Initiating a collaboration with a PR agency represents a significant step. Nevertheless, the first 90 days are usually the most critical. This is the period when both parties lay the foundation for this cooperation. It is also the period when the agency begins to comprehend the nature of the company’s business, create messaging, and provide the company with opportunities that support the achievement of its objectives.
The onboarding should, by all means, go beyond simply sharing the guidelines related to the brand and some contact details. The goals during this period include creating precise and clear objectives, assigning each party’s responsibilities and obligations, and setting up a concise PR plan. These goals apply to any relationship between a company and a PR agency, whether on a retainer or project basis.
Before the actual cooperation begins, the company should prepare the necessary information to provide to the agency. This would help the agency gain a deep understanding of the brand’s unique characteristics and precise objectives. This important information should include the updated company profile, previous key messages and press releases, and the latest media coverage.
It is also vital to confirm the objectives agreed during the PR agency selection process before the collaboration begins. Define what the company aims to achieve after 90 days, including its priorities in terms of media presence, launching a specific product or service, enhancing its reputation, or strengthening relationships with specific media outlets or sectors.
Another important factor is to identify the key people involved in the cooperation and their responsibilities on both sides. For example, the account manager on the agency’s side would be responsible for coordinating the company’s account. Moreover, both sides should specify their preferred method of communication.
During the first 30 days, the agency should focus on gaining a clear understanding of the company and the nature of its activities. Prior to the launch of any media activities, the agency should fully understand the company’s priorities, target audience, competitors, and media history.
This first period should include meetings with senior company officials to fully understand the key objectives the company aims to achieve and begin helping it reach these goals.
On the other hand, it is crucial to grant the agency access to the information it requires to perform its role efficiently. This includes the brand’s key assets, various reports, media lists, and the company’s previous work with the media.
The objective is to mainly understand the company’s current media landscape, how the media regard it, and how its target audience views it. It is equally important to understand the competitors and their recent media activities.
Other significantly important elements for the success of the collaboration include the availability of spokespersons and the ability of the agency to access previous company reports. These are in addition to the presence of a backup approval contact and agreed-upon approval timelines.
At the end of the 30 days, both parties must have a common understanding of the communication priorities, target audience, and the process for approving various PR materials. This important foundation is vital to the success of the PR agency as it moves forward in the upcoming stages of the cooperation.
With the end of the discovery phase, this new period should be dedicated to using the insights and information gathered to guide PR strategy and implementation, with clear objectives. The two parties should work together to turn the company’s priorities into media opportunities.
These activities would include media relations, story angles, identifying key media professionals and journalists, and developing a clear calendar of launches and announcements.
During this period, all collaboration-related activities should be synchronized. This should include weekly or monthly meetings, reports, and regular sessions to receive feedback from the client, discuss important matters, and plan for the upcoming period.
At the end of the first 60 days of the cooperation, the agency should move beyond the understanding phase and actively pursue relevant media opportunities for the company. Furthermore, at this stage, the aim should be to strengthen the company’s relationships with the targeted media sector.
During the final period of the first 90 days, the focus should shift toward assessment and evaluation. This is the right time to understand what works best and what does not work at all.
The agency should assess the PR activities carried out for the company during the past two months. The goal is to measure the extent to which these activities were able to achieve the communication goals.
Although media coverage cannot be guaranteed, this assessment should include both quantitative and qualitative indicators to fully evaluate the impact of the PR activities. Factors to be considered include the volume of media coverage, share of voice, the extent and quality of engagement, and the strength of relationships with the media.
According to the results of the assessment, both sides should work to enhance the communication plan agreed upon at the beginning of the collaboration. The modifications may include amending key messages, prioritizing different media outlets, refining story angles, or initiating new activities to achieve better results.
At the end of the 90-day period, the objective is to have a well-established collaboration, a clear understanding of progress toward the company’s business objectives, and a precise plan for the upcoming phases.
An important factor in the success of any cooperation with a PR agency is to clearly specify obligations and responsibilities. These matters must include the approval cycle, agreed-upon deadlines, and a clear understanding of each party’s responsibilities.
For its part, the agency would be in charge of media strategy development, everything related to media relations, dispatching press releases, monitoring, and reporting. Another responsibility of the agency is to seek opportunities for the company to properly engage with the media.
The company, on the other hand, fully controls the context of its business activities and decision-making at the end of the day. Its obligations include providing precise information, reviewing various PR materials, and providing timely approval for PR activities.
Some obligations are actually shared between the company and the agency. These comprise joint efforts in developing key messages, planning, and working together on major events or launches. The two parties should merge the expertise of the PR agency in the media with the insight and experience of the company in its field of work to accomplish the finest results possible.
Among the most common causes of onboarding delays are objectives that are not fully clear to both sides. Different expectations and priorities surely lead to problems and drawbacks. Here arises the importance of having mutual objectives that both parties undoubtedly understand.
Another cause of delay is when the agency has problems accessing the necessary information required to carry out its role. This hinders the agency’s ability to create media materials of all sorts and might result in losing significant media opportunities or engagements.
The approval process plays a significant role in the success of any PR activity as well. When there are doubts regarding this process, or when several stakeholders are involved, all media materials, including press releases, for example, would take longer to be released and published.
When the agency doesn’t receive a proper brief about any given PR activity, the results will not be as expected by the company. All accurate facts, information, and messages should be clearly communicated to the agency before the initiation of any activity.
Both parties should work from the very beginning to overcome these common onboarding delays. The collaboration between a company and an agency is like any other business relationship. It requires the cooperation of both sides in order to achieve the best results and have a successful journey over time.
| Timeline | Task | Who Handles It | What Is Needed | Completion Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 30 Days | Kick-off meeting and onboarding | Company + Agency | Business objectives, PR goals, key contacts | ☐ |
| Share company background and key information | Company | Company profile, facts, key messages, previous PR materials | ☐ | |
| Develop media and PR strategy | Agency | Company objectives, target audiences, priorities | ☐ | |
| Agree on approval process and timelines | Company + Agency | Stakeholder list, approval flow, deadlines | ☐ | |
| Days 31–60 | Begin media outreach | Agency | Approved media list, spokesperson availability | ☐ |
| Develop and distribute PR materials | Agency + Company | Briefs, accurate information, approvals | ☐ | |
| Identify media opportunities | Agency | Media monitoring, journalist contacts, company priorities | ☐ | |
| Review initial results | Company + Agency | Coverage, media feedback, performance data | ☐ | |
| Days 61–90 | Evaluate PR performance | Company + Agency | Coverage reports, KPIs, media feedback | ☐ |
| Refine key messages and PR approach | Company + Agency | Performance findings, business priorities | ☐ | |
| Plan upcoming PR activities | Company + Agency | Calendar, launches, events, announcements | ☐ | |
| Agree on next-phase priorities | Company + Agency | 90-day results and business objectives | ☐ |
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