Unmasking the PR landscape in Rwanda and ways brands can tap into it

I have a tendency of writing about the PR landscape almost every year. This makes my first post Covid attempt, conversant of the effects the pandemic. Rwanda being on a roller coaster it’s easier to identify PR opportunities. The dilemma is whether the brands (mostly the local ones) are receptive to PR trends and modern-day practices?

Despite positive strides PR practice is still not that well embraced. During several deliberations, custodians launching brand (or communication) campaigns tend to concentrate more on the tiny, less relevant details of what it takes to have an all-round effective PR campaign reducing our relevance to mere media activations.

After Covid19 Rwanda was more than eager to open to the world. #VisitRwanda is buzzing. Several months ago, we successfully hosted a colorful Commonwealth summit (CHOGM) and have since attracted lots of global talk shops. The corporate world is warming up to new trends, tapping into tech advances and striving to revive the economy.

The PR industry finds this the first challenge if players don’t tag along. New Apps (like Clubhouse and innovations like Twitter spaces) are slowly replacing traditional media. The influencer marketing economy despite being nascent post a rosier future. But then again, brands are reluctant to embrace.

These trends making us conscious about the little that brands can offer in terms of PR consumption. Here are some major setbacks.

In Rwanda, the thought of PR itself existing without a vibrant media keeps dwindling. Covid19 impacted traditional media more negatively than predicted. Most media houses are yet to bounce back. Print media is capitalizing on producing more digital products and dumping physical copies, forcing journalists to crawl into tougher roles. That’s the new normal.

Media has evolved. The New Times (once the only daily) no longer prints hard copies. Online media which attracts about 14 online media houses is trusted by ONLY 2% Rwandans (according to the Rwanda Governance Board/ Media Barometer). Igihe.com an online news agency does stand out BUT most of its readership is in the diaspora. While traditional radio leads the pack with more than 60% listening, most of them are crowded in the central region (Kigali being the epicenter).

Newsrooms (if any still exist) have digitally evolved. Same with the way news is disseminated. The smart phone has since become the major news enabler with the few news junkies, consuming directly from the comfort of their palms. This gives an edge to online outlets sprouting and has influenced the way we go about with our PR business.

The troubling post endemic, economic times have made most brands and entities (and quite many others globally) forget the fact that managing stakeholders is also a function of PR. Influencers (not necessarily the digital/ social media influencers) are part of this stakeholder cluster.  Influencing marketing in Rwanda would be an interesting conversation for another day, however, please note that the digital influencers we have are more of endorsers than actual influencers.

In Rwanda, we pride ourselves for bridging the skills gap. Some players have relentlessly and vainly toyed with the creation of an umbrella organization that converges PR players in one space. This is meant to encourage PR practitioners tap into each other’s skills. The PR Association of Rwanda (PRAR) does exist to guide us on best practices among many other things.

While I am a member of PRAR I am sad that we aren’t active. A couple of years ago we managed to host the APRA conference, another networking event that converges the continent’s influential PR practitioners. We had little to show off. Despite this, PR practitioners are quite many, the agencies offering PR are also quite a growing number and yet we hardly tap into each other, mostly competing for gigs.

One would ask! Where are the PR agencies? Like I stated the agencies are several all crowded with little offerings. Many claim they do offer a PR services BUT a paltry few would do that as a specialty. It’s the unfortunate reality of the PR industry.

If you are looking for PR services here is a easy top five PR agencies:

1. Inspire Digital Rwanda 
2. Clarity 
3. Nomad 
4. Blue Oceans 
5. iBlue Concepts