As Christmas approaches I am feverishly trying to decide which of my two-year-old twin boys’ toys I can hide away or recycle for 2011 to help make room for the toy extravaganza next week. While there are some obvious recycle candidates, Mr. Potato Head, AquaDoodle and puzzles are great for continuing to hone the boys’ developing skills. Similarly, I am reflecting on what we, as an agency, learned this year that will help us continue to develop and grow in 2011. Here are a few thoughts:
- Social isn’t everything. Certainly social media has changed the PR profession, but exactly how much is up for debate. We strategically extended our clients’ social media efforts in 2010 and got positive results, but traditional PR strategies remained vital in helping our clients increase their overall visibility.
- Don’t forget the basics. In the mad dash of today’s news cycle and numerous organizations growing at a dizzying pace, it’s hard not to get caught up in the rush. However, don’t lose sight of the importance of a strategy, e.g., how to best leverage a sequence of announcements, and the basic do’s and don’ts, e.g., allowing time for internal and external approvals, discussing the all important positioning of a press release or byline with the subject matter expert before drafting, reviewing key message points prior to an interview.
- Be flexible. Agencies often see accounts come and go; however, with an above-average client retention rate (50% have been clients for 3+ years) we aren’t accustomed to it. Taking on more project work in light of the economy and more companies testing the PR waters means frequent client roster adjustments, but this has enabled us to take on different industries, diversify and extend our experience during the past year.
- Utilize internal resources. One of the benefits of a smaller agency is the ability to do more creative team collaboration. New challenges and a staff meeting format that regularly includes brainstorm time helped us flex our creative muscles to develop new account strategies and try different tactics for reaching objectives—with success!
Happy Holidays! We look forward to sharing more Y&A insights in 2011.