Communications Agencies Federation Finding an Agency Guide

Looking for an PR agency

If you are looking for a PR agency then the PRCA offers a free, no obligation service to helop you find an agency that matches your brief.

Finding An Agency Guide

Traditionally, a public relations consultancy is selected after clients invite consultancies to pitch for the business.  The PRCA and its partner organisations within the Communications Agencies Federation have developed guidelines for companies selecting consultancies.

The Finding an Agency provides a detailed, step-by-step process to help manage client-consultancy relationships.  It provides client companies with the information they need to effectively search for and select consultancies, and goes a long way to demystifying and simplyfying the process.

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The Guide covers:

  • The ten points to consider before a review
  • A ten point search and selection guide
  • Five key guidelines on implementation and relationship management.

It outlines:

  • Decision making on search, selection and management
  • Time considerations, confidentiality and copyright
  • Business ethics
    Involving consultants, procurement or purchasing colleagues
  • Recommended numbers for long lists, shortlists and pitch lists
  • Advice on pitch fees and agency remuneration
  • Trial projects and workshop
  • Public relations sensitivities and feedback
  • Contractual follow-up and agreeing objectives
  • How to maintain a good working relationship
  • Measuring and reporting effectiveness


Finding an Agency Finding an Agency


The PRCA's PReview service matches the needs of clients with member consultancies. Choose the 'about PReview' option from the drop down box to learn more.

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Fee Income
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  • This field should only be completed by the individual with responsibility for your company's PRCA membership.
  • NB - Once you check the box to the left of this field and click update this figure is fixed for the entire year.
  • Fee income is defined as fees or income arising from time spent on carrying out public relations consultancy work plus any mark up and any handling charges or profits made on disbursement or expenses.
  • This figure
    1. will be used to calculate your membership subscription fee for 2009
    2. will be published on the PRCA website and in the yearbook.
  • This figure must include the fees from any subsidiary companies but not associated companies (see below).
  • If you are bound by Sarbanes-Oxley please select that accordingly, we will contact you individually about your fee income.
Holders of public office
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  • Please list any employees who hold any public office including members of House of Parliament, members of local authorities or of any statutory organisations or bodies who are full- or part part-time directors, partners, staff, special advisers or consultants retained by the consultancy
Subsidiary companies
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  • These companies are entitled to the same benefits as other PRCA members, they must abide by the PRCA Professional Charter and Codes of Conduct and their fee income must be included in the fee income field above.
Associated companies
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  • These companies are not included in your membership and as such do not benefit from PRCA member benefits. These companies are not covered by the PRCA professional charter.
Current clients
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The clients listed in this section are those which retain a consultancy on a continuing basis to deal with their public relations either in a specialised area or as a whole. One asterisk (*) against a client's name indicates that the consultancy has been retained by that client for three years; two asterisks (**) indicate that it has been retained for at least five years. Clients served on an ad-hoc basis are listed separately.

Adhoc clients
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Clients for whom you have undertaken work in the last twelve months on a project rather than a retained basis

Conflict of interest clients
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NB This will not appear as a separate list in the yearbook.