What’s the best PR agency-client relationship?

Table of Contents

By Cathy-Anne O’Brien

Do agencies approach client relationships all wrong? For a PR firm, or anyone in professional services for that matter, looking for ways to increase your value to clients beyond what they hired you for is key to a successful partnership. And as we know, a client-agency relationship based on a partnership offers far more value than a corporate supplier one ever will.

When I look at our longest standing clients, some of whom have been with us for almost a decade, there are defipartnership picnitely some commonalities. We have a deep understanding of their business and goals; we look for strategies beyond the standard PR approach; we engage the right team members and look for the best partners when the solution falls outside our expertise.

Basically we are successful when we challenge the norm, continuously raise the bar, look for creative solutions that may be outside our comfort level, and we ask clients, “What’s going on in your world today?”

One client came to us to raise her profile through media coverage. While media relations made sense for her at first blush, we dug deeper realizing there was a niche audience that was particularly interested in her offering. Why not focus the budget and spend time speaking to that market instead? Why bother with the mass media at all? Specific LinkedIn groups, speaking opportunities targeting particular associations and networking events – basically opportunities for her to interact directly with her customer – was a far more effective strategy than coverage in a mainstream newspaper.

Seek understanding. Ask lots of questions. And always offer new ideas, no matter how out-of-the box or budget-prohibitive they may sound. Don’t let anything harness your creativity. You just never know where the conversation will take you.

Content Development

Effective, creative content is at the core of what we do. From B2B and B2C, our expertise spans article writing and storytelling, editorial planning, key messaging, video production and more. And we help ensure that your content gets seen. We amplify your brand’s story through an integrated, custom content strategy across digital, print, social and broadcast channels. We maximize owned, earned and paid media to amplify your message, making sure it gets in front of the right audience to drive the results you want.

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Corporate Communications

An integral part of any business, your brand reputation and corporate communication sets the tone with the public, your clients, employees and stakeholders – and we make sure you get the tone right. BlueSky helps you understand what matters to your audiences – both external and internal – and develops meaningful programs that resonate. We help clients with crisis and issues management, employee and executive communications, community relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Whether it’s a workplace fundraiser event, an annual report, infographics, HR video or speechwriting, we help you share your message with relevant stakeholders.

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Social Media

Social media demands an always on, two-way communication, transparency, and authentic interaction. More importantly, it demands strategy. We’ve managed social communities, developed social media guidelines and created engaging, impactful content, whether a short Instagram caption or long-form executive-published posts on LinkedIn. Through social listening tools and insights, we can make sure you’re talking about what matters most to your audience, and that your online and traditional PR efforts are integrated seamlessly and effectively.

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Public Affairs & Advocacy

Our in-depth experience providing integrated government relations, public affairs and strategic communications tailored to your needs helps our clients navigate the public policy process in order to successfully achieve central objectives. We work with you to better position your priorities within the current political landscape to ensure you’re able to gain the ear of key decision-makers and reach your goals.

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Influencer Marketing

When it comes to social influencers it’s not about who has the biggest audience, but about engagement, trust and authentic connection. We leverage valued relationships with nano- to celebrity-level creators, working collaboratively to ensure they deliver quality content that resonates with your target audience and is on-point with your brand messaging. Our winning formula requires a thoughtful approach that combines the right people, the right content and the right distribution to maximize engagement and drive impact at scale. You’ll see the results in our campaign evaluations – supported by numbers that exceed industry average performance.

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Media Relations & Media Training

In an environment that is increasingly pay-to-play, earned media remains the holy grail of coverage for brand credibility. Over the years we’ve developed solid relationships with traditional and online media, and we know the elements of success for securing interest from trusted journalists at top-notch publications. We excel at crafting tailored, compelling stories that help keep your brand top-of-mind across print, broadcast and digital channels. You’ll see the results through our media measurement and reporting and assess your share of voice (SOV) among competitors.

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