There's an old saying that goes "You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince." It's certainly true in the dating world. And it may be even more true for companies looking for the right fit in a PR agency.
That's the reason many organizations use a Request for Proposal (RFP) to begin their agency search. They're hoping that by selecting several agencies and asking the same questions of everyone they can cut a few frogs out of the process early. That's the theory anyway.
The reality is finding the perfect match for your company's PR needs can make even the most experienced marketing pro go nuts. That's because asking a series of generic questions isn't enough. You have to ask the right questions to find your PR prince. That's why you might want to take a Match.com approach to building your RFPs.
Much like the online dating service, RFPs work best if you know what to ask in order to find the perfect date. The more detail you can provide about the kind of agency you are looking for, what you expect that agency to do, the kind of experience they should have, etc. the easier it is to get that perfect fit…and to avoid those PR firms that won't serve your needs. RFPs are really about matching values and solving problems together.
The basic purpose of an RFP is to define the scope of the work to be done, and to qualify the top candidates. Some companies forego an RFP process in favor of a pilot program, or just using reference checks, but that road is full of holes. That method is sort of like a blind date, only without the ability to set up an "escape" call if things aren't working out. Unless a company already has worked extensively with the agency, RFPs are probably the best way to get a clear understanding of the agency's experience, industry knowledge and insight. In addition, the RFP helps you justify the expense of the PR campaign up the corporate ladder, all the way to the CFO and CEO.
In talking to our prospects, the general rule of thumb is to keep RFPs to only three or four agencies. Any more, and the entire RFP process takes too much time, with the proposals blurring together after a while. One prospect even suggested finding the two best agency candidates through networking and industry research, much like you would find your best prospective customers, and then having only those two agencies compete for the RFP.
Regardless of the number of RFPs, wading through the submissions takes time. At smaller companies, often a C-level executive (chief marketing officer or even CEO) more than likely will be responsible for going through the RFP process. At mid- to large-sized companies, the reviewers may be at the VP of marketing or PR director levels.
A couple of other tips our prospects shared with us is to provide enough time for the RFP to be completed - usually two weeks at a minimum - and to also offer to review the RFP with the competing agencies beforehand to ensure they understand your needs before they return the RFP.
Here are four more factors that can help ensure that your company gets that perfect match:
Develop Specific Criterion
Before you meet with prospective agencies, determine issues that are critical to your company's objectives. This discovery process could be the make or break factor for forming a strong relationship with the PR staff. After all, if meeting a non-smoker is important to you for dating and you don't put it on your Match.com criteria, you shouldn't be surprised when that big cigar comes out. Some questions to consider are:
- Does the firm have experience in our industry?
- Has the firm had success achieving goals similar to ours?
- Are the values of the firm compatible to our company's values?
- Are the account teams led by managers who will expedite the engagement?
Reduce Risk
With any service, there is no guarantee that you will be 100% satisfied with the end product. Therefore, it is critical that you and your company develop a system to monitor the performance of the PR agency. When doing so, your organization should expect potential agencies:
- To present an RFP to screen the extraordinary firms from the rest
- To begin with a fixed, quantifiable project
- To supply a month-to-month engagement with monthly metrics
- To determine how to exit a program if the relationship is unsatisfactory
Expect Results
While this might seem elementary, too many organizations do not request documentation showing what the PR firm has accomplished. Reaching your objectives is critical for sustaining the client/PR agency's relationship. Since the service revolves around obtaining results, you are entitled to see monthly and annual reports and plans. Without such documentation, it would be hard to measure the success of the agency.
Measure Success
By analyzing a PR firm's performance at specific review periods, you ensure consistent progress. In the first 45 days, are you receiving editorial calendars, media contacts, and messaging? After 90 days with the firm, are you beginning to see media opportunities emerge and obtaining online placements that reflect your company's message? At the six-month mark, is the program positively impacting web traffic, registrations, attendance and sales? After a year, have the PR agency's results met your business goals?
While it may be possible to find a prince if you kiss enough frogs, it's certainly not very efficient. By constructing your RFP carefully following these steps you have a far greater likelihood of finding your perfect match, achieving your goals, and ultimately living happily ever after. And that's no fairy tale.
Mary Eggert is Tech Image's director of new business.
