Managing PR: A guide for marketing, brand and product managers

published 2005

Increasingly marketing, brand and product managers face the opportunity and challenge of using a PR agency.  Yet, for many of them, their academic and previous work experience has simply not equipped them to fully understand and effectively handle this new emerging specialist service.

So here are some answers to questions that many might have been too afraid to ask.

The Big Picture

1. Why do I need a PR agency?

A PR agency is often like an army’s reconnaissance troops - you shouldn’t go into the market without one as part your team.  Their skills, knowledge and contacts can smooth the way forward. And they can help keep you out of trouble by scouting ahead and finding problems and opportunities. And their help is invaluable should you happen to run into an ambush. 

Regardless of the firepower you might have in conventional marketing weapons, these days every marketer - whether in B2C or B2B - should either have an ongoing relationship with a PR agency, or should at least talk to one to assess how they might add value.

2. What role can a PR agency play?

To further the military analogy, normally advertising represents your artillery, tanks or heavy weaponry - great for delivering a lot of firepower in a very short time (but it’s expensive to sustain and increasingly isn’t always having the impact desired).

PR, on the other hand is more akin to the cavalry or SAS - used for short incisive strategic thrusts where surprise is the key, especially in relation to targeting or neutralising key groups.  And these days PR is often used first - in some cases being so decisive that it’s not actually necessary to follow with the heavy artillery or tanks (advertising). 

3. What can I expect a PR agency to cost?

Usually, PR costs far less than advertising. 

If you are accustomed to advertising, then you’ll realise that the development costs (strategy, creative materials etc) are usually much less than the cost of implementation (media buy).  In PR it’s normally the other way around - the costs of strategy and development usually outweighs the cost of implementation (media engagement).

Because PR agencies charge by time, most of the PR agency costs will relate to their people rather than their hard costs or disbursements.  So the bulk of the budget will depend on the number of hours it will take to work with you - either on an ongoing basis or for a project.

Working With PR

1. How do I work with a PR agency?

Essentially it should be no different than working with your advertising agency, or market research firm.  It’s important to have a clear understanding between you as to what exactly PR has to achieve.  Ensure you have good lines of communication and clear reporting guidelines.

It is also important to get to know the team that will be servicing your account.  Make sure the team is not too ‘top heavy’ but rather, is made up of senior and more junior consultants so that you achieve a better average hourly rate.

2. How can PR support and promote our brand values?

Because PR is based heavily in message development, you will find a myriad of ways in which PR can support and promote brand values.  Remember also that PR is a whole lot more than just writing and issuing media releases. 

It’s often about connecting with your audience in creative ways such as sponsorships, events and corporate social responsibility campaigns.  These are all great ways to help drive the brand values.

3. What does PR bring that my existing marketing services do not?

Good PR starts with strong strategic thinking and planning.  It often looks across your entire marketing landscape to bring uniformity of messaging to your existing campaigns and activities as well as adding new opportunities.

Some users of PR employ it to do specific tasks linked with specific outcomes, while others use it in a broader sense to be a valuable extension of the marketing department itself.  It will be up to you, and your corporate culture, as to which way you decide to go.

4. How do I ‘fit’ PR with my other marketing service firms?

Again, this is somewhat flexible.  If strategic thinking is what you prize PR for, then it may fit over many of your other service firms, ensuring that what they are doing for you fits the overall communications plan.  Indeed, PR fits particularly well with activities such as research, events and even advertising, but it will be up to you to explain why you may occasionally include PR in their activities.

However, it’s likely that your first experience with PR will be to look for input on a specific project.  If it’s for a product launch you will obviously need to assess how PR fits with the other elements of the marketing mix, many of which are probably being handled by an external supplier.  In this case it’s probably best to give a PR agency a brief and let them recommend how they see themselves fitting in.

5. How do I quantify PR results and review their performance?

Quantifying PR performance is often initially one of the hardest things for product marketing people to come to terms with.  This is partly because they are usually familiar only with measuring in finite terms things like advertising reach and frequency or response rates to special web promotions.

PR & the Media

1. Is PR all about media contacts?

PR was all about media contacts, but that was when PR was in its infancy, and this was partly because many of the people who first practiced it came from the media itself.

Whilst it’s true that media contacts are still important, what’s more important is an understanding of how different branches of the media work.  Gone are the days when journalists work for one publication… for life!  Additionally, PR professionals have developed tools and techniques outside media such as influencer mapping and engagement, crisis and issues management and corporate counsel.

2. What are the conventions re the PR agency and the media?

The PR agency should be seen by media and clients alike as a facilitator.  Most media acknowledge that between 50% and 90% of what is published comes via PR agencies.

Media expect to be fed ideas and information about clients that will be relevant to their readers, so it’s up to the PR agencies to work with clients to sort out what is newsworthy and what is not.  After all, journalists today receive many hundreds of emails from PR people a week and most are deleted within 30 seconds of being opened.  What the media want is access to relevant information and contact with company representatives who can speak honestly and knowledgably about that information.  That’s the role of PR in the media.

3. Should I front the media or is that the role of the PR agency?

Ideally you should front the media - after the agency has arranged the contact if you haven’t worked with the relevant media.  Long term media don’t want to talk to agencies, they want to talk to their clients.  The role of a good PR agency is to position client spokespeople with media and to develop relationships between them.

The ideal situation is arrived at when the media calls the client direct and, when this does occur, the client discusses the media request with the agency before responding to the media.

Moving Ahead with PR

1. How do I find a PR agency?

There are some standard procedures that apply to sourcing any supplier.  The most common of these would be peer recommendations, searches through industry associations (in Australia this is the Public Relations Institute of Australia), and web site searches.

2. What criteria do I use to select a PR agency?

There’s been many articles written on this, indeed PR Influences has published a number as well.

Obviously relevant experience counts for a lot, as does size (you don’t want to be a small client of a large agency) if you want to be properly respected and serviced.  Other aspects to consider include the quality of their strategic work, special skills you may require such as technical or scientific writing, and the calibre and fit of the team the agency proposes.