"I Wish My PR Firm was More Strategic"
Following the rush of excitement when a new contract is signed at a PR agency, some wiseguy will invariably deadpan, “Well, I guess it’s all downhill from here.”
The wiseguy knows that the new PR program will likely start off with a bang, and could even continue on a strong keel for a year or more – but eventually, they expect to get a call from the client in which they complain, “You guys are not being strategic enough.”
Now, it is sometimes true that the agency is not thinking strategically. Yet it’s also true that that complaint rarely comes up in the first 6 months of the program. Why is that?
The obvious answer is that the PR firm has likely been hired with a Big Launch in mind. This means lots of upfront planning, writing, execution and follow-up. But when the launch is in the rearview mirror and everyone has caught their breath, a critical delta begins to form between “client expectations” and “agency execution.”
Too few clients and/or agency executives recognize this gap until it is too late. And, really, it is a shame because the “cure” is clear.
The reason that clients are happy with their agency during a launch is not just because they’re busy getting results – it’s also because they’ve spent a lot of time together “fueling the engines.” They meet; they plan; they debate: the agency is given tremendous insights into the product details; the strategic thinking behind the launch; the future of the company; etc.
Once the launch period is over, though, too often I see client programs go into “maintenance mode.” Sure, there are weekly status calls and all that; the work hasn’t stopped, but, there is just not as much fuel in the tanks.
It is the agency’s responsibility to recognize when their idea flow is starting to wane, and to step-up with proactive solutions to fire up the engines.
But, likewise, the client needs to understand that the agency largely works in a vacuum. The corporate marketer lives & breathes in their particular industry; they meet every single day with fellow executives on a shared mission: their fuel is replenished each day. Meanwhile, though they are engaged with industry media, the agency largely lives off of the input they get from their client contact.
If the input from the client lacks ongoing vigor, the strategic ideas from the agency will sputter.
So – if you are a PR agency executive, and you sense that your team is losing enthusiasm for a client, get on the horn with your contact and set up a brainstorm-for-brainstorming’s-sake, quick! And following that session, arrange for a monthly Strategy Call, in which “talking about tactics” is forbidden: just talk about the state of the industry, the business, the product roadmap, and see where that takes you.
And if you’re on the client side, and you’ve already empathized with the subject line of this blog post? I encourage you to give your PR team one more chance. Rather than put them on the defensive, invite them over with a smile, and see if you can help them refill the fuel tanks of creativity by re-engaging them in the company’s story and mission.
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Comments
I find this is true with running events too. It's exciting to get worked up to the event, put all the pieces in place, make sure the communication is humming. The event itself is a sometimes frenzied but lots of fun event and mass of networking. Once the wrap up and other small post-event details are handled, then poof, it goes away. Post-conference emotions set in and you're fumbling for a way to get that energy back into your day to day.
I like your approach! Pointing out the communication between PR companies and clients, when you see the tide turning and you make the call to the client, you're getting the communication, the relationship and the story back on track.
Great post!
Posted by: Chel | September 19, 2008 12:29 PM
Todd
Had an example of this just yesterday.
A great telecon with a key manager within a client who has had little involvement with us for a long time, yet we need to know his challenges in order to do our stuff. Now he's enthused and we've got new direction and impetus.
All for the cost of a phone call.
Posted by: Jon Clements | September 19, 2008 12:30 PM
Excellent point. We just ran into this same challenge with a client and decided a monthly strategy-only meeting was needed to keep the good ideas flowing. I have always felt the ah-ha moments just don't happen unless you are rolling around in the client's world and really getting dirty. Desktime keeps us too clean to find the good stuff.
Posted by: Elise Mitchell | September 19, 2008 03:46 PM
We just did this today--the client was happy to take the time to walk us through what's important to the company and in the market these days, and we left with a new arsenal of ideas to get us through the next quarter.
In addition to the program recharge, face time with clients is crucial to gaining and keeping visibility, transparency and trust.
