Searching for Communications & PR Agencies? How to Improve the Chances of Hiring Success.

CommunicationsMatch and Researchscape studies show that companies are satisfied with PR and communications agencies, but are open to changing firms. It also reveals many companies actively looking for new agencies.

Why?

In a new guest blog for Researchscape, a new CommunicationsMatch partner, with input from RFP Associates, another partner company, we address this question and offer solutions.

In the blog we recognize the importance and limitations of word of mouth for agency search.

"Remember dating before the internet? We were limited to who our friends knew or random encounters. That’s still how many companies find agencies. And since, for the most part, the people we know tend to look like us – this is not a recipe for finding diverse firms."

In the post we highlight key findings from Researchscape’s Public Relations Customer Experience Benchmark Survey and the 2017 CommunicationsMatch Communications & PR Agency Search Report.

Among the lessons is  "Satisfaction [with agencies] may be high, but inertia, as a measure of resistance to moving, is low."

We argue that using technology to go beyond word of mouth is critical if companies are to find agencies that best meet their needs.  And, based on anecdotal evidence from RFP Associates, when comanies hire agencies using a fair, open and extensive RFP process, client-agency relationships are deeper, last longer, and more successful.

The takeaway is the combination of search technology and a well-managed RFP process will lead to longer-lasting, more diverse and potentially award winning agency-client relationships. 

Click here to read the blog:  "Looking for a PR Agency or to Get Hired?  Lessons From Research."