With PR agencies donning more than conventional hats to fit the needs of clients, we assess if the clients are finally getting the most out of their PR partners. The functions of PR have come a long way from when the agencies were all about getting the brands on the front pages of the newspapers, or diluting any unfavourable discussions surrounding the clients. Now, the PR agencies are also actively involved in how the brand intends to position and market itself.The evolution also warrants a certain level of paradigm shift in the kind of metrics used to measure the vitality and purposefulness of PR agencies. For a lot of the brands, PR agencies are often considered a supplementary addition to their already existing marketing strategies. But what can brands do to get the most out of their PR agencies?In a panel discussion held at CommuniCon 2023, afaqs! hosted some prominent heads of PR and Corporate Communications industry, who shared their valuable insights on the question. Bhawna Gupta, who is the director client relations, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, highlighted how the client-PR relationship stands at the moment, with the changes required to make the dynamic more productive. She said, “When a client understands that a PR agency is their communications partner, the who’s able to answer or solve a certain challenge for them, the storytelling starts from there. When that is not the case, the collaboration falls apart.”Gupta also pointed out that typically, we’ve come to expect that brands tend to leave out PR agencies from synergy meetings which involve other bodies such as social media agencies, and influencer agencies, amongst others. But things are gradually changing, she suggests. “PR agencies are generally only told what to do. But we are seeing changes. Whenever there is a synergy meeting, PR agencies are called because the messaging has to be the same. The communication effort has to be collaborative.”Gupta believes that when a client sees a PR agency as an equal partner, it works for everyone. Smita Basu Roy, head – corporate communications, Godrej & Boyce, has seen the entire space evolve over the last two decades. She suggests that while we’ve reached a point where PR agencies are now actively involved in decision-making meetings, there is also a need for the agencies themselves to structure their efforts towards the client’s business goals.
https://www.afaqs.com/corporate-communications-and-pr/has-the-time-come-for-marketers-to-redefine-the-role-of-pr-agencies
Has the time come for marketers to redefine the role of PR agencies?
