Richard Abbott
Editor of Yorkshire Business Insider
In Focus: Has PR weathered the storm?
Insider editor Richard Abbott finds that PR agencies are a microcosm of the business world.
PR companies have had a tough couple of years. Many client businesses pulled down the shutters on their marketing activity during the recession (a foolish decision, as they will be at a competitive advantage as we move into recovery mode) while others briefed their procurement department to drive down costs and wring every last drop out of suppliers.
I've spoken to numerous Yorkshire PR bosses over the past week or two, gauging their views for an Insider feature. In many ways, I found that the issues affecting PR firms are a microcosm of those affecting the wider industry – namely competitive pressure on income and demand from customers for ever-greater levels of service.
Company owners and MDs told me that competition on fees is intense, prompting some agencies to lower their price just to survive. Businesses are taking longer over pitches and nailing down ambitious deliverables before putting pen to paper on contracts.
While admittedly there are some dreadful 'colour by numbers' agencies out there, Yorkshire is blessed with some exceptionally innovative PR practioners.
These individuals and companies understand and meet journalists' needs by providing relevant ideas and helpful access to people and businesses. These are the people that can protect their revenues by spotting trends, advising businesses on opportunities and the best communication strategy to take advantage of them.
The smartest agencies are reluctant to be drawn into a fight based purely on price and are instead getting closer to their clients in a business advisory capacity. Traditional PR, if there is such a thing, tends to focus on media relations, outbound communication and events. The modern-day agency is getting inside businesses, offering them board-level advice and even executing employee engagement and training initiatives.
As Insider's recent Top 500 research confirmed, Yorkshire is home to a superb range of market-leading companies. The region's PR agencies are in pole position to meet their need for a trusted, local adviser.
PR agencies also have an opportunity to take ownership of communication within social media. So few companies 'get it' but with millions interacting through platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, it has become that that your brand is visible and engaging within this space. PRs are ideally placed to advise here.
The opportunities are there for Yorkshire's PR agencies to flourish. Our region boasts a strong PR fraternity that has weathered the storm better than other parts of the UK.
You can read our full PR review, along with our eagerly anticipated Yorkshire PR league table, in the August issue of Insider.
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About Richard
Richard Abbott is editor of Yorkshire Business Insider. He is an experienced business journalist, who joined the magazine in spring 2010. He was previously deputy editor of Marketing and of Campaign Middle East, and features editor of Media Week.
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