Assessing Your Agency

Hiring an outside public relations firm can be an excellent business strategy, particularly for a smaller firm with minimal inside staff. An agency can bring fresh ideas, promotional possibilities and technicalexpertise to the table. A successful client-agency partnership can prove both rewarding and advantageous.

On the other hand, employing an agency does not mean public relations becomes a total turnkey, hands-off operation. The point person at the client company carries several significant responsibilities for managing the PR partnership.

How often should agency contracts be reviewed?

Public relations contracts, if you have one, may be renewed periodically. Some are monthly, while others are annual. Still others are linked to the duration of a specific project.

Check your contract or written agreement to determine its longevity, if you are not sure. It's a good idea to begin the process several months before the end of your current contract.

Whatever your arrangement may be, at some point, you will probably be called upon to evaluate the outside agency's prior performance and determine whether a new firm might serve the company's PR needs better.

Of course, an attentive manager will constantly evaluate progress and effectiveness anyway!

What steps might be included in an agency review?

As in-house promotional director, you must maintain and champion the PR vision and objectives of your company. Define your public relations needs. Consider input from top executives and department heads that are directly involved in, or affected by, your company's PR programs. Once you can identify your expectations, you will be better equipped to evaluate whether they have been met.

You will want to continually evaluate the PR firm's performance. Have they met or exceeded all of your expectations? Is your account staff attentive to your PR needs?

Try to visit your agency often. Of course, it's quite convenient to summon the agency staff to your own location for meetings. Even so, whenever you can break away from the office, try to meet at their shop. There, you will gain valuable firsthand insights into their creativity, performance, and overall state-of-affairs.

Stroll through your PR firm's office. Be observant. Look at promotions on display. Observe the staff in action, and look for clues about work ethic and company morale. Once in a while, why not even pop in and surprise them? As your PR counsel, they ought to welcome your intrusion, particularly if you show up with donuts or other treats!

You will have to serve as the active liaison between the PR firm and your company management. Unfortunately, pressing deadlines and tight scheduling tend to be the backbone of most promotional programs. Creativity is central, but timelines often drive the effort forward faster than expected.

Review and approve all PR projects and materials. If press releases and other items must be approved by top executives, it's up to you to make this happen. The corporate contact must keep the pedal to the metal here. Monitor all projects and events, and check all items before final publication, issuance, or unveiling.

Manage the promotional budget, and audit all PR firm and subcontractors' invoices. Line items do matter. Check for any clerical errors, accounting discrepancies, or oversights. Does your agency consistently complete projects within the predetermined budget?

Consider your PR objectives. During the duration of the program or contract, has your PR firm met your goals? Are you willing to continue working with them to improve areas that need it?

Determine whether to renew the PR firm's contract or seek a new firm.