Secrets from the client side

One of my core duties was to build the global PR team including hiring and managing agencies across our multiple properties around the world. Having now looked at things from both sides, I’ve decided to return to the agency life—armed with some new insights.

Working in-house with a corporate client gives you a different point-of-view and a greater understanding of what they expect from their agency, and why. It’s not a plug-and-play solution; for each client, you must learn to adapt, and to think as though you are part of the internal team.

Following are a few insights from the corporate side that every agency person should know.

1. Understand the corporate structure

Knowing whom your contact reports to and what the company goals are will help you understand the bigger picture, including what they consider most important, and how you can best translate your client’s goals into PR success.

From this vantage point, you’ll be able to make educated decisions about how to prioritize and proceed. For example, will bigger numbers play better internally or are their concerns more specifically targeted? Are there specific media outlets that the top executives pay special attention to?