INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY

Present By DR. Noha Sami

Introduction
A public relations firm is a professional service organisation generally hired to conceive,
produce and manage un-paid messages to the public through the media, on behalf of a client,
with the intention of changing the public's actions by influencing their opinions.
Communication is often in the form of news distributed in a non-personal form which may
include newspaper, magazine, radio, television, internet or other form of media for which the
sponsoring organisation does not pay a fee. Public relations professionals usually target only
certain segments of the public, since similar opinions tend to be shared by a group of people,
rather than an entire society. However, by targeting different audiences with different
messages to achieve an overall goal, public relations professionals can achieve widespread
opinion and behaviour change
Top Ten International Public Relations Agency
- Edelman USA
- Weber Shandwick USA
- FleishmanHillard USA
- Ketchum USA
- MSLGroup France
- Burson-Marsteller USA
- Hill+Knowlton Strategies USA
- Ogilvy PR USA
- BlueFocus China
- Golin USA China USA
 Duties and Responsibilities of International Public Relations Agencies
1. Research: When we first take on a new client, for whatever services it may be, we go
through an “onboarding” process. It is imperative that as a public relations agency, we
take the time to learn about a client's company, goals, products, leadership, history,
market and culture, to truly help create a strategy that will work for them. One other key
step is to look at the client's competition; what they did right, what they did wrong, how
do they compare? All of these questions will give us a clearer picture to begin working
with.

2. Planning: To be able to say a campaign was a success, you must have a goal to start from
and to have long term impact, you need to have a plan. Whether you are promoting a
new product, launching a nonprofit or trying to mitigate some negative press, a public
relations agency will work to develop a plan to achieve these goals. Common items the
public relations agency will focus on include key messages, target outlets and potential
pitch ideas.
3. Messaging: Before you even think about starting to sit down with a member of the press,
a good public relations representative will work with you on your key messages. What are
those two or three vital elements that you want to communicate to the media and how
can you express them well and succinctly? Having a defined message is very important
when dealing with multiple spokespeople to ensure that everyone is on the same page
and presenting the same information. Think of it as your “elevator pitch.”

4. Press Releases: A press release is the most common form of writing that public relations
students can expect to work on in school and by far one of the most frequent forms of
writing used on the job. Best practices call for the press release to speak only in facts. It is
used as a source for busy journalists to confirm their facts and is sometimes used by
smaller outlets, being turned into an article itself.
5. Press Kit: A press kit or a media kit as it is sometimes called is a compilation of documents
that give a journalist background on the company. The specific parts can vary, depending
on the industry that you are working in, but common elements include: company's fact
sheet, company's backgrounder, executive bios, product fact sheets, frequently asked
questions, past news coverage and significant press releases over the last two years.

6. Media Advisory/Calendar Listing: While these two documents have different purposes,
they are very similar in layout. A media advisory is a short “Who, What, Where, When,
Why and How” outline that is used for events. Calendar listings typically come first and
are sent out to calendar editors at local publications to get listed under their calendars
and “things to do” round-ups. Media advisories are used closer to the actual date of the
event and are primarily sent to visual media such as TV and photographers. A media
advisory lets the media know the quick details of your event in order to help them decide
whether they want to cover it or not.
7. Speeches: Some public relations agencies, especially those that specialise in public affairs,
will also draft speeches for clients, including everything from an award acceptance, to a
press conference address, to a rally speech. High profile politicians typically have speech
writers on their full-time staff, many of whom have a background in some type of public
relations.
8. Relationships: There is a reason why the majority of public relations professionals are
extroverts. Building relationships and talking to people is a crucial part of the job. The
reality is, having drinks with someone, while it may get your foot in the door, does not let
you stay there, without working hard and needing to build upon that relationship.
Building a good relationship with members of the media extends far beyond the
occasional happy hour run-in at a networking event; it truly becomes about being a
reliable resource. Public relations professionals build relationships by presenting quality
story ideas, gathering all of the necessary resources, being flexible, responding in a timely
manner and taking the time to help a reporter, even when it is not about you or your
client.
9. Building a Media List: To get started securing media for a client, an agency will create a
media list based on that specific client's needs. They will look at different types of media,
such as newspapers, magazines, radio shows, TV shows, blogs and online news sources
and they will look for reporters who write about the industry of that client. There are
publications geared toward the general public, like a daily newspaper and then there are
publications and websites that are focused on a specific industry, called trade
publications. A public relations agency will comb through millions of options to create a
media list of contacts that are interested in news from that client.
10. Pitching: To begin the conversation with someone from the media, agencies will start off
with a pitch. A pitch is designed to highlight the client's news in a short blurb that is
interesting and relevant, in hopes that the reporter will want to write a story about it. This
is a common area of contention between public relations men and journalists, as the
media often receive a ton of BAD pitches each and every day, causing them to get
frustrated. A good pitch will offer a reporter a compelling story angle that fits their
audience and offers up everything they could need to complete a story, including sources
and high-resolution photos.
11. Media Training: While media training is always a good idea, it is essential when dealing
with a crisis situation. A good representative can invoke feelings of trust and stability that
are important when dealing with an aggressive member of the media or public. Having a
spokesperson that is nervous and stumbling over their words only magnifies potential
issues. This can quickly lower the public's opinion of your client even more. Media
training involves teaching a client how to speak and interact with the media: What to say,
what not to say, body language to avoid and what clothes to wear.

