It’s essential to discover the best communication tools and methods for spreading your business and brand information. The choice can be a tricky one, with everything the digital world offers. Thankfully, the digital world can’t replace the human contact and skills that PR professionals can bring to the table. Remember that every service has an expert behind it! This article answers what a PR agency can bring to your company that an internal PR Team can’t.
The Similarities between an In-house PR Team and PR Agency
PR teams have a common goal, whether they are in-house or in an agency setting. Their goal is to increase public exposure and lead new customers to your doors. Both bring a strong understanding of your niche. In 2020, corporations spent nearly 245 billion U.S. dollars on marketing services. It’s clear that no matter the format, PR is a valuable service.
The Differences Between an In-house PR Team and PR Agency
An internal PR team will have extensive knowledge of the company they work for, but depending on their background, may have limited knowledge of the global market. They also have a smaller budget within the company because internal company issues may impact what type of funds are allotted. In addition, familiarity isn’t always a benefit. The internal team’s close ties to the company and industry may mean they aren’t able to view the organization and field from an outside perspective.
A PR agency promotes a variety of clients and positions them to the media and public as worthy, successful, essential, inspiring, and indispensable. Through editorial coverage, they empower businesses or individuals to inform the public about a company’s developments, achievements and initiatives. PR agencies research, manage, evaluate and plan programs of action and communication which may include marketing, financial, fundraising, employee, community or government relations, and other programs. Technically, an internal team can do all this, too. However, due to financial or bandwidth constraints, it’s extremely unlikely to have the means to manage it all.
Comparisons Between an In-house PR Team and PR Agency
The Pros and Cons of an Internal PR Team
Five In-house PR Pros
- Unique business experience, knowing one company inside-out
- Extensive vertical sector expertise
- Devoted full-time and exclusively to the market and the brand
- Already have established trust within the business
- In-person face time with the sales and business growth teams makes it easy to discuss ideas
Five In-house PR Cons
- Expensive and time-consuming to establish and run the right team
- Lack of clarity of what competitors are doing in the niche market, potential for bias
- Harder to make other financial decisions, due to the cost of running an in-house department
- General in-house politics can distract from fundamental PR objectives
- Campaigns can instantly suffer from internal inactivity if the team members have other responsibilities
The Pros and Cons of a PR Agency
Five PR Team Agency Pros
- Fast to set up a business plan and implement the strategy – you can start seeing ROI far faster
- Access to senior thinking, talents and tools that exceed the stage of knowledge and assets of which you’d hire in-house
- Net profits from an extensive business aptitude and focus, adding context to a campaign
- Cost-effective, with payment arrangements significantly undercutting internal payroll expenses
- Lack of an in-house executive agenda leads to creative and powerful, contextualized messaging and marketing
Five PR Team Agency Cons
- By selecting a PR agency that doesn’t fit your branding and marketing strategy, you could experience a service or results you are dissatisfied with
- To create the campaign, the PR agency needs to learn fundamental company information
- The best PR agency campaigns demand expert internal management to remain time-efficient
- A PR agency will want frequent communication, management, and ideally in-person team time
- If there is no common core understanding between the PR agency and the company, a disconnect can occur among perceived value, expectations and outcomes
A PR Agency Can Lead Your Company Message to the Global Market
A PR agency is the number one solution for your lead generation strategy to succeed. To establish and plan your marketing strategies, PR agencies use a systemic and global approach. These approaches lead them to anticipate and invest while considering public opinion, attitudes, and company issues. Competitive intelligence is an essential tool they use to help you reach your goals.
To generate the right leads for your business, contact us at GYC Vegas, the leading public relations firm in Las Vegas. We bring over two decades of experience in multiple industries, including technology, lifestyle, non-profit, and hospitality.