How to choose PR companies

Choosing a public relations company means that you will have to invest much consideration in your marketing and communications requirements. Public relations companies are plentiful, but, as with most services, each company offers something unique. The decision on which one to hire is seldom an easy one, and will depend almost entirely on your specific needs.

Media relations

Press image
Most companies choose a PR agency so that they can improve their public image or bring something specific to the attention of the press industry. It is important to establish whether the PR agency has contacts in the media, and to ensure that these are the right contacts. For instance, if the hiring company specialises in food manufacturing, there is little point investing in an agency that can provide access only to pharmaceutical publications.
Press coverage
It may be unfair to judge a PR agency only by the amount of press coverage which it is able to garner for a company or product. This is because press coverage is one part of the equation with respect to the media. Some PR agencies take a long-term view of building relationships with the media, and in some instances, this may be more appropriate to the hiring company than quick, hit-and-run coverage.

Associated costs

Economic hardships
Business PR is one of the first victims of a recession or economic shock, but sometimes, cutting PR as a kneejerk reaction can be a mistake. For instance, some companies which cut PR during the last recession suffered a double disadvantage. Not only did they have to deal with the financial fallout of the recession, but they had to come to terms with the fact that there was no publicity about their company or products as the economy emerged from the recession.
External marketing
A decision usually has to be made about the pros and cons of maintaining a corporate PR or internal marketing department. If such a department can effectively do a PR job for the company at little expense, then it may be worth foregoing an external PR agency. However, often, companies find that the clearly defined structure of a PR agency is more beneficial for their budgets. In addition, it is easier to end a contract with a PR agency than it is to close down a company department, and probably having to make members of staff redundant.