Marketing managers need to start holding their PR agency accountable
James Rose argues that without the proper processes in place, trying to get coverage out of your PR agency can be like getting blood from a stone.
I have been on my fair share of PR update meetings – one-to-one calls between PR agency and marketing manager, regional level calls between the agency and marketing executives from multiple countries and multiple agencies reporting to regional marketing teams.
As a marketing manager, this following scenario may seem all too familiar:
Marketing manager: Where are we on pitching x and y to the media?
Great article on account management.
The client needs to help develop that content pipeline otherwise don’t bother with a PR agency.
This article just states the bleeding obvious when it comes to PR but rather than being helpful, just casts all PR agencies as hopeless, evasive and not worth the money. Clearly the agencies you have used in your career are not particularly good ones! Whether it’s PR, creative, ad, digital etc – whatever the agency, it’s really up to the marketing manager to use their own nouse to find good people to work with.
Agree with DC NZ – the client is also held accountable for providing what it takes to make a good news story (ie. data, case studies, a point of view!). News doesn’t materialise from thin-air – and if the agency prods without getting any input from the client – then don’t point fingers at the agency for not securing stories.
Loved it!!! – wanted to re-post but those prescriptavists would probably know it was aimed at them – yes THEM!!!
Are you talking about ‘PR’ in the 90s? PR has moved on from just story placement. And marketing managers need to take accountability for giving useless briefs. This article is not helpful to anyone, so think a little about who you really need to point the finger at here.
Great Post!
Is that how Annabel Fribence ended up standing in front of “BE MORE KAYNE” in letters a foot high? She was hungry? She should have partaken of the product she was promoting!