How to Find the Best PR Partner for Your Brand
A Match Made in (Publicity) Heaven
Brands in all industries-those small or larger in scale- can find it challenging to find the right public relations partner that builds momentum and elevates consumer awareness to their business. With so many different types of firms that offer a variety of services and strategies, it's understandable the process can be a little overwhelming. But like most meaningful relationships, it’s important to choose a partner that you can trust and have confidence they always will do their best to drive you towards your goals.
Being that both source PR co-founders have been public relations professionals in Arizona for agencies and in-house corporate teams, they have vast experience in servicing the client and being the client. They understand successful campaigns start with the foundation of a fruitful partnership. Below are some of the best practices they’ve learned along the way (so you don’t have to).
Don’t Get Caught Up in the Hype
When selecting a partner, it's important to look at different types of firms, not only the large high profile ones. To get us wrong, collaborating with full-scale, notable agencies have a ton of benefits including access to additional capabilities, top talent and more. But they can typically charge a high premium for their services. Depending on the size of your company and dollars you're willing to spend, you may be a small fish in a huge pond. This dynamic can affect the success of a longstanding partnership, so it should be something to consider before moving forward.
Conversely, a boutique firm has the capacity to offer more personalized attention. Although a smaller firm may lack full scope capabilities, they have a tremendous amount of experience in their practice and can provide competitive pricing as they carry less expenses than larger agencies.
Bottom line, decide which agency setup is optimally suited to provide the most return on your investment in publicity value. Consider how many people will be on the team promoting your company. How often they’ll provide status updates. How accessible they are.
If their proposed structure aligns with your business needs, then it’s the start of a longstanding relationship.
Tip: If you’re looking for a PR firm that has extensive experience in a certain industry, it could be worthwhile to seek a niche firm, with clients solely in the same sector.
Is there Proof in the Pitch
This one is simple, yet so important. When a firm presents their pitch, take the time to learn if they have carried out a plan on the same scale as proposed for yours. If they haven’t, are they transparent in their capabilities? A talented team can develop a creative campaign, but do they understand the legwork it takes firsthand to make it successful?
Tip: Ask for case studies of previous projects they’ve done for brands in or outside of your industry space.
Revolving Doors
One of the most unspoken, yet most frustrating, aspects of working with a marketing team is that some firms have a revolving door culture. Meaning, talent for various reasons, does not stay with a company for too long. That can be really frustrating, given the amount of time it takes to download a marketing partner on their business and build a rapport. How do you get around this? Sometimes, you can’t. Professionals on your account move on. But before moving forward with a partner, learn more about your potential team. How long have they been at the company? What accounts have they been attached to? Do they carry out similar work for other companies?
Tell You What They Think You Want to Hear
The word yes is a powerful one. But it's often not what you need to hear when it comes to marketing your business. A lot of agencies, especially ones that are in the courting process of new business, tell you what you think you want to hear, not what you need to hear to create a dynamic and effective plan for your brand. They can overpromise and underdeliver. Or simply just propose a plan that may not be attainable in the long run, and in turn will set an unsteady foundation for your partnership.
This isn't to say you don't understand your marketing and public relations needs. But there is value to collaborating with those that will push the boundaries and continue to challenge how to position your brand to both new and loyal audiences.
Does it… Just Click?
They say when you know… you just know. Yes, that saying is mostly reiterated as it pertains to personal relationships but at source, we think that speaks true in business as well. You know when you have a connection with a team. You have a feeling in your gut when they recognize what your goals are and understand how to get you there.
If there is a hesitation in moving forward, don’t ignore that for the sake of getting quick results. Take the time, interview and research, and find the PR partner whose experience and expertise lines up with your expectations.
To learn more about how we work, connect with source here.