Posted by: Megan Lane | September 19, 2008 04:10 PM
Todd,
Thank you for such a clear, focused analysis. It strikes right at the heart of every client engagement. When you stop working with the client, when you're not breathing the same air, sometimes that air evaporates. Thanks for another terrific post.
@ahg3
Posted by: @ahg3 (Arthur Germain) | September 19, 2008 11:47 PM
We made a move to hold more strategic meetings vs. traditional account status updates with one of our longest agency clients about a year ago. This shift has led to some amazing, ROI generating results, as well as a stronger agency/client relationship. We're now viewed as a true partner vs. a vendor and this certainly helps us deal with the bumps in the road that are inevitable in this business.
Great post, Todd.
Posted by: Jeff Webster | September 22, 2008 10:10 AM
Absolutely agree with this post! One of the strategies that my team has implemented is meeting with our clients in-person once a month. Nothing beats the face-to-face interaction. It keeps the ideas flowing and fresh. When you engage your client in this way it is natural to brainstorm and pull in people who may not participate in your regular calls. Another way that we stay engaged is that we ask to participate in sales calls. It is surprising how much you can learn from these quick chats.
Shany
Follow @sseawright on Twitter.
Posted by: Shany | September 22, 2008 10:44 AM
I just passed this on to all of the account reps here at BLASTmedia. We discussed this very topic last week and this puts our discussion points together wonderfully. Thanks for the analysis...
Posted by: Lindsey Groepper | September 22, 2008 11:42 AM
In my humble opinion, strategic relationship goes beyond special events and "account maintenance" afterward. Yes, it takes two to tango, but ultimately it is up to the PR professionals to ask the right questions and provide that extra value to the customer (I hate the use of the word "client" due to history of it). Big events are merely blips in the cardiogram of the relationship with the customer. Building that upward-moving trend in the strategic relationship with the customer is what AEs need to hammer into their heads.
Not waiting for the customer to initiate, not skimping on senior PR staff time to look for additional ways to add value - those are the initiatives that will make the relationship most successful and profitable for both sides. Most PR agencies are very project-focused. The successful ones have long-term relationship/strategy focus.
No prudent executive will mind an increased expense on the PR agency, if revenues are increasing faster than the PR bill (as long as they can link the two). Good PR agencies are very hard to find. Truly strategic and customer-aligned ones are even harder to find.
Just my 2cents.
Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius
Revolve, Inc.
Flexpertise - Law - Capital
Posted by: Apolinaras "Apollo" Sinkevicius | September 22, 2008 11:54 AM
Seemingly unnecessary post that is unfortunately extremely necessary more often than not.
Have forwarded to all account managers here at Cohn & Wolfe in Toronto as a friendly reminder.
Funny how us PR professionals sometimes don't practice what we preach: consistent, useful communications with your intended audience.
Posted by: David Morelli | September 24, 2008 11:39 AM
I agree completely! The firm I work at recently switched from our longstanding weekly accounts update meetings to smaller account focused meetings. Before, so much time was used dealing with administrative issues and staff going off topic there was no room for any creativity to flow.
Since the change, our meetings are brief and we have time to discuss trends within the market, industry professionals etc. which often leads to new ideas/strategies. These meetings have allowed us to focus on fresh ideas and they also have helped strengthen our relationships with our clients and account staff.
Posted by: Debbie Boyce | September 25, 2008 06:13 PM
What we are expecting from PR?
1. To help me grow my network, providing me with interesting people to meet within my business area.
2. To help me manage my public relationships, advising me on where and who I should meet.
3. To be a connection facilitator.
4. Monitoring my brand reputation and keep teasing people to make them want to know more about my company.
LeaderWorld - public relations agencies,public relations firm, public relationsjobs,public relations services,team building,team building, training,media jobs
Posted by: leaderworld | October 1, 2008 01:57 AM