Photo of Dia Kalakonas of Cookson Communications

Why hiring a PR agency is a smart move

Working in marketing and communications departments for more than ten years managing public relations and marketing efforts for organizations, I was a skeptic when chatter surfaced about looking into an outsource model for support. When we were swamped in our department and couldn’t keep up with demand, we knew it was a peak time, things would change and we’d get to the other stuff. Sometimes we did, many times we didn’t.

Looking back, we did leave a lot of opportunities on the table and could have used some outside support. Now that I am that “outside support” and I’ve had an inside look into how an agency operates – I’ve worked at Cookson Strategic Communications for a little over two years –  I see exactly why it makes sense and can be a smart move to hire an agency like ours. Here’s what I learned.

We are super efficient

And I mean efficient! We have x amount of time to work on your project so we don’t mess around. More? We have project managers who thrive on efficiencies and keep us on track.

You get the A-Team every time

At our company, we have writers, editors, creative thinkers, designers, communicators, project managers, and media pitchers all in-house who really excel at their craft. You won’t find the junior level staff here, so you get your project done right the first time, by an expert.

We have established relationships with reporters

No ignored emails. Our media contacts are our friends so they are willing to hear our pitch, especially since we only pitch stories that are newsworthy and relevant to them. We can tell the client that a story is not likely to get press. It’s much harder to tell your boss his press idea won’t get any attention – another advantage to an agency. By the way, if any agency promises you specific placements. Find another one – no one can promise that!

Focused workflows

Ever worked somewhere where there were too many cooks in the kitchen and no one knew what the chef was cooking? So have we, and that is why we assign experts to your project and enlist one project manager who ensures it all stays on track.

Speaking of cooks and kitchens, we visit our first-floor neighbors, Gale Motor Co. Eatery Food and Drink when we’re hungry, because cooking, well that’s not our specialty. When they need marketing and social media advice, they climb the flight of stairs to see us, often with something very tasty to share.

You’ve got back up

Team communications are key. We talk to each other so we don’t miss a beat on your project with weekly staff meetings. Often, our client has a communications staff of one. An agency will make sure at least two people are fully aware of a client’s needs and project status. Snowstorm coming our way? No problem, we hold our staff meeting virtually.

An unbiased perspective

Agencies offer an outside perspective without the bureaucracy you might find internally. We are creative thinkers who aren’t held back by internal politics so we aren’t blurred by limitations. Why does this matter? Because the ideas we are capable of coming up with for you are endless.

Streamlined process

We don’t get distracted by meetings upon meetings with large committees. Take a look at your calendar – how many hours are spent in meetings? With external support, you only pay for the work being done, not everything that walked through your door or wirelessly appeared on your computer or phone. The only internal meetings we have are with our clients and at our weekly staff meeting, where we talk about the projects we are working on for you. See a theme here? It’s all about you and your project.

We get results

Our work speaks for itself. Every client gets our best work, each time, every time because it’s our chance to show you what we’ve got and why it makes sense to partner with us, as your agency.

Need more convincing? Email me. I’d be happy to keep this conversation going.

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