Charities bring in PR agencies for many different reasons. Some employ an agency to complement their existing in-house team, whereas others may require an agency to provide services that staff have no time to dedicate themselves to. Whatever the intention, working with a PR agency can bring enormous benefits. They can contribute a fresh approach and offer expert advice, support and know-how based on extensive experience. Working with the right agency can help to improve your profile with the right audiences, shape people’s views and stir them into action.
Whether you have been working with the same agency for years, or have recently decided to bring one in for the first time, a comprehensive brief will be crucial to the success of your work together. You need to ensure that your agency understands exactly what you’re hoping to accomplish in order to achieve the best results. Your reasons for employing an agency will always be unique, so it’s important to pass on all the relevant information to make sure that they know your reasoning inside out.
It is also worth noting that compiling a thorough and well-thought out brief can be a highly rewarding process in itself. It may help you clarify a whole host of issues, such as why certain PR activities may not have worked for you in the past or what shapes your image in other people’s eyes.
You may put your brief out to a number of different agencies to see whose ideas fit most closely with your own, with the intention of inviting them to ‘pitch’ or present their ideas to you. Alternatively, you might just be briefing one agency that you have already decided you want to work with. Either way, the same principles apply.
An effective brief should encapsulate where you’re coming from, where you want to get to and what considerations need to be taken into account along the way. For best results, the briefing process should include a face-to-face discussion as well as a written brief.
Writing a PR brief, especially for the first time, can be a daunting prospect; however you can’t go far wrong if you make sure you are clear on the following areas:
- Background
- Communications objectives
- Target audiences
- Communications channels
- Messages
- Potential challenges
- Timescale
- Budget
- Evaluation
Background
Provide as much information as you can to give your agency an understanding of where your organisation began and where it is today. Make sure to give an overview of what the organisation does and the services you provide; don’t just rely on the agency interpreting the information on your website! If you can, include details of any other marketing or corporate plans your organisation may already have in place. PR campaigns work best when they reflect or complement overall organisational objectives.
Communications objectives
It helps to make clear from the outset exactly what you want to achieve from communications activity and make it as measurable as possible. For example, you may have specific aims such as recruiting a certain number of volunteers, or you may want to attract new service users. Think about your ideal outcome and condense this into a few clear points, with the thinking behind these objectives made clear.
Target audiences
You may know exactly who you need to communicate with or you may be looking for an agency to help define your priorities. Either way, sharing as much information as possible will enable the team to devise activities that make sure the message hits the right target. Include in your brief what has and hasn’t worked before and why particular audiences are priorities for you.
Communications channels
Channels are another area where you may be looking for an agency to supply fresh ideas. Equally, you may already be clear on the best ways to communicate with your target audience through the tabloid press, social media or face to face for example, and just want strategic input or capacity to get the job done. Whatever your thoughts, you should share them for discussion.
Messages
Are there additional messages for this work on top of the organisation’s core message framework? Giving your agency an idea of what you want to get across, in the form of bullet points, will help them work out the best method for communicating your aims. On the other hand, you may want an agency to develop your messaging for you. Either way, make it clear in your brief.
Potential challenges
You may be aware of challenging factors that could affect your work with an agency or the outcome of your campaign. By giving your agency warning of these, you will give them the best chance of planning around them to maximise your chances of success.
Timescale
You may be looking for a year’s ongoing PR support or for help with a particular campaign over a shorter period. Letting an agency know the duration of your planned activity will give them an idea of what kind of tactics would be most effective.
Budget
Your budget will dictate to an extent what kind of communications programme is possible and appropriate. Giving an agency this kind of information up-front will allow them to present you with effective but realistic ideas to make the most of what’s available.
Evaluation
Think about what success would look like for you and how it could be measured. For example, you may want a certain number of positive articles in a specific range of media titles within a set time frame. Or you may want particular messages to have reached key audience groups. Set clear criteria for reporting results from the outset, as this will allow your agency to build your expectations into everything they do. By including as much of this information in your brief as possible, you are allowing open, transparent discussions with an agency to take place, which will mean that the work you do together is grounded in reality, not assumptions. It also ensures that the relationship with your agency will be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for you both. If in doubt, always remember the golden rule: the more detail, the better!
Marysia McSperrin, Amazon Public Relations,
Web: www.amazonpr.co.uk,
Email: info@amazonpr.co.uk