Category: Raleigh PR Agency

5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency

Dana PhelpsBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Raleigh PR Agency,

This is the second post in a three-part series: 5 Clues that You Are Ready to Hire a PR Agency, 5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency and 5 ways to Maximize Your PR Agency Investment. Can I get a high five?

Let’s face it, there are likely more than five things you should consider when making the big decision of which PR agency to hire. Having been on both the hiring side and the pitching side, here’s a handful of reasons to pick an agency that I’ve seen forge stronger relationships than match.com:

1. Special? Yes. Specialty? Not always. Start with the basics such as identifying agencies that are either B-to-B or B-to-C (many do both) depending on your primary audience and then begin to drill down into things such as experience in or related to your industry. There can be advantages to hiring an agency that exclusively specializes in a particular industry, as long as the work doesn’t become cookie-cutter and lacking in creativity. That’s why I recommend more of an emphasis on special — as in which firm can do something the others can’t, thereby making it special — over a specialty.

How do you make sure a PR firm has the right skill set as well as the experience and creativity to back up its claims? Review the agency’s relevant case studies, talk with existing clients and ask the team to tell you about any industry and community awards or accolades they’ve received.

2. Values and value. The PR agency you hire is going to represent you and your brand. Ask about the firm’s values. Find out what is important to its leadership team and how those things are woven into the culture of the agency. Similar values are typically an indicator of a good match. While I always think this is important, it is absolutely vital for new companies or those relying on a PR firm to make introductions into new markets. Poor values, lack of integrity and signs of acting unethically lead to bad reputations. It is virtually impossible for your brand perception to be improved or introduced in a positive way by a brand that is tarnished. Do your homework.

Having been involved with PRSA my entire career, I’m a strong believer in the association’s code of ethics. To find firms that have joined PRSA and taken a pledge to uphold the code of ethics, check out PRSA’s Find a Firm tool.

Mix a firm that has the right expertise and strong values with a client with clear direction and a realistic budget and you’ll get value out of the relationship. Ask prospective agencies how they define “providing value” and how they ensure clients feel they are getting a good value.

3. Two peas in a pod. I’m not suggesting you become besties with your agency account manager. In fact, I recommend against that! However, you’ve got to want to work together. That’s where you’ll see the real value — when you enjoy working with and appreciate your agency team and vice versa. It is part of our nature as PR agency people to want to please. Give us a client we like who respects our work and is grateful for the support we provide, and it becomes downright magical.

I believe you can get a sense for this in the interview stages. Call it listening to your gut. Call it chemistry. When the personalities, cultures and working styles are a match, you know it. You feel good about it. Because it is so important, make sure you are actually meeting your account team and not the “pitch team” when you’re visiting with a prospective PR firm. Also take note of how the team members interact with each other, as it can be an indication of how they will communicate with you and your team. I’ve previously written about this in a post about sportsmanship in a PR agency environment.

4. Extra, extra. If you are like most people charged with hiring a PR agency, you’ll send an RFP or the same list of questions to a few agencies you are considering. Look for the agency that offers an observation, wisdom or perspective on something not included in your request. This is a good indication that the team is already thinking about your business and that the firm believes in going above and beyond.

Other extras that are worthy of moving an agency to the top of your consideration list include:

  • Creative pitches. Do you really want another PowerPoint? If you do, which team made it creative? What else did they do outside of the presentation to show imagination and ingenuity?
  • Research. Did one team take the initiative more than others to understand your company’s background, conduct a competitive analysis or analyze your target market?
  • Questions. Did one PR firm seem more inquisitive than the other? This can be an indication of thinking ahead to next steps and about the information that will be needed to kick start your campaign.
  • Desire. Who wants your business the most? The answer is likely to be the same as the agency that will make your account a top priority.

5. Momma said if you don’t have anything nice to say, then zip it. Think twice about a PR agency that is quick to sling mud. We are sometimes asked to compare ourselves to our competitors, and we feel that staying focused on our strengths is the best course of action. Beware of firms that don’t hesitate to shift gears from what they can provide to what others can’t.

