When should you hire a P.R. Company?
Affari Edge is a full service advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. But not every one of our clients utilizes every service we offer. As the Director of Public Strategies, my primary job is to help companies with public relations services - both traditional and non-traditional.
So, how do companies decide they need to hire a public relations firm? There is a certain process companies use to determine their need for a firm.
First, companies need to determine if they are getting enough exposure, espcially when compared with their competitors. When company executives, turn on the television, read a newspaper, download podcasts, or read blogs and read about products or services, they need to feel comfortable with the amount of attention they receive.
Next, a company who feels that they do not receive an appropriate amount of attention needs to determine if additional attention will provide for more business. It is possible that some companies would not generate new business despite additional efforts at public relations. However, for most companies, additional public relations can provide tangible results in their bottom line. This can be especially true in times of crisis, to protect their current customer base or reassure the general public about the products or services they offer.
Once a company feels it wants more public relations services, it needs to determine if it has enough expertise and manpower available in-house. Some internal public relations personnel either are responsible for internal communications as much as public relations. Moreover, in times of crisis for the company, the internal PR person may not have the training necessary.
Finally, once a company has decided to hire an external public relations firm, they need to make sure their PR firm works with their marketing and advertising, either internal or external. A good public relations firm will make sure a PR plan compliments its clients marketing plan - to ensure that the message provides uniformity and is reinforced in the minds of the consumer.
To be sure, there are a lot of advantages to hiring an external public relations firm, rather than attempting to add PR services to already existing staffers. Any reputable firm can tell you whether or not it makes sense for your business, so it never hurts to talk - no matter what size your company is.
