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Selecting the right firm to manage your public relations is a crucial decision for any large enterprise. Your chosen PR firm must align with your organization’s values, understand your vision and have the expertise to effectively convey your message to the world. The larger the organization, the more moving parts it has, making it even more critical to ensure you choose the right PR partners.
Below, 14 members of Forbes Agency Council share key traits to look for and important things to consider when hiring a PR firm to help enterprise leaders make a more informed decision. From wide-ranging industry knowledge to a strong crisis management strategy, these vital attributes can promote a positive and productive collaboration between your enterprise business and its outsourced PR team.
1. The Right Value For Your Needs
Consider whether or not it is necessary. Are you looking for media coverage? Is it for crisis control? PR firms can specialize in many different arenas, and it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all business model. I see a lot of business leaders who struggle with the distinction between “need to have” and “nice to have.” A PR firm that isn’t going to be bringing the right value to your table would fall under the latter. - Tom Elstner, Zoogency GmbH
2. Expertise In A Variety Industries
Look for a PR firm with expertise in a wide variety of industries—firms that only specialize in one industry can have tunnel vision. When you partner with a firm that has expertise in multiple sectors, ranging from B2B supply chain to consumer products, your PR team will know what’s trending across industries and use that information to tell your story in an interesting way to reach your audience. - Heather Kelly, Next PR
3. Who Will Work On Your Account
It’s always important to understand who will be working on your account. Is it the named partner or the 22-year-old recent grad? Take the time to understand how your PR team completes its work, who reviews it and how they will engage with you. - Nathan Miller, Miller Ink, Inc.
4. A Strong Organizational Fit
Look to understand the fit between the PR firm and your organization. There are great PR firms out there. To find them, ask questions such as, “Tell me about your favorite clients and why they are your favorites.” If you hear responses like, “The client pushed us to become better at our craft,” or, “We enjoyed working with the client so much, we went above and beyond,” it will be a good match. - Alicia Arnold, AK Arnold
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
5. Why They Want Your Business
Picking a PR firm often comes down to working out why they want your business. If they are looking for an impressive “logo” on their credentials pitch, see your organization as having large, available budgets, or are just chasing growth and profit, they’re the wrong choice. Find a partner who is genuinely interested in your company and its markets; that’s who will deliver the best work. - Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited
6. A Clear Process For Delivering Your Goals
Make sure that you are clear on your goals for engaging a PR firm, and then determine the right fit. If you want more press in a specific publication or series of publications, it is important to be transparent about that and understand the firm’s process for delivering the goals you wish to achieve. - Vix Reitano, Agency 6B
7. A Solid Crisis Management Strategy
Beyond the obvious factors, such as successful industry experience, it’s crucial to seek a firm with a solid crisis management strategy. It should be not only capable of promoting a positive public image, but also adept at navigating the turbulent waters of a crisis. For large enterprises, this is essential due to the increased exposure and far-reaching effects of potential crises. - Dmitrii Kustov, Regex SEO
8. Willingness To Leverage Your Existing Strategies
As companies have developed their own content and social followings online, it’s imperative that your PR firm understand your industry, your positioning and any opportunities to leverage existing strategies. Too often, we see PR firms that don’t connect with content, social media and analytics strategies; they fail to leverage and amplify work that is already having an impact. - Douglas Karr, OpenINSIGHTS
9. Mastery In Digital Innovation
Seek a PR firm with a track record in large-scale business and a mastery in digital innovation. Your PR partner should understand multilocation dynamics and use advanced tactics to enhance your reach, offering scalable, data-driven strategies aligned with current digital trends. - Brock Murray, seoplus+
10. Understanding Of Your Industry
These leaders should look for a PR firm aligned with their industry expertise. Understanding the sector’s nuances helps them tailor strategies effectively, ensuring targeted and impactful communication. PR is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and having to teach a PR agency about a business can be a tiresome process that is never perfected. - Geoff Crain, Kingstar Media
11. Alignment With Your Brand’s Voice
When selecting a PR firm, a key factor for large enterprises is the firm’s ability to align with their brand’s voice and values. This ensures consistent, authentic messaging across all platforms. The right firm should not only understand your brand’s essence, but also have the expertise to communicate it effectively to your target audience. - Mohamed Elhawary, BeUniqueness
12. Senior-Level Team Members’ Involvement
Look for senior-level team members who will actually service your account and who will be deeply involved in the day-to-day. Be sure you aren’t just meeting the experienced pros for the new business pitch, only to have them fade away and be replaced by junior-level team members who don’t have the deep expertise and strategy in your space that you need for shared success. - Jodi Amendola, Amendola Communications
13. A Deep Understanding Of The Market
A PR firm specializing in your industry will have a deep understanding of the market, trends, challenges and opportunities. This insight is invaluable for crafting messages and strategies that resonate with your target audience. - Bernard May, National Positions
14. A Team You Connect With
Select a PR firm with a team you truly connect with. It should have a proven track record in similar industries or with comparable challenges to ensure that you benefit from specialized expertise, strategic alignment, effective crisis management, a customized approach and measurable results. This focus greatly enhances the likelihood of a successful partnership and a significant return on investment. - Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
