The journey of finding the right PR agency can be very much akin to the journey of navigating the dating world and finding the perfect partner! You need to make sure your communication styles, ways of working and goals are aligned in order to get the best out of the relationship. Sounding complicated? Fear not! We’ve collated our top tips on how to find your perfect PR match, just in time for Valentines Day!

Kick off the relationship with a Q&A

You’ve spent some time googling and narrowed down a few potential agencies you like the look of. Now it’s time to line up a briefing call to chat through your project and scope each other out – it’s essentially your first date!

Now whether you’re on a brunch date or a briefing call, the only way to truly get to know someone is by asking all the questions! Deep dive into an agency's previous experience, ask how they’ve pivoted campaigns to achieve results and get a clear understanding of how they like to work. Find out who you’d be working with and if they’ve worked across campaigns of a similar nature. Questions are your most powerful tool in terms of finding out if you’re a good fit for each other.

Be prepared to answer plenty of questions as well! The agency will likely want to find out more about the specifics of the project, if you’ve done PR before, the assets available and your desired outcomes.

While we can’t guarantee there won’t be any weather chat or small talk, just like a first date, these initial briefing calls are the best opportunity for both parties to put their best foot forward and be as honest as possible in the exchange to pave the way for a strong (working) relationship.

The all-important proposal

If you’re looking to compare a few PR agencies, you should be prepared to develop a thorough Request for Proposal (RFP). This is essentially an outline of the scope of work and tells an agency exactly what you want to know from them in order for them to develop a proposal for your consideration.  

Before you write your RFP, it’s vital to define what are your key criteria or qualities in an agency partner. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for will help identify what are your green flags, red flags and dealbreakers when it comes time to review the proposals. The criteria will look different for every organisation and could include things such as relevant industry experience, whether you want to work on an hourly, project or retained basis, the type of services offered and even the cultural fit of the team you’ll be working with.

In your RFP, include as much information as possible about the actual scope and budget for the work. The more transparent you are, the proposals are more likely to be aligned to your needs and make your hunt for the perfect match significantly smoother!

Much like the dating world, it’s just as important in the search for an agency that you are clear on what you want and what your needs are, so there’s no disappointment or confusion down the track.

Compatibility can make or break

Imagine this – you’re at a bar, a watered-down vodka lemonade in front of you, and there’s a deafening silence coming from the person opposite you. Question after question is met with short, blunt answers with minimal flow. The worst! Now imagine this on a Teams call or worse still, email…

Compatibility is so important when it comes to engaging a PR agency, especially if you’re looking to work together on a retained or regular basis. Making sure your communication styles are aligned is going to make the whole relationship much smoother although just like a romantic relationship, finetuning this can take time!

Be upfront from the beginning on how you like to communicate – don’t have time for WIP calls? No worries, we’ll send a thorough weekly update! Prefer text over email – all good with us.

Just as important is making sure that you’re compatible in regards to the goals and objectives you’re working towards. You wouldn’t hire a PR agency specialising in beauty to launch a new property development, so make sure the agencies you’re considering have relevant experience in your industry and a proven track record of securing the outlets you want.

And finally, did you click with the team? While it can seem counterintuitive to base the decision off the ‘vibes’, it’s so important that you get along with the team delivering your PR campaigns! Did they seem excited and invested? Did you have a great connection and lots of ideas flowing throughout the conversation? You want your agency team to feel like an extension of your own, so ask yourself if you would hire them as part of your internal team. If the answer is yes, that’s a great sign that you’re going to work well together.  

Leave the ghosts for Halloween

Much like the dating scene, agencies are often ghosted during the proposal / sales stage and let us tell you, it hurts our feelings much more than receiving a rejection! If you’ve spent time chatting with an agency and subsequently, they’ve prepared a proposal for you, please give them feedback, even if you decide not to go ahead with them.

There is so much time and energy that goes into preparing proposals for clients and trying to wow you with creative ideas and concepts, so even if you choose to go in another direction, most agencies would appreciate your honest feedback as to how you found the proposal, what were some determining factors in your decision-making and anything they could have done better.

It also speaks to the notion of ‘don’t burn your bridges’, as you just never know if circumstances will change down the track. So please, we won’t be mad if you don’t choose us, as long as you don’t disappear on us!

So where to from here?

Selecting the perfect PR agency requires navigating compatibility, shared values, effective communication, and a mutual understanding of goals. Like any successful relationship, the right PR agency will complement your strengths, navigate challenges together, and contribute to the growth and success of your brand. By investing time in the search and prioritising a genuine connection, you increase the likelihood of a fruitful, long-lasting collaboration that elevates your brand to new heights! A true love story!

If you’re keen to explore how we could work together, let’s lock in a call! And in the spirit of Valentines Day, we're offering new clients 20% off your first campaign with us if you mention this blog. Reach out to us on 07 3160 3370 or via contact@mediacast.com.au