Why Research Top Public Relations Firms?

I’ve been in marketing for 15 years. This question comes up constantly. Founders, junior marketers, even some VPs have asked me: which PR firm should we hire?

The answer has never been simple.

Edelman

If you asked me before 2015, I would have said Edelman.

In 2012 I was running marketing at a B2B SaaS company. We had just closed our Series B, $18M. The CEO insisted on hiring “the best” PR firm. We signed with Edelman. Monthly retainer was $35,000.

The first three months went well. They assigned us a senior team. Their media network was solid. We got a TechCrunch piece and a Forbes interview.

Month four things started going wrong. That senior account manager got reassigned to a bigger client. Her replacement had been working there less than two years. She couldn’t even explain what our product did.

I called their partner to complain. He said he would handle it. Nothing changed.

Over the year we spent $420,000. The media coverage we got was worth maybe $80,000 in advertising equivalent value. The ROI made no sense.

The problem wasn’t Edelman itself. The problem was that we weren’t a priority client. Microsoft, Samsung, Pfizer are. Your $35K a month is pocket change to them.

Weber Shandwick

In 2016 I moved to a consumer brand as CMO. This time we went with Weber Shandwick. Monthly retainer $28,000.

Cheaper than Edelman. Team setup looked fine.

Same problems appeared. Six months in, the project team had turned over three times. Every time I had to re-explain our brand story, competitive landscape, target audience from scratch.

Once they sent me a press release with our product name spelled wrong. I almost terminated the contract on the spot.

Two years of work. $672,000. Results were okay. That money could have been spent much better.

What “Top” PR Firms Are Actually Like

I’ve talked to a lot of peers about this over the years. Everyone has strikingly similar experiences.

Big companies have big company problems. Bureaucracy. Staff turnover. Client tiering. The money you pay doesn’t buy you their best people. Their best people are servicing their biggest clients.

Pricing is another issue. These firms quote you: base retainer + media monitoring + event execution + crisis management reserve + miscellaneous fees. You end up having no idea where the money goes.

In 2019 I asked Weber for a detailed timesheet breakdown. They took three weeks to send it. I found $4,200 billed as “internal coordination meetings.” Meaning they were charging us for their own team meetings about our account.

What I Do Now

After 2020 I stopped using large PR firms.

My current setup: core media relations and content strategy are handled in-house. I hired two people. One former journalist, one with five years at a PR agency. Combined annual salary is around $180,000.

When I need extra help, I use boutique PR firms. Bateman Group specializes in tech. Inkhouse is strong in B2B. Sometimes I work with independent consultants.

These firms charge $8,000 to $15,000 monthly. You talk directly with founders or partners. They care about your business. Your $10K matters to them.

Last year we had a product launch. Used Bateman. $12,000 monthly, three-month engagement. We got more media coverage than that entire year I spent $420,000 at Edelman.

The Point of Researching Top Firms

Research is necessary. The purpose isn’t finding out who’s most famous. It’s figuring out who fits your situation.

Edelman, Weber Shandwick, BCW have name recognition. Name recognition doesn’t mean they’re right for you. If you’re Fortune 500 with a PR budget in the tens of millions, those are the right firms.

If you’re mid-sized with an annual budget between $200K and $500K, big firms are the worst option.

It took me about $1.5M and seven or eight years to understand this. I hope it takes you less.