Don’t get too excited about Bellamy Hayden’s PR offering
Bellamy Hayden is about to embark on a well-trodden path and launch a PR unit. If history is anything to go by, they’re going to fail, or at least not succeed very much.
I’d love to be told otherwise, but if I were to try to list genuinely successful PR agencies that sit within a bigger communications agency, then I’d not need both hands.
In Bellamy Hayden’s case, it’s launching something called Chatterbox.
If their spin is to be believed (and who could blame them if they’re overstating the case – they are in PR now, after all) as well as serving existing agency clients, they’ll be chasing new business.
But it never seems to work. Can you think of any PR agencies that sit within a parent ad agency culture but also succeed and develop a brand in their own right?
Yes, apart from DDB’s Mango. Any more? Anyone? No? Anyone?
I think the problem is that the culture and rhythm of an ad agency is different to that of a PR agency. If you’ve got a small team with a few desks within a group of, say, 40 advertising types, they’re going to feel like part of the parent company. They’ll struggle to develop their own culture.
Look at what happened with M&C Saatchi’s attempt – Open Dialogue. Those who were nearby will tell you that to develop as they felt it needed, the principals had to walk out of the door to create what is now Access PR. The clients soon followed.
I’ve also often been surprised by the cluelessness about PR from many comms agency bosses. Some at least know how little they know. But others, more worryingly, think they know all about PR when they clearly don’t.
The PR agencies that work within agency groups do so because they have their own identities – I’m sure that One Green Bean wouldn’t have been such a success if it was a subset, rather than a sister agency of Host.
And that’s why Frank PR is being smart to keep its distance from other Photon agencies – even if it does share a floor (although not a front door, they stress) with Naked Communications.
That’s not to blame Bellamy Hayden for trying. In tough times it’s good to have new revenue streams. Although it does make it a little harder to claim to be a communications-neutral strategy agency when you can offer execution in the PR channel. Mind you, Naked has got away with having an events arm for years, so even that’s not unprecedented.
But PR arms of established comms agencies just never seems to work.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Advertising agencies are built around spending huge amounts of time – paid for by the client – wasting time. You can go literally months.
In PR the client may need a result tomorrow. Imagine trying to get your press release written while the wankers at the next set of desks are agonising about brand semantics.
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Totally agree, but on a minor point… there are a whole load of other (very separate and independently run) PR agencies in Photon for Frank to be friends with! Advertising is just one division!!
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You really are determined to make mumbrella the News of the World equivilant. Why must u just rely on sensationalist negative crap to get readers. Good luck BH – hope it works.
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Thanks for your contribution, anon.
By the way – it is okay to put your name to criticism: I promise not to take it personally. It gives your view more credibility in others’ eyes too. Some of my best friends are happy to tell me to my face that I talk rubbish…
I hope it works for Bellamy Hayden too (they’re nice people and do some of Australia’s best strategic work) – I just happen to think that it won’t – for the reasons I’ve explained above.
You may take the view that it’s sensationalist to discuss issues about industry culture, but wouldn’t life be a bit boring if we couldn’t say what we thought?
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I agree with Anon, sensationalist negative headlining achieves nothing. Clear and considered views should always be welcomed, just not packaged tabloid style.
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(I may be biased but) Red Agency, the Australian PR brand for Euro RSCG Worldwide, does a strong job of collaborating with our ad agency partners as well as having built a name for ourselves.
Or do we not count due to the fact that Red was an agency in its own right before moving into the Euro family?
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Tim – you’ve nailed it here. Many – not all – creative and media agencies think that they can simply set up a PR agency in an effort to catch some of the financial pie that they are struggling to hold on to. The great PR agencies know how to fully integrate with other agencies, they’re responsive on a minute by minute basis and know how to create a measureable campaign that delivers to the commercial needs of their partners – as well as having an incredible network to pull it all off! It’s interesting as an agency owner to see how some agencies who have always looked down on PR, are suddenly seeing our relevance. What do they say…’money talks’. If anything, I hope that this all helps to bring further credibility to the PR industry and that more broadly, the business community recognises our value.
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Well said, Leilani. I fully agree.
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Hi Marissa,
That’s a really good point. I can remember being mildly suprised when I discovered Red Agency was part of Euro – which of course is a very healthy thing!
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
This move is another indicator that communications specialists are beginning to acknowledge the value of PR as an effective comms channel, and its no big surprise, given clients are increasingly scrutinising budgets and dealing with the realisation that traditional advertising doesn’t work quite like it used to.
Many PR specialists already work with ad agencies to help their campaigns cross over from being consumed to being talked about, to deliver both bigger ROI and that holy grail of integration.
But hell, at least the mystery surrounding the persistent suit from BH who’s hit me with questions around PR, how to do it and how measure it over the last few months is finally solved!
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Guys great to see everyone creating “chatter” around the new bellamyhayden offering. Bellamyhayden is a strategic communications agency so it makes sense that chatter/PR is part of our product. We understand the importance of incorporating “chatter” in the communications mix at the strategic planning phase, as opposed to being a “tag on” or after-thought which is currently often the case. Although Tim is suggesting “no one get too excited”, the entire bellamyhayden team and our extended families can’t help but be excited. We’re looking forward to the journey ahead and the many conversations we will embark and have with you in the future. Chief Chatterist Jaselyn.
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Ok then. What about the reverse? There is in fact quite a few PR firms that provide advertising advice to their clients. Not necessarily in a formal capacity. But the number of times I have been in meetings with PR agencies who get caught up with their clients on advertising advice – I can count on all my fingers and toes! In fact with a lot of medium sized enterprises it would appear t me that the PR company is providing marketing consultancy as much as PR consultanty! Their discussions with their clients seem to be as much about media placement as anything else. These companies have a PR agency and a creative agency, and it is the client that does the media planning and buying (under advisement from the creative and PR agencies).
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Chief chatterist? seriously?? Rates up there on the oddball job title list IMHO
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Good on em for having a crack.
but….
Why dont they just use the other Photon owned PR companies….like Naked.
chatter…..meh
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Rushy, behave yourself…you’re reading like the letters page in NoW. How dare you!
Leilani, your point about Media/Creative adding PR to their armory as another money spinner is not limited to PR. Too many examples out there of buck chasing as opposed to building smart product through smart people as a natural extension of a well considered business plan, built with insight and patience.
The recent rush by creative to add media a case in point….averageness and the convenience of a one stop shop never provided a better outcome over great people and product. But that takes time. It’s why BBH continue to lead and why BMF look set to build an enduring dynasty here…
People, Product, Patience … then Profit.
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