The global PR landscape is going through quite an aggressive restructure at the moment, with escalating levels of competition, price wars, and shorter term retainers becoming the norm. However, agencies focused on quality and value still are proving to be important partners for clients. Smaller agencies in particular are able to offer detailed and highly tailored assistance to clients through thick and thin, as they grow together in partnership.
1.) Word of mouth
The most successful agencies are the ones who have long been known for producing a good standard of work over many years. In fact a lot of agency business comes via this method instead of through SEO or digital marketing. This is also the most credible basis for making decisions on which PR firm to use.
2.) Get to know the team
Ask to see the Account Director and the Account Managers who will be looking after you. It is great to meet the CEO in the meeting pitch, but he or she is unlikely to be dealing with the account on a regular basis. If you want digital services adding to the package, meet that team also.
3.) Visit their office
Visiting their premises after the first initial meeting at your own HQ will give you an indication of the scale of the business, and the sort of work it is able to do. If the agency claims to be creative but the office environment is sterile, they may be better suited to writing FS press releases.
4.) Awards are good, but look for case studies
There are a lot of regional and industry awards in the PR industry calendar, and some are no more than money-making rackets for the award organizers. Check thoroughly on the PR company website for actual concluded projects and the results they achieved with them. Real life tangible successful projects are much more valuable than a slew of awards you’ve never heard of.
5.) Results and clarity
You must clearly define goals at the beginning of the relationship. This may be based on daily and monthly KPI targets; it may be more transgressive (in a positive way,) less objective or less conventional, such as in the case of your own business visibility performance being tied to the PR agency’s channel efforts. This is a new approach which is now becoming effective due to increasingly sophisticated metrics and AI technology.
Contact us : Vivaldi Public Relations
