Searching for agencies in 2026 just got harder. There are plenty of talented, experienced pros who have separated from the big firms, and AI is changing PR for the better. Strategic planning for your next firm is where it gets tricky.
As former clients and PR agency executives who have participated in RFPs, we’ve developed an efficient, disciplined, streamlined path for all parties designed to stop RFPs from resembling Ringling Brothers - or even Cirque du Soleil. We believe this should be the industry standard.
Hiring an agency is like hiring staff and forming a new department, each firm needs to be properly vetted and pass key interviews, reference checks, and testing in order to be hired. Learn some key takeaways in our blog on issuing RFPs.
Discussion about how clients are conducting agency presentations during COVID-19. Suggestions for both sides of the process.
The Arthur Page Society has featured an original blog we wrote for them, delving into how more CCOs need to hire agencies with the same diligence they do new employees.
We were featured on DC's premier podcast for the public relations industry, the Flack Pack. This interview (starts at 17 minutes) truly summarizes all that we're about.
While public relations trade media and organizations do a good job tracking and recognizing agency new business wins, agency/client programs and innovations, and other sector-wide developments, one issue has received scant attention until now: how organizations go about identifying, evaluating and ultimately hiring public relations agencies.
When offering advice to agencies about how they can win more business, we often cite the lesson that no detail is too small. An example that summarizes the point best is the many-times-retold tale of a McDonald’s PR pitch where one agency was eliminated before it even began its final presentation because no one on the team could quote the price of a Happy Meal. The other involves a proposal for a piece of the UPS business which would have resulted in a lucrative win for a major agency. After...
Does the agency identification and hiring process in the PR industry work? We have embarked on a major research study to learn and improve on the way clients choose their firms.
Of course the agency selection process can be improved. But it's a two-way street and both sides don't just have to be willing; they also need to commit to transparency and honesty. Why is that so difficult?
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Top Concerns of Agencies Responding to RFPs
- Short deadlines
- Budget not provided
- Incomplete scope of work
- Exhaustive response required
- Poorly written RFP - difficult client down the line
Why Organizations Dread the RFP Process
- Agency bait and switch
- Boilerplate response
- Daunting process
- Hard to differentiate agencies
- Want the process to be open and fair
Have others? Email us.
RFP Associates subscribes to and expects all the agencies we work with to adhere to the professional ethics codes outlined by at least one of the following: Public Relations Society of America, the PR Council and the Arthur Page Society.