Purposeful Relations has launched to provide CommsTransform™, a digital transformation roadmap for communications and corporate affairs. It offers the new platform to in-house teams and PR agencies globally.

Purposeful Relations been set up by PR futurist and communications transformation specialist Stuart Bruce and digital transformation specialist Tim Bailey.

Stuart Bruce said: “For the last 10 years, I’ve worked independently to help clients modernise through a blend of consultancy and training to help them use communications technology more effectively and to adopt new processional practice. CommsTransform™ is a synthesis of this experience with Tim’s experience of digital transformation across numerous sectors.”

Bruce explained CommsTransform™ as an audit and analysis of people, processes and products. It analyses individual and team capabilities, work processes and existing technology products and services. It benchmarks these against the PRTech, CommTech and MarTech markets and global capabilities for communications and PR professionals. CommsTransform™ provides actionable insights for improving the use of existing technology, streamlining and improving workflows, new technology to enhance performance and professional development in skills and capabilities.

Purposeful Relations has set up a global advisory board of senior external experts to provide insights and critical thinking on the future of society and business as well as public relations and communications. The advisory board members include:

• Emeritus Professor Anne Gregory at University of Huddersfield who led Global Alliance’s work on creating the Global Capabilities Framework.
• Tim Johns, former vice president of global corporate communications for Unilever.
• Associate Professor Kara Alaimo of Hofstra University in New York and formerly President Obama’s spokesperson for international affairs in the US Treasury.
• Becca Caddy, technology journalist and author of Screen Time about finding a better balance with technology.
• Wayne Burns, executive director of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs in Sydney.
• Amith Prabhu, a Global Alliance board member and dean of the School of Communications and Reputation in India.

Tim Bailey said: “Technology has revolutionised the legal, financial and marketing worlds. Communications and public relations are playing catch-up. The Edelman Future of Corporate Communications Study 2021 reported that 70% of chief communication officers said CommTech is a top area of investment for the coming year and 56% said they are increasing their use of technology. Despite this eagerness to invest many will fail as barriers include identifying the right technology, justifying the investment, and resolving conflicts with IT and marketing.”

Stuart Bruce said: “Critically 47% of CCOs say their teams struggle to adapt and leverage digital tools and analytics. All these challenges are what CommsTransform™ is designed to solve. We help clients to not only solve their technology challenges but more importantly the bigger cultural and professional practice challenges.”

Bruce and Bailey previously worked together at Wolfstar, one of the UK’s first digital-first PR consultancies that Bruce set-up in 2007 and exited in 2011. Tim Bailey was an early recruit when he joined as a client facing chief technology officer, which was a first for a PR agency at the time. Bailey has subsequently worked in a series of in-house digital transformation roles and at digital and ecommerce agencies.

Over the last 10 years Bruce has worked has worked primarily with international clients in Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and Australia as a corporate adviser and trainer on modernising public relations as well as providing consultancy on crisis communications and measurement and evaluation. Bruce is a chartered public relations practitioner and served as a CIPR director for three years. He is also one of only five fellows of AMEC and serves on the UK PR Council of the PRCA.

The core CommsTransform™ product is supported by four related services. Purposeful Relations is tech and vendor agnostic so helps identify, evaluate, select, buy and implement PRTech, CommTech and MarTech. Its professional development practice provides training, learning and mentoring through its own trainers, associates and signposting to third party training courses and professional and academic qualifications. Its measurement and evaluation practice helps clients develop and implement bespoke measurement playbooks, frameworks and dashboards. Finally Purposeful Relations also helps clients to identify and keep up with emerging trends in public relations practice including purpose, ESG, behavioural science, and disinformation and misinformation.