Help clients create a lasting PR-agency relationship

PR pros, consider the challenge of working with a new client that’s never teamed up with an agency before. Here’s help for both partners.

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Although it may seem like a match made in heaven, don’t spend too much time sitting back and smelling the roses. It’s now your shared responsibility to cultivate the relationship.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind for getting the most out of your PR firm long past the honeymoon phase:

• Expectations should be clear. Defining success by setting goals and measurable objectives is a key element of any effective communications campaign, and it’s good practice from Day One to prevent surprises later.

You can do this by developing a written brief for your PR team or as part of a larger discussion during your kickoff meeting in which you define business problems, gauge views on challenges and opportunities, and determine how success will ultimately be measured.

• Communication is a two-way street. Communication is the bedrock of any successful relationship.

Your firm should provide you with regular status updates and proactively flag issues. Likewise, agencies rely on client feedback—positive and constructive—to know whether they need to refine their plan or pivot direction.

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