If 2009 was a year of recession and 2010 was one of retrenchment, it's fair to say 2011 was a great year for PR and communications. The industry powered through wider domestic and global economic woes, prospering in an environment where digital and social media continued to stimulate growth and the value of communications skills was appreciated more and more in terms of building and protecting corporate reputation.

The performances of the major marketing services holding companies such as WPP, ...