By: Cate Brooks
The PR world is closely focused on relationships – with the public, with the media and with the client. For an agency to represent their client as best as they can, it is essential to build a strong relationship with them. OverIt, a marketing firm in New York, offers five suggestions to successfully managing the agency/client relationship: tell great stories, be able to say no, pick up the phone, find out their goals/expectations and deliver them, and deliver not great news in a great way.
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Throughout our experience thus far, we have found each of these five suggestions to ring true. To tell a great story about Connections for Life that gets people interested, we must discover what we ourselves find compelling about the organization. Each member of our team comes from a different background, so what touches me may be different from what intrigues someone else. By combining our different reasons why Connections for Life interests us, we will be able to effectively touch a large portion of our key public.
Furthermore, we have learned the importance of learning what the client expects and wants. The MorphPR team has a great deal of drive and truly wants to help Connections for Life, so we tend to make lofty goals. By meeting with the client and discussing her needs, we have narrowed down what is most important to the organization at this point in time. Based on Connections for Life’s needs, we will be creating collateral materials including a new brochure and an e-newsletter template.
As in any relationship, it is a two-way street. While it is the job of a public relations practitioner to serve their client as the client sees fit, one must not forget that there are certain obligations the client should abide by as well.
Another important aspect pertaining to relationships in public relations is stewardship. According to author Kathleen Kelly, there are four elements that make up stewardship: reciprocity, responsibility, reporting and relationship building. MorphPR strives to practice stewardship by fulfilling our promises to the client and the public, continuously communicating with the client and keeping them updated on any changes, and expressing our deep appreciation for what our key public does for us and Connections for Life.
Cate Brooks is a senior mass communication major from Roswell, Ga. Connect with her on LinkedIn or view her digital portfolio to learn more about her.
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