The stories of doom and gloom abound: as we start 2009, we are seeing job cuts and businesses going out of business and a general economic slow down. Public relations services as with any marketing services can be the first to be trimmed, be subject to frozen budgets or cut completely.
However, PR can benefit companies in a downturn by keeping their profile high, maintaining customer and investor trust, communicating positively with their audiences and keeping the company name in the headlines without the associated high cost of other marketing communications methods.
Now is probably the perfect time to reassess any 2009 PR campaign. Public relations is in fact a very cost efficient promotion tool and can be a blessing when marketing teams have been told to tighten their belts.
While some companies have the time and resources to bring their PR activity in-house, many companies are now looking for more affordable PR agency alternatives to traditional agencies, where often junior staff will carry out account work and the agency’s overheads justify higher fees.
Virtual PR agencies have existed in the US for a while and there are a few in the UK too, where senior PR executives work together to service clients. Often working from their own home offices, the PR consultants are linked together with online collaboration technologies and share information just as teams do in the office. Brainstorming and regular team updates are managed using VOIP and instant messengers and documents are shared and worked on online.
A virtual PR agency can cut PR costs by minimising overheads. Clients often benefit from a team of senior PR only consultants who have worked across a range of clients and different types of media. Young PR execs tend to want the buzz of an office, whereas more senior execs have done their time, got the experience and now don’t want to endure the commute or office politics.
Virtual PR consultancies also tend to work more often on project basis, so offering a flexible service which does not tie companies down to a regular monthly retainer. This can be highly desirable in recessions and allows companies to keep PR activity going according to their budgets. Projects can also be successful methods of trying out an agency before signing to a longer term agreement.
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