Relationships + results = retention

The PR industry can be a dog eat dog world. We fight to secure share of voice for our clients in an increasingly crowded marketplace, we strive to secure space in shrinking columns while also chasing fresh paths for their news, and we work to cut through the mounting white noise with ever more compelling content. There are winners and losers in this game, because at the same time, the competition between PR agencies is growing day by day.

Put very simply, the winners have solid portfolios of satisfied, long-term clients, while the losers find themselves left high and dry by client after client. Loyal clients are the foundation of every successful PR agency and at C&B we are proud to still be working with our first clients Hyundai and KIA eleven years on.

So why do clients leave PR agencies? From time to time it may be because their budget has been cut or because they are facing their own internal issues; however, the majority of the time it really is about you and not them. Here are just some of the many reasons that a PR agency could be let go:

• Lack of enthusiasm or lost momentum
• Misalignment with the client’s business strategy and objectives
• Off-brand, infrequent coverage
• Misunderstanding of the target audience
• Lack of accountability
• Inability to solve problems or manage difficult situations
• Failure to take initiative
• Lack of proactivity
• Failure to keep in touch and provide updates
• Reluctance to adopt new-age PR tactics or provide innovative solutions
• Poor writing skills
• Vague measurement tools

At the end of the day, I think this all adds up to two main things:

1. Failing to produce measurable results that further the client’s objectives
2. Failing to establish a meaningful relationship with the client

This can be boiled down to an even simpler formula: Relationships + results = retention.

In the next blog I’ll be exploring how to use relationships and results to boost client retention and build that dream portfolio we’re all aiming for.

Joyce Mourad is the Senior Account Executive of Cicero & Bernay Public Relations. An independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai and offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA. | www.cbpr.me