CorpComms Magazine

When Gordon Brown brought in Stephen Carter to run his communications team, the media hailed the former Brunswick chief executive as a man who could stave off electoral defeat for Labour.

Reports of tension between Cabinet members and Carter have since dampened the mood, however, highlighting the importance of the personality fit between an organisation and its public relations advisers.

During a pitch, it should quickly become clear whether there is good chemistry between the two parties, according to Christina Mills, global head of media relations at Rio Tinto, the multinational mining company. Gill Webber, head of communications at the British Library, agrees. 'The personality fit counts for so much,' she comments. 'You need to feel these are people you can do business with.'

Some companies organise introductory sessions, known as 'chemistry meetings', to get to know potential companies before the main pitch. 'It is often the first thing that happens, before anything else takes place,' explains Hayley Hamburg, PR manager at The Hospital Club, a London-based private members' club for the media industry. 'Ultimately, you need to feel you can work with these people.' Usually, the client comes to the agency to get a sense of how it works, but these chemistry meetings can take place anywhere.

Gut feelings

Companies also often rely on intuition to work out which PR agencies are genuinely enthusiastic about working with them, and which are in it only for the money. 'It's that sixth sense you get with people,' says Sonita Alleyne, chief executive of Somethin' Else, a radio and television production company. 'You can just tell when someone isn't really interested in your business.'

Too much enthusiasm should set alarm bells ringing as much as too little, believes Mills. 'It is rare you get a pitch that isn't enthusiastic,' she explains. 'But a potential agency needs to show it has thought carefully and strategically about the brief and doesn't get overexcited. It can be off-putting if people are so excited they come across as if they're going on holiday.'

Other factors are easier to tie down when assessing potential agencies. For example, a PR firm should have done its homework on your company and your industry. A couple of years ago, when the British Library set out to create a roster of advisers, the people who scored highest had done plenty of research.

'The British Library is not what you would expect,' says Webber. 'It is incredibly vibrant and busy. We run two major exhibitions a year along with many public events in our conference centre. We wanted people who understood the full range of things we do.'

One firm that stood out was Fishburn Hedges. 'The Fishburn team came in and spent a morning in the library before it came back to pitch,' continues Webber. 'Along with the other firms that made it onto the roster, FH had done its homework on what issues we are interested in.'

It's also important to check that the people making the pitch are the same people who will be working with you on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, senior members of an agency will come on the day and then not be heard from again. 'This is a pretty standard gripe,' warns Webber.

Once a contract has been signed, companies should also keep an eye on who is working on their account at the agency. 'I've used some PR firms in the past where you just know the person you are talking to is going to pass the work on to a junior,' notes Alleyne.

Webber agrees that this is a problem. 'All companies have juniors working for them, but they should not be doing your work if you are paying for senior counsel,' she explains.

Tailored advice

Of course, not all PR agencies should be judged by the same criteria. What's important to look for in a financial PR company can be quite different from what you should look for in a media agency. A case in point is Somethin' Else, which works with Franklin Rae, a PR firm that specialises in the media and creative industries.

'It is important in our industry that we are seen as a company that is thinking about how the media world is changing,' says Alleyne. 'We need our people writing columns in the press or acting as industry spokespeople. Franklin Rae is part of that world and knows when things are coming up that we can contribute to.'

Right now, Somethin' Else is unlisted and has little need for financial PR. By contrast, Rio Tinto is fending off a $135 bn (£68 bn) all-stock bid from mining rival BHP Billiton. Conveniently, it has had a network of financial agencies in place for some time. The network was set up a year ago, in preparation for Rio Tinto's successful takeover of Alcan, a Canadian aluminium company. Rio Tinto then hardly had time to draw breath before BHP's bid.

'Compared with other parts of the world, the UK is quite competitive in terms of financial PR,' states Mills. 'There is a huge range of capable and skilled firms, so we are a bit spoiled for choice. It mainly comes down to the individual programme and the team chemistry.'

For Mills, one issue to consider is whether or not the in-house team and senior members of the financial agency can work together. 'With financial PR, sometimes the senior people at the agency talk only to the senior people at the company, and the in-house team members don't really know what is going on,' she explains. 'With luck, you should have a good enough relationship with everyone for that not to be a problem. It is not an issue for us, but it is something I have heard others complain about.'

Big public sector organisations, like the British Library, have sufficient in-house teams to cover day-to-day PR enquiries. It uses agencies for specific projects, such as one-off media campaigns, lobbying projects and exhibitions in its main building at St Pancras.

'When we set up our roster, we tried to get agencies with a variety of different skills,' recalls Webber. 'Last year we opened a world-class centre for the conservation of the book, and we have also been running public tours so members can look around the facilities. One of our PR firms, Communique, did a great job on these two projects; they are the kind of things we farm out to agencies.'

Gripes and groans

All relationships have their ups and downs, and the relationship between a company and its PR firm is no different. A good agency should continue to put effort in, even after many years of service. 'In the past, a kind of dullness has set in and you feel the agency is not working as hard as it used to on your account,' says Alleyne. 'We don't have this problem with Franklin Rae. It is always coming to us with new ideas. It keeps things fresh.'

For Webber, a big bugbear is too much paperwork. 'I hate being sent endless contact reports, progress reports, updates, and so on. They drive me mad,' she complains. 'I'm paying for them but I don't need them. I would rather have a quick conversation on the phone, so my budget can be spent on real work.'

Webber also warns that some agencies try to squeeze money out of their clients. 'I dislike PR firms that try it on with the budget,' she says. 'I have a limited amount of money. Nothing irritates me more than to hear about some wonderful new service the agency offers, which has an enormous price tag attached. There is no point fishing for more money from a public sector organisation.'

Despite all the tangible ways to evaluate PR firms, however, the more abstract qualities of team chemistry and genuine enthusiasm are perhaps the most important. 'You know pretty quickly whether or not you are warming to someone and can work with him/her,' says Mills. 'No amount of fabulous presentation can change that.'

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