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Not Always Roses Owning a PR Firm

August 3, 2012

2010

So, while I generally love my work, allow this Friday to serve as a complaining session –

— After spending considerable time preparing a rush proposal for a prospective client who claimed an urgent need for PR – and insisted we were the PR firm after multiple meetings, all of a sudden the executive on the client side resigned. By email she told us she’d pass along our proposal but would like to work with us at her new company. When we called her replacement, he told us she had asked 6 agencies for the previous assignment – and he’s putting the process on hold. Imagine our surprise when she called from her new job and asked us to participate in a new PR process – we passed. What a royal waste of time.

— Or how about the prospective client who interviewed us, and then randomly called five of our clients to check our work. When we asked them to please allow us to manage the process, and not to call our clients saying that “5WPR suggested we call you, in fact Ronn Torossian suggested it.” They seemed surprised that we didn’t want our clients being bothered with such calls. We certainly understand the need for reference checking, but we value our client relationships and respect their time, and therefore offer our clients a heads up before those calls come.

In any case, after that odd exchange (and endless document trading), they informed us they wanted to hire us. A few days later, via a one line email they informed us someone had come along with a better financial offer.

They were surprised that we weren’t happy with how this process was managed. In truth, while irritated over that process, I am happy we will not be working with that client and am sure they will be a nightmare.

— And lastly, am sure 5WPR is one of many PR firms to be inundated this week with calls from Olympians – While it is great, wouldn’t marketing of an athlete be considered before the week the Olympics starts? Olympic-related PR offers tremendous opportunities, and while U.S. Olympic organizations own the athletes during the games, the brand and image have to be carefully managed.

Athletes have full time training tasks, but these days Public Relations has to be considered part and parcel of any preparation.

— And to end on a good note, have been on CBS’ The Insider three times in last 2 weeks – wanted to share the clips: