PR covers a broad range of communication skills and channels. As such, PR agencies have different specialties – from press office to crisis communications, from activations to social media. Understanding the type of Public relations your brand largely needs, and the market in which you operate, is the first step to ensuring you choose the right PR agency.
If you are looking to grow brand awareness and credibility, an agency that offers you an always-on press office – with social media integration – would be a good fit. Alternatively, you may require a PR agency with the capabilities to launch a full-scale campaign activation to publicise a new product, event or announcement. Or perhaps you need a combination of services, in which case you would choose an agency that can devise a program that not only incorporates a multi-layered PR program, but one that can also guarantee coverage.
The ability to guarantee coverage comes from the agency having previous experience in the space in which your brand operates. The ability for a Public Relations agency to demonstrate success through previous work and results is a good approach to gauging how a particular agency would fit with your brand. At The Ideas Suite, we demonstrate to potential clients our ability to secure results across selected sectors such as travel, e-commerce, health and finance, through the documentation of our results and collection of client case studies including HotelsCombined, Compare the Market and Ochre Health medical centres.
The Ideas Suite is one of the leading Sydney PR agencies that is consistently achieving outstanding results for clients thanks to our relationships with the media, skills in developing a story, PR planning process, and our ability to work autonomously.
Developing rapport with an agency early on is crucial when deciding which agency to partner with, but so too is the understanding that your brand will be looked after and cared for. Choose an agency that doesn’t focus on client volume so much, but rather the attention and team they will give to your PR account. The agency you choose should make your brand feel valuable, not only just at the start but throughout the PR program. Ensure the agency will reliably provide insights and feedback that are honest and useful, and will adjust PR plans in accordance with those recommendations.
Your account should also be serviced by an experienced consultant who has achieved PR results in your industry. For instance, as The Ideas Suite is a boutique agency, principal Julia Nekich dedicates her time to the business and oversees all clients as Account Director. Her in-depth understanding of media through her 10+ years’ experience in public relations and several years in media and publishing is also invaluable to the agency’s accounts.
Don’t be afraid to ask the hard-hitting questions when searching for a new PR agency. For instance, how many accounts will the Account Manager be working on besides your account? What PR results has the agency achieved in your industry? How much of your own time is needed in the PR program? How will the agency report to you? And will the agency lock you into a fixed-term contract?
At The Ideas Suite, we carefully select the clients we work with to ensure we remain press office specialists in the areas of digital disruption, e-commerce, property, travel, health and finance. We don’t lock clients into contracts, and our PR budgets are less than the salary of an internal PR manager. Our self-motivated and dedicated team works around the clock to deliver content, media coverage and results we know our clients’ value.
