Three Benefits of Choosing a Boutique Agency
Choosing a public relations firm with which to partner is an important decision – like choosing a husband or wife. You want to pick a firm with which you have absolute trust. Ultimately, you need to find an agency that is an extension of your own organization.
Recognizing there are thousands of firms from which to choose, each one offering unique benefits, we believe boutique firms deserve strong consideration.
Why? Boutique firms, such as ours, are selective, deep, efficient and nimble., and can offer things big businesses can’t.
In honor of National Small Business Week, and as a proud small business, we thought we’d give three reasons you should consider hiring a boutique PR firm:
1) Boutique PR firms offer consistency from start to finish.
Clients working with a boutique agency will likely have one consistent public relations professional with a variety of capabilities and expertise working with them throughout their engagement. From building the strategy and press materials to implementing and reporting results, a boutique agency offers one consistent person ensuring a brand’s messaging is woven throughout, backed by a team with whom they can regularly brainstorm in order to project their collective thinking and expertise.
At A. Larry Ross Communications, we find that because this person is integral in the process, hearing the feedback from media and reviewing the data personally, he or she can adapt the campaign as necessary, ensuring greater success.
2) Boutique PR firms can give you more love.
Boutique firms are able to provide a great amount of attention to their clients. Because each valued client is given one particular point person with whom to work, that PR professional is constantly thinking about his or her client. This translates into regular -- often daily phone calls, emails or texts with ideas and opportunities.
This rings true for A. Larry Ross Communications. On our kick-off calls with clients, we share the cell phone numbers of our entire team, letting clients know we are available at any time. Additionally, we offer a personal, passionate service, going beyond a client-vendor relationship. We pray with our clients and connect with them on a personal level.
Additionally, executive leadership team is involved with all clients. Our President Larry Ross or Vice Presidents Kristin Cole and Kerri Ridenour are having conversations with our staff about client strategy, needs and successes on a daily basis, and they are constantly weighing in on email conversations with clients or joining client calls.
3) Boutique PR firms know you better.
Most boutique firms have a specialty and take on clients within that category – finance, restaurants, apparel, you name it. Because of this, they understand your audience and have the relationships with the media who can help you share your message.
At A. Larry Ross Communications, we specialize in cause-oriented and faith-based public relations. We regularly message to and work with audiences and media with an affinity for the religious community. We don’t just speak the language of the faith-based and Christian community; we are part of it. As such, we are able to consult with clients reaching into or out of that community with ease and success.
Most importantly, our staff operates beyond typical agency-client relationships, whenever possible serving as an extension of the individuals and organizations we serve. In many respects, we are like a conscientious doctor or compassionate medical practitioner, whose diplomas on the wall codify their credentials and expertise is reflected by their experience but no one can pay them to care – we similarly choose to give that value-added, empathetic concern away for free.