At the joint Bridging the Gap event on Thursday, 23 October 2003, the CIPR Midlands regional group and PRCA explored how the relationship between in-house and consultancy practitioners should co-operate to deliver the best possible output. Positives and negatives from both sides were aired, with a huge amount of common ground emerging when it comes to the critical elements of good practice.
From the in-house perspective
…what in-house practitioners do like:
- Agencies getting to know the business.
- Agencies who understand the relationship of the in-house. practitioner in the context of the organisation's structure.
- Working together on the brief, strategy, ideas and evaluation.
- Regular contact.
- Adding value.
- Raising the bar regarding how PR is regarded internally.
- Ideas.
- Working with people who speak the same language and understand PR.
- But above all, honesty, transparency, trust and having good chemistry with the team.
...what in-house practitioners don't like:
- Agencies going over their heads.
- Agencies putting up recommendations that make them redundant.
- Being taught to suck eggs.
- Not being valued, with preference clearly being given to bigger, sexier clients and new business.
- Credit being taken for their own ideas.
- Not being involved in the consultancy recruitment process.
- Pitch teams who disappear.
- Not being told when account handlers leave.
- Unexpected costs.
- >Agencies who promise but don't deliver.
For the consultancy perspective
...what consultancy practitioners do like:
- A clear brief – with a budget.
- Working with PR literate clients.
- Working with clients who provide feedback – good and bad – and share information.
- Clients who take advice.
- But above all – honesty, transparency, trust and having good chemistry with the client team.
- Clients who recognise the need for a proper induction.
...what consultancy practitioners don't like:
- Not being told the budget.
- Being used as a scapegoat.
- Not being told about a re-pitch.
- Client who hold pitches just to pinch ideas.
- Not being given the chance to prove themselves by incoming client contacts.
For further information about this guide, please contact Julie O'Hare at ohare@waverider.co.uk