Looks like I might have really given you more than five things here, and I didn’t even answer the age-old question of does size matter? That, ladies and gentlemen, is a post all its own that I’ve previously penned called Big PR Agency vs. Small PR Agency. If you’ve ever hired an agency that proved to be the absolute best ever, what factors helped guide your decision?

 

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Fashion Week Inside Scoop

Tracy LathanBlog, Fashion, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, 1 Comment on Fashion Week Inside Scoop

It’s always nice to know people in high (fashion) places. My sister works for New York based designer Rebecca Taylor, so I got the chance to attend my first New York Fashion Week runway show this past weekend. A lifelong style devotee myself, I was beyond excited. And the experience did not disappoint…socialites, fashionistas, lots of black, plenty of attitude, incredible clothing and even a few celebrities. And only at fashion week would you see hundreds of women wearing open toe Louboutin stilettos teetering down streets covered in mountains of snow and ice. I loved every minute.

What I also really enjoyed was the production of the show itself. As a PR professional, I have orchestrated countless events and could relate to the sleep deprived, over-stressed girls running around. From the lighting and the music to the seating chart and the media interviews, it was evident that countless hours of planning went into executing a show of this magnitude. And although there were probably hiccups and missteps along the way, as an observer from the sidelines, it looked as though everything went off without a hitch.

And the collection itself was amazing. Rebecca Taylor is known for her feminine details, but this collection had more of an edge to it. She paired soft ice blue sweaters with more structured pieces and jackets. Lots of hardware and zipper details. And while it all looked great on the runway, it was also a very wearable collection. I already have a few things on my wish list!

Takeaways were, fashion is a true art, my sister’s job is fabulous and the same rules and challenges come into play for planning events – glamorous or not. Here is a link to all the looks from the show Rebecca Taylor Fall 2014 Runway Looks, along with a few pictures I snapped.

Rebecca Taylor's newest designs.
Rebecca Taylor’s newest designs
Waiting in line for them to find our names on the list.
Waiting in line for them to find our names on the list.
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5 Clues You’re Ready to Hire A PR Agency

Dana PhelpsBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Raleigh PR Agency, , 2 Comments on 5 Clues You’re Ready to Hire A PR Agency

This is the first post in a three-part series: 5 Clues that You Are Ready to Hire a PR Agency, 5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency and 5 ways to Maximize Your PR Agency Investment. Can I get a high five?

I thought for sure that this blog post had been written so many times that I could just make my point by linking to my favorite versions of it penned by other PR pros. However, there are more posts on how to select a PR agency (which I’ll do next, anyway). Since the new year has already given me the opportunity to answer the question, “Do you think we are ready for a PR firm?” several times, I want to start with some scenarios that might help a potential PR agency client determine if now is the time.

1. You need expertise beyond your internal team to reach your goals. You have a solid business plan with carefully identified goals for the year. You know where you want to go, but you need help getting there. This applies to new companies, as well as established brands. The internal team might be you, an executive team, the marketing department or maybe even an internal public relations staff. When you find yourself asking more than once the question of “how do we get there?” consider bringing in a PR agency team with the expertise to help you build and execute a strategic communications plan.

2. You need resources/manpower/creativity beyond your internal team. Really smart clients accept that there are only so many hours in a day. Do you find yourself feeling frustrated that you don’t have the time to execute the big ideas? A PR firm can help. Crossing over with point #1, an agency team typically provides people with different strengths, which is an asset to clients. One person might be a better writer while another is a better media pitcher and yet another is creative when it comes to social media. Speaking of being creative, this is another benefit of hiring an agency team since most are made-up of people from different ages and backgrounds — put them in a room together and let the brainstorming begin. Here’s an example of how Clairemont helped a client with a highly creative campaign.

