How to compare PR agencies

Choose an agency that understands your business, has a credible approach, and puts people you trust on the work. Give a few serious candidates the same short brief: what your company does, who you need to reach, why you want PR help, your timing, and your budget.

Look for understanding of your business and audience

Listen for a clear explanation of who the agency would try to reach and why those people would care. They should ask useful questions about your product, customers, and available stories.

Notice how they handle a weak idea or unrealistic expectation. You want a team that can explain a better approach and discuss tradeoffs with you.

Meet the people you would work with

Find out who your regular contact would be, who would do the day-to-day work, and how senior staff would be involved. Include the delivery lead in a conversation before deciding.

Consider whether you understand each other easily. Can they explain their reasoning, listen to feedback, and disagree constructively?

Get clear on the first priorities

Ask what they would work on first, what they would need from your team, and how you would review progress together. The answer should connect the proposed work to your goal.

You can judge the approach without asking for a complete unpaid campaign. For media work, be wary of guaranteed independent coverage.

Look at a couple of relevant examples

Ask for one or two examples with a similar audience, challenge, or company stage. Discuss what the team actually did, what happened, and what they learned. Case-study questions can help when the result needs more explanation.

When you are close to hiring, a client reference can help you understand the working relationship. Ask what the team was like to work with and whether the client would hire them again.

Choose a scope you can afford and support

Confirm the included work, likely extra costs, and minimum commitment and cancellation terms. Ask how much time they will need from you for interviews, information, and approvals.

Compare the scope with what you actually need and can support. Discuss uncertainties that could change your decision before choosing the team whose approach and working style fit.