Collaborating with Your PR Agency

Hiring an outside PR agency can be one of the most important marketing decisions your company makes. Your agency is presenting your company to the media and to potential customers/clients; therefore, you must have a collaborative relationship with your agency to ensure you are being presented in the best possible light.

The first step to a healthy, collaborative relationship with your PR agency, begins before you hire them. You not only want to hire an agency with a track record of success, but you also want to hire people you feel comfortable working with. There should be a high level of trust and you should like the people making up your PR team. The more you like the people you are working with, the more beneficial the relationship will be.

In addition to working well together, your agency should also clearly understand your brand – who you are, who your customers/clients are, as well as who you are NOT. If that is not communicated and comprehended from the start, any efforts will be ineffective. You want an agency that is moving your brand in the right direction from the start instead of veering off course.

Once you have selected an agency you work well with and clearly understands your brand and your needs, collaboration is key. Your agency cannot do their best work without your help. That means keeping them up to date on developments as they progress, with as much notice as possible. If you know that something big is coming up, let them know ahead of time so they are fully prepared and ready to go at the drop of a hat. See something in the news that applies directly to your company? Let them know! The more information you continually provide your agency, the better they can do their job and the more successful they will be.

Just like any relationship, the more you like your agency and the more you collaborate, the better the results. The more you put into the relationship, the more you will continue to see the benefits.

Lara Cupit knows legal PR