A good Public Relations agency works to help its clients reach their communication goals.
What could a PR professional and a doctor possibly have in common? Seemingly nothing. However, PR professionals and doctors go through similar situations in our day to day. Patients usually visit a doctor's office to solve a health problem. This is very similar in Public Relations, every time a manager or executive calls a Communication and Public Relations specialist, because they want to give their patient — in this case, their company — some “treatment.”
Listening, asking questions and understanding the client's needs will let the PR professional build a situational diagnosis to shape the best communication strategy, one that turns into stories with an impact on the target audience, so the organization can reach its goals.
A good agency is one that quickly understands your business and needs minimal education about it, while also planning and managing a strategy that becomes your voice in the media — and therefore builds preference and recall for your product or service.
Before making a decision, the CEO or company director should ask a few basic questions to make the right choice that leads to their brand's success.
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What are the company's goals?
As a first step, it's necessary to jointly define the goals the brand aims to reach through public relations. These goals should align with the company's interests, and need to be rolled out within clearly established timelines.
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General agency or specialized agency?
Every company has particular needs, which is why, during the search and screening phase, it's important to determine whether you need a general agency with “expertise” across various industries that offers broader positioning through diverse approaches, or a specialized agency in tech, health, consumer goods, luxury, or other fields, that promotes your brand within a market niche.
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What professional experience does the PR team have?
Interaction and trust with the PR team is essential to carrying out an effective communication strategy, which, combined with their professional experience, will be your company's first point of contact with the media. Evaluate each team member's track record and learn about the brands they've worked with. Ask about their crisis management skills, both offline and online, in case a contingency comes up that all brands are exposed to — that way you'll know you have solid backup.
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Do results speak for themselves?
In a world where results are the best calling card, it's wise to evaluate the agency's track record with its various clients, current or past. Ask about the strategies carried out to meet each client's goals, and whether they're able to improve on their own targets. Look into the differentiating value, versus the competition, that a PR agency could offer you to quickly position your solutions.
Once you've made this shortlist, the company will need to rule out any options that don't fit its needs, budget or quality of service, and go with the one that offers a service that adds solutions, timely attention, and results at the right moment.