Evaluating A Public Relations Agency's Performance

Use this quiz to evaluate whether your current public relations firm is adequately meeting your needs.  In cases where you do not know the answer, the Idea Grove recommends you make a point to find out.  A scoring key is provided at the conclusion of the test.
1. Does the agency ask you for ideas more often than it provides you with ideas?
  Yes No
2. Do you catch careless typos in agency-drafted news releases?
  Yes No
3. Do you catch factual inaccuracies in agency-drafted news releases?
  Yes No
4. Do agency-drafted news releases seem to miss the point – often burying important information?
  Yes No
5. Does the agency follow up every news release with phone calls to the media, asking “Did you get my release?”
  Yes No
6. Does the agency seem to think PR stands for “press release,” churning out releases but not offering other, more creative ways to gain attention?
  Yes No
7. Do agency representatives get the names or titles of your company’s senior executives wrong in correspondence and/or conversation?
  Yes No
8. Examine the media list your PR firm uses when distributing your news releases.  Are there more than a few inappropriate publications or out-of-date contacts on the list?
  Yes No
9. Do the agency representatives who pitch your company to media on the phone have a poor understanding of what your company does?
  Yes No
10. Has the agency ever arranged a meeting with a reporter and your company’s executives that didn’t seem to have a well-thought-out objective?
  Yes No
11. Has your primary agency contact person changed more than once in the past 12 months?
  Yes No
12. Does your primary contact person seem inexperienced or immature?
  Yes No
13. When you have a problem or concern, must your primary contact always talk with a supervisor before responding to you?
  Yes No
14. Does the agency send a senior executive to meet with you every month or two to smooth over complaints about the firm’s performance?
  Yes No
15. Does the agency miss deadlines or seem to always be scrambling at the last minute to meet them?
  Yes No
16. Has a journalist ever complained to you about your PR agency?
  Yes No
17. Are the agency’s billing statements confusing, so that you’re not sure exactly what you’re paying for?
  Yes No
18. Do the agency’s billing statements show that more time is spent on client relations (e.g., meetings and correspondence with you) than on actual client service?
  Yes No
19. Does the agency boast about delivering measurable results, but then only give you a stack of news clippings that means nothing to your company’s executives?
  Yes No
20. Does it seem like the agency’s heart isn’t really in it – that it’s simply working to get a fee?
  Yes No

How Is Your Agency Doing? 

Score one point for each “no” answer. 

Your Score Is:  

16-20 You have a very good agency relationship. Nonetheless, we recommend you discuss your “yes” answers with the agency to clear the air on those issues. 

11-15 You can do better. But can you avoid the hassle of finding a new agency by improving the current relationship? It may be worth a try. Have a heart-to-heart with your agency about your concerns and gauge their response. If they seem reenergized and refocused on your account, give them another two or three months – then take this test again. 

0-10 This agency is not meeting your needs. You don’t trust them and they’re not giving their all for you. It’s time to move on.
 



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