Choosing the right PR partner can be challenging, as presentations, websites and agency materials can often blend together and become repetitive. Professional chemistry and mutual respect play a role but here are a few questions to ask your potential partner prior to an engagement to clarify differentiators and ensure they are a good fit.
1) What creative ideas do you have for our company?
Creativity can make an agency stand apart from the crowd. If PR professionals aren’t able to offer original suggestions during the exploration phase, they likely will be limited creatively moving forward.
2) Can you provide an example of a client’s media coverage?
Concrete examples are imperative. Ask your potential partner how they generated media coverage for a specific client, from beginning to end. This will shed light on the agency’s processes and ability to deliver.
3) How do you measure success?
Measurement and evaluation of PR strategies is critical for determining a program’s success, so it is important that this is clarified from the get-go. Inquiring how results are measured can shine a light on the agency’s approach.
4) What is your biggest accomplishment?
While this might tread in the territory of a cliché job interview, asking about big achievements tells you a lot about an agency’s ability to reach high, as well as about their vision and prowess.
5) Who will serve as my account team?
Probably the most important question — ask your potential agency partner who will be your day-to-day contact and who will serve on the account team. By asking upfront you help ensure you get an ‘A’ team and mitigate the risk of any bait-and-switch.