| Since so much has been written about how to go | | | | your new PR firm. |
| about finding a PR agency, I thought it timely to | | | | It's a slam-dunk if your product or service touches on |
| examine the process from my perspective - a | | | | issues such as abortion, guns or smoking. Options will |
| consultant who is also a PR headhunter. | | | | be limited if your PR budget is unusually small or |
| Throughout the U.S. there are thousands of PR firms | | | | restricted, or if when your PR program is narrowly |
| of all sizes who claim to specialize in dozens of | | | | focused on, say, major mentions in key business |
| different specialty categories. | | | | publications, or, interviews for your CEO with major |
| As the person designated within your company to | | | | network media. |
| identify and hire a PR firm, where do you start? | | | | It's probably a good idea to go solo when the budget |
| What do you look for? How much should you pay? | | | | is small, the PR program is limited and targeted to a |
| What characteristics of the PR firm differentiates it | | | | highly technical audience or, when the agency's |
| from others - and are those differences important to | | | | geographic location(s) is restricted. Of course, if |
| your company? What size firm should you hire? What | | | | management's view of PR is archaic or unrealistic, |
| about account conflicts? Is the firm's location | | | | then the chance of a successful agency union is |
| important? Who's going to work on your business? | | | | rather slim under any circumstances. |
| What about performance and results? What should | | | | Not so fast |
| you reasonably expect and how do you measure | | | | In my PR agency identification experience, the two |
| success? | | | | most difficult parts of evaluating an agency are |
| These are only some of the questions that will | | | | costs, (both actual and projected), and team |
| undoubtedly arise in your quest to hire a firm. | | | | identification and evaluation. Each tend to resemble a |
| From my experience, all of these questions should be | | | | moving target that's hard to keep in your sights for |
| asked and answered before signing on with a PR | | | | too long. |
| firm. However, the real issues that become important | | | | As a general rule, PR agencies don't advertise their |
| should be evaluated within the context of your | | | | fees for services they perform. They tend to |
| company's needs and goals. Chances are the answers | | | | promote their expertise and experience in the |
| will fall somewhere in the proverbial gray area. | | | | business of PR and then charge you based on the |
| Going solo | | | | size of your budget. By knowing that beforehand, |
| Should you decide to identify a PR firm on your own, | | | | they can tailor their services to your specific needs |
| there are many reference materials available which | | | | and stay within your budget - or, so you would hope. |
| can help you quantify the players. However, without | | | | However, clients often complain that their agency |
| the tools and the inside knowledge of how PR firms | | | | goes over budget. This is especially true during |
| work and which will work best for your company, | | | | economic boom times. The firms usually argue that |
| the task can be difficult to qualify. | | | | you, the client, have either implicitly approved of the |
| Many solo searchers rely on references from | | | | extra work that was done on your behalf, or, that |
| colleagues, industry sources and the like to help them | | | | circumstances mandated that your account be |
| target a group of likely PR firms. The tough part | | | | "over-serviced." The budget and over-service issues |
| however, is evaluating the relationship between | | | | are less pronounced when business and the economy |
| members of your company and the PR firm. | | | | is slow. |
| Additionally, not every PR agency is listed and | | | | As any other business, agencies must stay profitable. |
| quantified in every directory. New ones are popping | | | | Just like management consultants or lawyers, PR |
| up all the time and others are merging, being acquired | | | | people parcel out their expertise in the form of |
| or just fading away. When working with a limited | | | | hourly charges. Whether you're paying a "flat monthly |
| knowledge-base, evaluation can become problematic. | | | | retainer" or hourly for services rendered, the agency |
| The key to any successful PR agency search lies in | | | | will calculate the time spent working on your behalf in |
| the depth of the research expended. The greater | | | | increments of hours to remain within profitable |
| amount of time spent researching the agency, its | | | | guidelines. Agency client management employees |
| people, culture, working style, etc., the better chance | | | | usually have an "hourly rate" that is levied against the |
| you have of bringing home a winner. Also, it's easy to | | | | time they spend on behalf of their client. That rate is |
| be distracted by fancy promotion and lose sight of | | | | usually a function of the employee's title. Obviously, |
| the agency's key elements. | | | | the higher the title, the higher the rate. |
| Sometimes the identification of a winning PR firm can | | | | Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not so |
| be a slam-dunk. More often, it can be like nailing Jello | | | | fast. There are many variables that impact this rather |
| to a tree. | | | | neat little picture. Variables such as employee |
| Slam-dunk | | | | promotions, employee title inflation, freelance |
| If your company produces a highly specialized or | | | | consultants, the changing nature of your account, fee |
| technical product, chances are there will only be a | | | | increases, out-of-pocket expenses, economic inflation |
| few PR firms that will fill the bill. Whether it's | | | | or recession, conflicting accounts that pay higher |
| engineering, biotechnology or baby toys, your choices | | | | fees, result measurement, client vs. agency |
| will be limited. Add to that the numerous other | | | | expectations, irreconcilable differences and much |
| specifications that you will invariably want to see in | | | | more. |