“Long tagged an unquantifiable variable since their inception, public relations firms the world over have scrapped, bitten and clawed to justify their very existence. Many campaigns have launched products and people into the stratosphere. Untold scores, however, have fizzled during launch, or worse, never gotten off the ground. When that happens, it can be a budgetary nightmare of epic proportions.” —PR Firm Shakes Up Industry With Transparent Pricing
My first thought in reading the above paragraph was, ‘They’ve been hanging around in some low places.’ Most firms, especially small independent PR firms, only scrap, bite and claw to justify their existence and fees among people who do not value the worth of public relations and publicity. We spend a lot of time educating individuals on the legitimacy of public relations and publicity as smart business practices. [African American flacks have to prove that we’re not like Tommy on the Martin Show. Remember? “Tommy ain’t got no job.” Well, that’s how some people treat what we do and who we are as professionals. I digress…]
Budgetary nightmares of “epic proportions” generally are not the fault of PR campaigns. I won’t place blame in any one direction, but will charge everyone/everything from the visionary to the marketing plan to the public relations consultant or practitioner for not marking a winning strategy. You could even blame inexperience and inflexibility, but to blame a PR campaign is ludicrous. If a campaign launches a person or product into the stratosphere, it’s most likely because the launch is not supported by a clear marketing mission aimed at a target or goal. Someone probably forgot to ask “What is the desired end result?”
Okay, rant finished. Time for the real fight.
Transparency in fees is not a new concept, but the company who put out that release would have an unsuspecting public believe that it is new. Most firms of any worth or value do not treat their fee schedules like the ordering board in a fast food restaurant. Most will do an assessment of the client’s stated needs against their marketing plan and then prescribe a public relations and/or publicity plan that is not only complimentary but cost-efficient. Cost-efficiency should also include the number of hours it takes to labor over a project as well as the worth and value of the labor or laborers.
To menu-ize (yep, I made that word up) services is to minimize both the value of the client and their project as well as the value of the service and servant (practitioner). Of course, there are people who would run straight to the value menu but there are many others with more specific needs and they will labor with a practitioner to come up with the very best possible plan for their campaign with and without thought to cost. And a smart practitioner will ask almost immediately, “What is your budget?” leaving very little room for exploitation and a great deal of room for the client to decide if they will increase or decrease the budget amount after an outline of services is provided with a QUOTE.
You cannot be anymore vulnerable and transparent than when you hand over the quote. At that point, the ball is in the client’s court.
There is no reason for a practitioner to play for their pay. The independent practitioner takes risks everyday with the retainer client alone. What is the impetus for that type of client-practitioner relationship? Honestly, there is none, and here’s why …
Public relations and publicity are cost centers that only enhance a marketing plan. That should be established up front with clients, so that there are no false expectations. Moreover, public relations and pubicity require the practitioner to lend their resources, intellectual capital and time to make clients look good, establish a presence and create opportunities for exposure on their behalves within a specific market.
“You wouldn’t go buy a car, clothes, a house, etc. that someone says might show up or might work. You buy these things because you can touch them and feel them. You know where your money is going. Public Relations firms should have the same respect for you, your business and your money. We do. That’s what sets us apart.”
Someone needs to inform the writer of this quote that public relations is not a practice that has historically given anyone something tangible — something to touch or feel. Again, it is a cost center and as such it supports. If a practitioner promises something you can touch or feel, then something is wrong. If a practitioner is truly respectful, then they will (1) make an assessment based on the client’s stated needs and desired goals, (2) create an outline of services matching the stated needs and (3) offer a fair quote for their labor. And they will not promise something they cannot deliver let alone a one-size fits all PR/publicity plan, which is incredibly disrespectful to the client and the profession.
The things that should set a PR firmapart are quality of work and integrity.
Dang, who would have thought I’d live to see a day when PR needs a publicist?
Best, Robin Caldwell
Filed under: African Americans, Client Relations, Ethics, Fees and Rates, Help for the Practitioner, PR Standards & Practices, Public Relations, advertising, African American PR practitioners, Black paPR Report, client budgets, Dodson Consultants, fee schedules, fee transparency, fees, marketing, PR, PR standards and practices, pricing, publicity, Robin Caldwell, The J Standard Media Group, Transparency Pricing
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