Bigger is Not Always Better in the World of PR and Marketing
Posted on May 10, 2008
Having worked at both big PR agencies and now running a small agency, I can tell you that bigger is definitely not always better. Before you object, there are certainly good things about the big PR agencies. They have access to systems and procedures that smaller firms don’t have. Additionally, I am grateful for the experience I gained from top-name agencies like Ketchum and Weber Shandwick.
What I’ve found is lacking at these agencies is a sense of real devotion to results and client service. At an agency where I worked, which shall remain nameless, there were a few programs that the agency found worked from a media perspective and those programs were retrofitted for most of the clients and projects. And while these programs generated media placements, what I call “dirty PR” was also employed. “Dirty PR” tactics include using matte releases and using multipliers to inflate impressions.
The cost of big PR agencies can also be prohibitive for smaller clients and many of those agencies will only accept new clients who meet a certain billing threshold. Certainly, big PR agencies have a team of professionals that work on your business, which somewhat explains the cost of monthly billings, but certainly the costs can get expensive.
Most, but not all, boutique agencies are true scrappers on behalf of their clients because the clients they have are absolutely integral to survival. Additionally, boutique agencies are typically more affordable and cost-effective. As an example, What Works Communications, like other boutique agencies, does more than just PR for clients. We ghost write articles, create marketing pieces, and traditional PR. These services are not likely to be offered by bigger agencies.
Certainly, there are benefits to working with PR agencies big and small. The takeaway is to use PR. It is more cost-effective than advertising and is often more widely read. And let’s face it, your story really should be in print and in pictures.
Al Martin is president of What Works Communications, an Austin-based boutique marketing communications firm.
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