Choosing a PR Consultant
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When a growing company reaches a certain size, maintaining an active and consistent relationship with the press and public can become a necessity. Good public relations will not only help the business to keep on picking up new customers but also help retain existing customers.
In specialist fields, where the target audience is very clearly defined and there are a limited number of companies offering your particular services it’s even more important to distinguish yourself from your competitors. PR consultants, by managing your interactions with your audience via the media, can help you find and maintain a unique voice which compliments your brand identity.
Finding the right PR consultancy for your company can be a painstaking task. In this article we aim to arm you in the battle against bewilderment with some key tips and hints on how to identify and hire the right PR firm for the job.
1. Coming Up With a Brief
Before you can even consider looking for a PR company, you need to clearly define your wants and objectives for your PR operations.
Why do you need to hire a PR company? In what areas do you consider your current public relations lacking? What do you hope to achieve from hiring a PR company? What outcomes would constitute a successful campaign?
PR companies have many different functions, including:
- Securing media coverage
- Writing and distributing press releases
- Organising PR events
- Engaging with the public through social media
- Handling crisis communications
- Handling internal communications
Some companies may specialise in certain areas while being weaker in others so it’s important to know what you’re looking for – talk with your senior managers and marketing people. Drawing up a brief to outline your aims and objectives can help clarify these points for you as well as providing a useful way of opening a dialogue between yourself and potential PR consultancies.
2. Search and Research
Once you have a brief you’ll be able to start identifying companies that might be able to carry it off. But where do you start looking?
- Personal recommendations from others in your industry or similar industries could be very valuable. Ask around your contacts to see if anyone can point you in the direction of a PR firm that they have found professional and effective.
- Look in trade journals for your industry or trade body websites – PR companies that work in your sector will advertise here.
- Online directories and B2B sites will carry listings of PR companies, sometimes including detailed information or testimonials from previous clients.
- If you have contacts in the media, ask them which PR firms they have had good experiences with and who they might recommend.
In order to narrow the field to a shortlist of around three companies, you’ll need to research each company thoroughly. Look at the following:
- The Website. What kind of impression does the PR company’s website make? Look at press clippings and portfolios carefully. How does the company write? What kind of campaigns have they worked on?
- >The Client List. You may need to request this. How would your company fit in among those names? Would you stick out like a sore thumb? Why?
- Testimonials. Most companies will be able to provide testimonials from previous clients and they’ll usually put these on their website. How many do they have? How complimentary are they? How do your expectations for the PR company match with these comments?
3. Meeting and Interviewing
Contacting your shortlisted candidates and inviting them to pitch for your business is the next step. You’ll probably want to meet them on their turf initially – a company’s offices say a lot about them. Make sure that you’re meeting with the people who would be dealing with your account on a day-to-day basis, as your relationship with these account managers will be critical to the success of the campaign.
A PR company will usually present a range of ideas for your campaign and go into detail on how they would achieve your stated objectives. When it comes to questions, you may wish to consider the following:
- What is your experience and history?
- What experience do you have working in our industry?
- How would we fit in on your client list and do you see any potential conflicts of interest?
- How do you assess your performance?
- How do you manage budget overspends?
- What is your policy on fees and payment?
The single most important factor to consider during the interview process is, as always, chemistry. Will these people be good to work with and would you be comfortable with them speaking for your company? More than one meeting may be necessary to establish this – take your time.
4. Getting a Written Proposal
By this stage the potential PR firms may have already handed you a written proposal and quotation. If not, request one. This will give you vital insight into how the consultancy works and what you can expect from them. It will also help you judge how well they’re attuned to your needs and provide the groundwork for contract and fee negotiations.
5. The Big Decision
Ultimately the decision will come down to combination of factors and each company is unique in their PR needs. How you or your senior people hit it off with the PR firm is of critical importance though, and should be given a high priority – communication between your company and your PR consultants should be easy and frequent.
When you’ve made a decision, request a letter of agreement from the PR consultancy and start looking forward to improved public relations.
