Top Public Relations Firms

A public relations firm is a company that ensures positive relationships with the public, media, and key partners across all channels.  

To help businesses build their identity and maintain a positive reputation, PR companies handle the following: 

• Media relations: Cultivating and maintaining contacts at a target media outlet, pitching story ideas and sources to these contacts in order to achieve press mentions and coverage. 
• Event marketing: Designing and hosting special events to delight consumers and media targets and attain event coverage in desirable outlets. 
• Crisis management and communications: Minimizing damage to a brand’s reputation in the fallout of a crisis or scandal and working to restore brand goodwill in the long term. 
• Social media marketing: Engaging with a community of fans and advocates through active social media participation and community management. 
• Influencer marketing: Partnering with social media influencers in order to introduce brands to new and engaged audiences. Service usually includes influencer sourcing, content development and relationship management. 

Public relations firms establish a favorable public perception for their clients by securing media coverage. They manage clients' reputations through earned, owned, and paid communications. 

The primary responsibilities of PR companies include: 

1. Improving media relations 

Top PR firms secure interviews, manage media coverage, facilitate content-sharing collaborations, and more to grow your company’s brand awareness and increase search engine optimization rankings - and they are able to do this through strong media relations. 

The best communications associates have a large Rolodex of journalists and media contacts that they can connect with to build your brand through publicity. 

2. Streamlining communications 

PR firms have access to organized platforms and databases where they can track how a message is being communicated, what the results are, and how they should proceed to secure better results. 

3. Boosting social media 

With the help of their media contacts, these companies can secure placements on various social media feeds, negotiate terms, set goals, and track results, leaving your internal team free to focus on other important business growth goals. 

4. Increasing brand awareness and loyalty 

Ultimately, these agencies exist to increase your brand awareness across several channels. They utilize a mix of networking contacts and strategies to foster positive emotions and connotations about your company. 

The goal of every brand is to keep its customers returning. PR specialists have the know-how and relevant experience to help you tailor your customer experience and reengage your clients continuously.  

5. Competing with other companies 

Due to their different perspectives on your public image and industry, the best PR agencies will have a new take on your business and brand identity. 

That information becomes the power for your business, enabling you to truly compete with similar companies to the best of your ability and improving your chances of snagging new customers and engaging existing followers. 

To sum up, here are the functions of public relations firms: 

• Conducting market research 
• Organizing events for public outreach 
• Networking and participating in sponsored events 
• Fostering long-term business relations 
• Anticipating and analyzing public opinion on a business 
• Researching and evaluating a business's course of action toward the public and its target market 
• Advising an organization's management leaders on decision-making 
• Planning and implementing public policies 
• Writing and distributing press releases, pitches, and speeches 
• Copywriting and content writing for internal and external websites 
• Promoting on social media 
• Acknowledging and responding to customers' questions and reviews 
• Strategizing crisis management 
• And more 

The types of PR firms are: 

• Boutique: These companies deliver a more tailored and personal approach despite their limited resources. They also have smaller teams compared to big agencies. 
• Big: These specialists have extensive networks and tools to assist clients on a grander scale. 
• Specialized: These agencies have in-depth expertise in specific industries, niches, or areas of public relations. 
• Traditional: These firms usually focus on securing media placements in newspapers, TV, and radio rather than digital platforms. 

A publicist primarily relies on the press and media interactions to communicate information, create public exposure and awareness, and add credibility and validation to brand messaging. They focus on highlighting specific aspects of a brand to influence positive public perception.  

On the other hand, a PR firm builds and maintains a favorable reputation for a company or a client by leveraging multiple channels like community events, social media, and other forms of communication. Their work encompasses a broader range of strategies to engage with the public, stakeholders, and potential customers. 

A PR company maintains a business's favorable reputation. They write press releases, pitch positive stories, nurture media relations, and more. Their success metric is whether they generate a positive buzz for the client. 

On the other hand, a marketing agency dedicates their time to conducting brand, market, and competitor research, planning product launches, creating campaigns, advertising, promotion, and more. They reach consumers and engage prospective buyers to drive sales and increase business revenue. They measure their performance by analyzing sales goals achieved and ROI from their marketing initiatives. 

On average, working with a PR firm can cost $8,000 per month. Monthly retainers can range from $2,000 to $5,000 for smaller firms, whereas monthly retainers for big PR companies can skyrocket to $20,000 to $50,000+. 

Moreover, some agencies charge hourly rates. PR firms generally charge between $125 and  $500 per hour. North American firms may charge $100 to $175 per person per hour, while Eastern Europe-based firms can charge $35 to $75 per person per hour. 

These factors usually determine the rates: 

• Location 
• Agency size 
• Scope of work 
• Expertise and experience 
• Industry complexity 
• Success metrics set by the client 

Organizations or individuals hire a PR agency to seek expert advice and support on reputation management, communication strategies, media relations, and crisis management. 

You should also hire a PR agency to: 

• Secure media coverage 
• Deliver your company's message to the right audience 
• Gain more visibility with the press 
• Build a strong public persona  
• Get unbiased recommendations for improvement 
• Keep your business prepared for and secure in times of crisis 
• Gain access to influential connections, like journalists, sponsors, and others 
• Attract investors and potential employees 
• Save time and resources 
• Get expert assistance for business growth 
• Organize successful events 

The collaboration between PRA Public Relations and Reebonz excellently highlights the impact of hiring a PR agency. The firm worked with the brand's fast launch into the U.S. luxury market. In 90 days, they achieved 67.253 million monthly impressions (188% of the goal) on published content and secured media coverage in 16+ publications, including Forbes. 

Select a PR team following these steps: 

1. Decide on the appropriate size of your ideal PR firm. Consider whether you'd go for a larger firm with a wider network or a smaller firm that tends to be more niche, personal, and specialized. 
2. Understand the PR services you need and what goals you intend to achieve with the partnership. 
3. Find and list PR companies that have worked in your sector and learn the extent of their experience. 
4. View online profiles to look for specific strategies and ideas instead of vague, generic plans. 
5. Find proof of extensive training in media and outreach, event planning, social media, market research, speech writing, and copywriting. 
6. Study their work, go through case studies and research on brands they collaborate with. 
7. Find out their approach to media outreach. 
8. See which media they consistently get coverage in. 
9. Check their successful involvement in clients' events, content, and social media. 
10. Review client testimonials and recommendations.  
11. Check if they are well-connected. 
12. Make a shortlist of five PR companies.  
13. Send them a public relations request for proposal (RFP).  
14. Receive and analyze custom proposals.  
15. Invite shortlisted candidates for interviews where you can get to know them better and ask these questions:  
    • Who will be working with our business?  
    • What PR-specific experience does each team member have?  
    • Do they have PR experience in our industry?   
    • What success stories related to our goals or industry do you have to share?  
    • How do you send important news releases? 
    • How will you manage our partnerships with influencers and other brands?  
    • How will you track our secured media placements, links to websites, and social media mentions?  
    • How will you personalize campaigns and processes for my brand?  
16. Clarify your expectations. 
17. Ensure transparency in prices and contracts. 
18. Choose a PR firm that fits your company culture, aligns with your requirements and expectations, and understands what your business does. 

Let us help you with your search for a PR firm. Head over to our Marketplace and share your requirements with us. We'll sift through our Agency Directory, shortlist the best-fitting candidates, and introduce them to you for free.