In this blog, Hayley Goff, CEO at Whiteoaks, explores:
- Why a proactive PR agency should be taking work off your team’s plate
- How understanding a business and its objectives leads to stronger PR opportunities
- What marketing leaders should expect from their PR agency partner
Working with a PR agency should give busy B2B marketing teams access to additional expertise and resources, while helping them maintain a consistent presence in the media. But how much value is an agency adding if its activity largely depends on the next company announcement?
It’s a frustration that frequently comes up in conversations with businesses looking for a new PR partner. While their existing agency might be delivering against the agreed plan, they feel there’s a lack of fresh thinking and recommendations to keep their brand part of relevant industry conversations.
Of course, a successful PR partnership requires input from both sides. Clients need to share business developments, upcoming launches and changing commercial priorities. But between those announcements, agencies should be identifying relevant news hooks, developing thought leadership angles and finding opportunities for their clients to contribute to the wider news agenda.
Proactive PR starts with understanding the business
Identifying relevant PR opportunities requires a strong understanding of the business, its commercial objectives and the audiences it wants to reach. Without that knowledge, even the most creative ideas can struggle to deliver meaningful results.
A proactive PR partner should understand the challenges its client’s customers face, the issues shaping its industry and where the business has the expertise to contribute to relevant conversations.
This understanding should inform the stories and media angles developed throughout the campaign. It also allows the agency to recognise connections between wider industry developments and the topics the business is well placed to comment on, bringing forward ideas beyond its existing news calendar.
Just as importantly, an agency that understands the business should have the confidence to challenge ideas when necessary. Something that feels like significant news internally won’t necessarily interest journalists or resonate with target audiences. A good PR partner should explain why an idea might not work, recommend a stronger approach and advise where resources would be better spent.
Finding opportunities beyond company announcements
Product launches, partnerships and business milestones are valuable opportunities for building awareness and credibility. But these announcements are only one part of a successful PR programme, and agencies shouldn’t rely on them as the main source of media opportunities.
Some of the strongest stories come from the expertise and insights a business already has, whether that’s existing research, customer case studies or the knowledge of its senior leaders. An experienced agency should recognise where these insights could support thought leadership articles, executive profiling or new media angles that resonate with target audiences.
This thinking should also extend beyond media relations. For example, an agency might recommend turning a thought leadership article into LinkedIn posts for senior executives, developing a customer success story into video content or repurposing campaign insights into materials the sales team can use. By connecting PR with wider marketing and sales activity, agencies can help businesses get greater value from their existing content and expertise.
The same applies to the wider news agenda. Major calendar events, from the Autumn Budget to industry conferences such as Mobile World Congress, should be on an agency’s radar well in advance. Breaking news can also create opportunities for businesses to contribute their expertise, but the window for securing coverage is often limited.
Preparation is key. By anticipating relevant developments and preparing spokespeople’s views in advance, agencies can respond more quickly when a story breaks. Commentary can then be adapted, approved and pitched to journalists while the story is still relevant.
Alongside identifying timely opportunities, an agency should maintain momentum against the wider communications strategy. While reacting to the news agenda can create valuable opportunities for visibility, planned thought leadership, executive profiling and integrated campaign activity remain important for building a consistent brand presence and reinforcing key messages over time.
What businesses should expect from a proactive PR agency
While the specific requirements of every PR programme will differ, there are several things marketing leaders should be able to expect from an agency that takes a proactive approach:
- Regular ideas beyond the agreed campaign calendar alongside strategic recommendations without needing to be prompted
- A strong understanding of the business, its market, target audiences and industry conversations
- A clear rationale for proposed activity and how it contributes to wider business objectives
- The confidence to challenge ideas and recommend stronger alternatives where appropriate
- A balance between planned campaign activity and timely opportunities across relevant channels
- Open, collaborative communication that keeps both sides aligned on priorities and progress
Ultimately, a proactive PR partner should make life easier for the marketing team it supports. That equates to taking responsibility for identifying opportunities, bringing fresh thinking to the relationship and ensuring activity remains focused on delivering meaningful results.
If you’re looking for a PR partner that combines proactive thinking with clear commercial accountability, talk to the Whiteoaks team about how our Performance PR approach could support your business.
