A recipe for client-agency success

Speedos, Twerking and Jimmy Carr. It struck me this week that client-agency-media relationships can be formed in the most unlikely places.

It’s an obvious statement, but being able to foster strong relationships with clients and media contacts is often the key to PR success. 

This has resonated with me particularly over the last seven days, having been involved in two very different events for our client ADEY Professional Heating Solutions. Having worked with the magnetic filtration pioneers for three years, Target has built up a really strong client/agency relationship.

I am, however, relatively new to the account and was asked to be part of their six-strong team taking part in Cheltenham Triathlon last weekend. Having never done a triathlon before, I was nervous but accepted the challenge! 

Although it was tough, I thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was great to be part of Team ADEY. While swimming, cycling and running falls outside the usual remit of our retainer, there was a huge sense of achievement once we’d all crossed the line and a real team camaraderie.

Fast forward a few days and I found myself invited to the Energy Efficiency & Renewables Awards of which ADEY was a sponsor. We were guests of Installer Magazine which is a key trade title for us. 

Dolled up in our best frocks, we had a really fun evening which mostly involved discussion about Twerking and trying to second guess what songs the DJ was going to play (with a little bit of live stand up from Jimmy Carr thrown in for good measure). 

Not a features list in sight, it was a great opportunity to get to know some key media contacts in a more relaxed setting over a glass of wine.  

Against a backdrop of ROIs, KPIs and making sure we provide a high level of service for clients, I think we can sometimes forget that behind the grandeur of job titles lies a person just like you and me. The ability to get along together in a personal as well as professional capacity can pay dividends. 

Lycra and laughter is a great leveler.

Bethan Simkins

Account Director

“It is better to be alone than in bad company” - George Washington

So Saturday 27 July was PR National Awareness Day but (yes, you’d be right to sense some irony here) who knew? At least the 127 people who liked its dedicated Facebook page did. 

The other person who knew about our industry’s dedicated day was Benjamin Webb, Managing Director of his own PR agency, who had a (fairly) interesting bylined article in the BBC’s online magazine. Now that’s quite a coup, and I’ll happily put my hand up and admit I’m quite jealous, if that was me I’d consider that a high-point in my career (just me? I don’t think so).

Anyway, my point is that PR National Awareness Day is surely about enhancing the industry’s reputation. Great. Then why must ‘people’ always mention Ab Fab Edina or Malcolm Tucker? Yes I know it’s funny and yes I know most PR professionals will have encountered every type of PR person along the sliding scale between our two most infamous ‘ambassadors’, but surely by their very name-check PR’s reputation continues to be self-perpetuating?

But does it really matter? It’s an interesting debate.

As PR professionals, we can’t all be thrown into the same boat. There are different types of PR and we use many different tactics to engage with a range of media types to enhance the reputation of our clients. That’s what we do.

In his BBC article (yep still jealous), Mr Webb used his piece about the challenges of managing the industry’s reputation to suggest that the writing is on the wall for the traditional consumer-focused public relations model, saying: “The deluge of badly-written press releases, silly events and photo stunts, "news stories" without news value, and meaningless "campaigns" have come to irk journalists and bore an increasingly cynical general public.”

I disagree. Using traditional tactics is not what earns us a bad reputation, it’s using the wrong tactics for the wrong media and reaching the wrong audience that earns PR a bad reputation.

Therefore, I believe enhancing the industry’s reputation can only come from the credible work we do, using the right tools for the job of growing client reputations. Surely it boils down to good old-fashioned hard work and know-how?

Rachel Meagher

Account Director