What can a PR firm do for me?

A great PR firm can help change perceptions, and affect what people that matter to you, say and think about your organisation or brand, and how they respond to it.  It will help you talk, listen and interact with them effectively.  A great PR firm will be able to provide exceptional media relations, but will also bring good thinking and new ways of getting your message through to those who are important to you.  A great PR firm understands your goals and its role in helping you achieve them, and works with you and your other agencies, contributing ideas and providing honest and frank advice when needed.  A great PR firm will also be enjoyable to work with.  Life is too short to be working with people you don’t like that much.

Does your choice of PR firm really matter?

Tom Cruise didn’t think so.   “Ever since he replaced PR woman Pat Kingsley with his sister Lee Anne De Vette, Cruise has become an insufferable crusader, routinely subjecting journalists to all-day Scientology indoctrinations at its centers before giving interviews.”
Vanity Fair, The New Establishment, October 2005

Cruise recently dropped his sister and hired another PR firm. 

Is your reputation really that important?

“Our reputation is more important than the last hundred million dollars.”
Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation

Can I just take out an ad?  Won’t that tell the world about us?

Advertising is a great industry.  It’s a powerful industry.  And it works.   But it’s not enough to tell your story, build your brand or your stakeholder relationships.  People generally don’t go looking for the information contained in an ad, usually they have to be drawn to it, which is why most of the great ads these days have to be really funny to draw us in to watch.  But information delivered by PR activity is actively sought, whether it’s through a news story, a recommendation from a friend or trusted expert, an event or experience.  It’s more credible, relevant and effective in telling the story, however complex.

But we already have a PR firm who is okay, and it’s just too hard to change firms

‘Okay’!  Okay is not good enough for any supplier, let alone one who are entrusting with your reputation.  If you don’t think you are getting the best advice, ideas, client service, value for money, strategic thinking, answers, and results, then get a new PR firm.  You probably wouldn’t put up with an ‘okay’ dentist, surgeon or even drycleaner, so why work with an average PR firm?

How do I know if a potential new PR firm is any good?

There are lots of ways.  Here are the top five we suggest:

1. Do they demonstrate an understanding of the business, organisation, project, industry or issue?
2. Are they able to ask relevant, even hard, questions?
3. Do they have the skills and the resources to support your work?
4. What other clients do they have?
5. What do people say about them and their work?  Can they provide references?

If you’re interested in finding out more about The D’Arcy Partnership and why it's a great PR firm, then email us admin@darcypr.com or click on the link under ‘Contact Us’.