3. You understand that PR is a marathon, not a sprint. If you find yourself thinking about hiring a PR agency during your annual planning, you might be ready. If you find yourself thinking about calling around town to find an agency to help you get something done later this month, you probably aren’t ready. Do you notice that the word relations is part of many things PR agencies do? Public relations. Media relations. Investor relations. Community relations. Analyst relations. Blogger relations. Relations = relationships. Yes, of course we already have established relationships. However, we need time to extend those relationships to include your brand as well as make new ones based on individual client needs. Research and planning are also essential. We recommend 12-month engagements that identify mutually agreeable goals.

4. You are ready to trust. I’ve been on the client side, and I know! I know that an agency search can be daunting and that engaging or re-engaging external resources can be stressful. Trust that you can find the right agency partner, and then trust that PR agency to do great work for you. You can ease your anxiety by doing everything you can to select the best PR firm for you and the needs of your organization. More on how to do that in my next post!

5. You have a PR budget. Like any professional service you might outsource, you need to have a designated communications budget prior to hiring a PR firm. It is understandable if you’ve never worked with an agency causing you to have no idea what it might cost. If you are going to hire an attorney or an accountant for the first time, how would you get a sense for the fees involved? I suspect you might ask a friend, colleague or someone else in your industry who has used those services. While there are a variety of factors that will influence an agency’s estimate, you are likely ready to hire a PR agency when you’ve done your homework enough to understand what a reasonable budget range is (and have approval to invest it on behalf of your organization) for what you’re hoping to accomplish. Your local PRSA chapter should also be able to help you understand the financial parameters of working with an agency.

Hopefully this helps you if you are on the fence between ready and not ready. If you still don’t know, give me a call. Even if we aren’t the right agency for you, I’m happy to answer your questions and make recommendations. My mobile number is 615-294-1886. For those of you who have hired agencies, how did you know you were ready?

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Sparking Creative Thought and New Ideas

Dana PhelpsBlog, Professional Development, Raleigh PR Agency, , , 3 Comments on Sparking Creative Thought and New Ideas

One of the benefits of being a Raleigh PR agency is that when we need creative inspiration, all we have to do is walk out our door and rely on our highly innovative, imaginative and artistic community. From places such as Artspace (which I’m happy to support as a new board member) to regular events like First Fridays and annual happenings such as SparkCon, there’s no shortage of thought-provoking visuals and activities.

In addition to hearing Mayor McFarlane speak during PechaKucha night, attending the worldwide book release of “Man v. Liver” at the Mahler Fine Art Gallery, checking out a Civil Rights photo exhibition and getting a front row seat to the creation of some pretty awesome sidewalk art, our team attempted to answer the question “What Are Your Roots,” an exhibition at CAM. 

I think their answers demonstrate the whole point of why we regularly push our chairs away from our desks, silence our mobile devices and get out there and allow our community to open our minds and motivate us to see things in a different light.

Continue reading “Sparking Creative Thought and New Ideas”

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Clairemont Interns: Introducing Kate Fedder

Margot HorganBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , , , , , , , 1 Comment on Clairemont Interns: Introducing Kate Fedder

We’d like to formally introduce you to our fabulous summer intern, Kate Fedder. A rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill (go Heels!), Kate is winding up to complete her final year in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication where she is majoring in Public Relations.

Prior to joining Clairemont, Kate studied abroad completing an honors semester in London while also interning at a London strategic public relations and communications agency working on client accounts like Fitness First, YooMoo, Rangemaster and Toyota.

With a love for fashion and an awesome go-getter attitude, Kate has been a natural fit at Clairemont and has been proving day-in and day-out that she has some serious PR chops. We have discovered that she has a special talent for creating meticulously organized and thorough media lists and has absolutely no fear when it comes to trying out some media pitching.

What more, you may ask? What other talents does Ms. Fedder possess? Well, she’s a natural at writing creative copy and can zero in on spelling and grammar errors that even the most seasoned editors could miss. But, probably most importantly, Billy – Clairemont’s top dog and CMO (chief motivational officer) – LOVES Kate, and that is something you just can’t learn in school.

Want to learn more about Kate? Check out this video she put together about work at Clairemont. Have some special advice for our summer intern? Please share below in the comments section!

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