When PR NEWS asked me to ponder the current state of agency/client relations, I called on a few of my associates from Moscow to middle America and the left and right coasts to
do some "research." "What are you seeing in the marketplace with regard to relationships?" I asked. The consensus seemed to be that there were a few specific actions that, if
taken by clients, will guarantee that they'll be identifying, attracting and hiring a public relations firm every couple of years. I call it the "Never-Ending Agency Search."
It's kind of like a friend of mine who's on his fifth marriage; I'm about half convinced that it's not the destination that captivates him, it's the journey.
At any rate, here are some tried and true ways to assure your place in "the hunt."
IT'S NOT PERSONAL--JUST BUSINESS: Don't be bothered with personal involvement in the identification of a firm that has the same philosophy or business approach as your company.
Turn over your search to the purchasing department. After all, those folks are used to dealing with "vendors" and can put together a nice 65-page request for proposal (RFP) that
can be sent out to every firm in the known universe. (It's quaintly known as "being column fodder.") A week to 10 days should be sufficient time to get a return. Make it clear
there will be no face-to-face meetings till the field is narrowed to two or three. "We're making this decision on cost, not relationships. That can come later."
THE MUSHROOM SCHOOL: Once your agency is on board, the best way to maintain control is to "keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em ..." well, you get the idea. Whatever you do, make
sure your agency understands it's there for tactical support. Don't make the mistake of encouraging them to become a partner in your efforts to move the company forward. Make sure
that the person managing your agency is either in Human Resources or the Legal Department and has no public relations background. Don't bother sharing your business plan or
corporate goals. Create some impossible deadlines and make sure they jump through the hoops. You know the drill. "We need this completed no later than 5:00 p.m. today." Then
wait two or three weeks to approve it. It keeps them on their toes. Whatever you do, don't put together a short/long-term plan integrated with advertising, marketing and brand
management.
RESEARCH? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? There's a disturbing trend for agencies to suggest a scientific research approach to creating public relations strategic plans. You must
make sure they understand that you have a "limited budget" and can't squander it trying to find out what your audiences want and need. Besides, your company has been dealing with
your customers and suppliers for years. You have a "gut feel" for what will work. A good PR firm should be able to take that knowledge and spin those strands of straw into gold.
IT'S THE OLD HAND THING: As in, don't let the right one know what the left one's doing. We all know that PR is basically "Free Publicity." How hard can that be? Why should
your PR firm know what you're telling your employees? Same thing goes for your suppliers and the local community. "Just get us on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and
The New York Times... and, every major trade publication. That's your job. Don't worry about strategy, we have people to do that.
MEASURE BY THE CLIP: These preposterous ideas about using your PR firm to help in setting direction for the company, helping manage change, supporting the brand strategically
and improving your productivity through improved employee communication are being circulated by troublemakers. The best and only way you should measure the effectiveness of your
agency is "do they get our company free publicity."
Sure, I'm being a bit facetious. But I keep thinking about that much-married friend of mine and what drives him onward in his never-ending quest. When I inquired, he just said
that he didn't ask for much in his various spouses. He just wanted them to try to be perfect...like him. I still think it's all about relationships. Guess I'm old-fashioned.
Mike Herman, president-COO, Epley Associates, Inc/Public Relations, is also Chair-Elect of the PRSA's Counselors Academy. He can be reached at 919.877.0877, [email protected]