Are you looking to promote your brand, company or product but are unsure how to? Lisa Solomons, Founder & Director of 360 PR gives you six tips on how to pick the right Public Relations agency!
Lisa Solomons, Founder & Director of 360 PR says, “finding a PR agency to entrust your brand and business communications can be a daunting task and something that generally gets put in the too hard basket when push comes to shove.”
“Over my past 18 years in the industry I have seen clients come and go and presented a countless number of pitches. By identifying the key objectives, attributes and concerns of each and every client prior to going through the pitch process, you can save yourself and the agency a lot of time”, Lisa adds.
It’s almost like doing a pre-interview over the phone with a potential employee!
Tip 1: Have clear and measurable objectives
You’ve probably heard this a million times before but it is really important to have SMART objectives in place prior to even looking for an agency to represent your brand. Ensure these objectives are clearly communicated from the outset and work with the agency to determine how each objective will be measured and within what timeframe.
Tip 2: Determine your budget
Too often we find that salons say they don’t have a set budget and instead, they ask us to recommend what they should be spending and how it will be allocated. The problem with this is, how long is a piece of string! There are so many ideas and activations that agencies can recommend that can be scalable but in many cases out of the ball park. You will always get the best response to brief, in line with what you can realistically afford if you provide even a rough estimate.
Tip 3: Size doesn’t matter
Large or small agency – how to decide? Some say smaller brands get lost in bigger agencies and that the boutique options are the better way to go if you want more focus on your brand. Truth is, if you work with a reputable agency that has a strong team across the board, all brands should feel like they are getting the service they are paying for and deserve.
Tip 4: Chemistry is key
Most of us spend more time with our colleagues and clients than we do with our families and friends, so consider your agency your extended family. If you have a gut feeling that it’s not going to be a fun and successful partnership – walk away. While PR is essential cog in a communications strategy, we’re not performing brain surgery so remember you can enjoy what you do and the people you choose to do it with.
Tip 5: Get your brief ready
Having a PR brief ready to submit to a number of agencies will not only speed up the process of appointing an agency and working towards kicking your goals, but you’ll also have a great base to get moving. If all the agencies receive the same information at the same time to pitch, it’s easier for you to compare and make a decision. The process can also help you to firm up your objectives internally and learn some truths about your business or brand.
Tip 6: Make sure you know what and who you are getting
In many cases it will be the big guns who come in to do the pitch and blow you away, get signed on the dotted line only for you to be then palmed off to the juniors. Don’t be afraid to ask who will be assigned to your account and what role the founder or director will be playing in working with the team to achieve your objectives. As your agency is an extension of your team, it’s important to meet them and make sure it’s right!
So what are you waiting for? Contact us today if you have any questions or book in for a complimentary 20 minute strategy session with one of our PR specialists.