If you use a media relations campaign or tactic recommended by consulttheguru.com, you can either carry it out in-house, or commission a public relations agency to do it for you. If the latter, your choice of agency is critical to the success of the project.
With the benefit of experience, these are consulttheguru.com's top tips for selecting a public relations agency.
Public relations agencies will usually field a team of their most senior staff to pitch for your business. Nothing wrong with that. Certainly you need to have confidence that the people in charge know what they’re doing. But they’re rarely the people that’ll be representing you to the outside world. So don’t just talk with the organ grinders, go and spend some time with the monkeys: the account execs.
Passion and enthusiasm – make sure that the person who’ll be talking to journalists on your behalf is as excited about your business as you are.
A charming and easy manner – hard to define, but you’re looking for someone who is easy to warm to. They may have only seconds to make an impression over the telephone, so they’ll need to be enthusiastic without being annoying; confident without being arrogant.
Grasp of the facts – sector experience can help, but it’s not the be all and end all. What’s really important is that your PR grasps the facts quickly, and can answer a journalist’s questions promptly.
Common sense and a can-do approach - public relations is often unpredictable. So whether a project throws up a completely different outcome to that expected, or a journalist sets a seemingly unmeetable last-minute deadline, your PR needs a problem-solving attitude.
Sure, it helps to know people in the media. But only inasmuch as it helps a PR company get the job done quicker. What matters above all to a journalist is the story. That’s all. If the story is good, they’ll take it from a stranger. If it’s not, even their best friend won’t persuade them to run it.
When you select the agencies you want to pitch for your business, make sure you include a big and a small agency on your shortlist. Bigger agencies may have access to more resources, and offer economies of scale. But the bureaucracy associated with bigger agencies can stifle individual initiative. Smaller agencies may also be hungrier for your business and offer a more personal and accountable service.
On the contrary, the more jargon an agency uses, the less likely it may be to ‘connect’ with the public, or its intermediary, often the tabloid hack.
Many public relations agencies charge extra for things that you might presume would be included in a retainer fee or project costs, such as photocopying. Some also charge substantial mark ups on expenses. Be clear from the start exactly what you're getting for your money.