galicia, to delve into the evolution of supply and demand of these services, and to assess the economic context as a determining factor of the business of agencies. As for the method, the research is supported by an online questionnaire distributed via e-mail to the heads of Galician agencies offering communication services. Results show a sector in which companies, generally small advertising or full-service agencies run by men with university education— although their staff is mostly female—, are easily created and liquidated, still conditioned by the aftermath of the economic crisis and the small size of their customers. While high fragmentation and lack of specialization are differential factors with respect to what occurs in broader contexts, the trends in the supply and demand of specific communication services are similar to those noted by national and international studies, with a clear prevalence of internet-related services and a growing demand for strategic services. Therefore, the study points to a high level of globalization in the characteristics of the communicative business, despite the structural differences of the sector in peripheral contexts.