12. Clipping Services: At the end of the day, clients and agencies want to see the results of
their hard work in the form of press clippings. It is close to impossible to keep up with all
of the hits that your client will likely receive. This is especially true if you get coverage
outside of market and cannot go pick up a copy of the publication yourself. There are
services that read publications across the country, scour the internet and review closed
captions in order to find mentions and hits. Monitoring services where the service is
proactively watching for coverage can also add up, but will get you the best return.
13. Press Conference: When making a big announcement, companies and politicians will
sometimes hold a press conference where they invite members of the media to attend.
Typically, these events are just speeches by one or more people involved, but often times
they include a question-and-answer session afterward. This allows reporters to gather
additional details for their story. This is one of the most common PR activities you will
noticeably see in the news.

14. Media Tour: Media tours are typically reserved for large scale product launches, like
books and movies. Authors will go around the country doing book signings, speaking with
media in each city they visit. With the invention of video conferencing, the need for
media tours has decreased as product demos can now be done via Skype without the
added cost of travel. Reporters can still get the information they need.
15. Trade Shows: Trade shows are fairly common for any industry and when you are paying
money to have a presence at a trade show, you want to make the most of it. Public
relations professionals can assist in a variety of ways; like coordinating with the show and
highlighting events you are holding, setting appointments for members of the media to
stop by your booth and fielding inquiries inside the booth or at an event from members of
the media. Public relations men will work with the event coordinators to find out what
media are attending and reach out to them before and after the event, offering
interviews, photos and additional details.
Types of Public Relations Agencies
1. Broad Public Relations: This is the most common type of public relations agency across
the country. These folks work across all types of businesses and can function on a local,
regional or national level. While they do have media relationships, they have to spend
some time getting familiar with a new industry, city, etc. However, because they are
constantly learning new industries, they bring ideas to the table that might be
commonplace in one industry, but new to another.

2. Vertical Specialists: These agencies specialize in a particular industry or segment of

public relations, like public affairs. Spending all of their time in one industry allows these
public relations professionals to build strong relationships with the reporters who cover
that specific industry. These public relations men are also well versed in the “lingo” and
trends in that industry, just like someone in-house would be. However, specialists can
tend to get stuck in the “way we do things” mentality. This can cause the same tactics
and approaches to be used over and over.
3. Full Service: There are agencies that only do public relations, but there are also larger full-
service agencies that handle many aspects of communications, including advertising,
marketing, media buying, web development, social media, graphic design and more.
Typically, full-service agencies handle a variety of services for each client, but often times,
each department is run independently so it is up to the client to know what is happening
in each area, unless your account manager is exceptional.

4. Integrated: The newest type of agency, which we believe is the future of all agencies is
the integrated agency. In this type of atmosphere, marketing, public relations, social
media, design and web development are treated as different aspects of an overarching
strategy, which work off of and with each other, rather than in a silo. Those working at
integrated agencies are more likely to develop into what we call T-shaped people.
Setting up an International Public Relations Agency
To start a public relations firm, you need to do the following:

1- Structure your Public Relations Company: Select a business structure with a certified
public accountant familiar with service businesses. Sole proprietorships, limited liability
companies are examples of business structures. Meet with a commercial insurance agent
regarding liability insurance. Visit your city or county clerk's office for a business license.
Contact your state department of revenue about your need for a sales tax license.

2- Lease a Small, Convenient Business Office: Find an office that is easily reached from main
roads and features a conference room for private client meetings. Consider a shared-space
arrangement in which you maintain a private office and share a conference room and
kitchen facilities. Ensure that your office features high-speed internet access for efficient
client and media communications.
3- List your Public Relations Competitors: Public relations firms utilize electronic
communications to work with clients across the street or across the country. Some public
relations firms maintain expertise in one field and work only with clients in that business.
Other firms employ staff with varied skill sets to service diverse clients. Identify other
public relations firms in your city and list types of clients handled by each firm.
4- Document Companies with Public Relations Opportunities: Agencies must learn to obtain
news about companies with public relations challenges or opportunities. The company
may be preparing to shift some operations overseas, opening up a new market or
attempting to recover from a recent scandal. Identify challenges faced by each company
or institution and analyze the firm's public relations or damage control efforts to date.
5- Develop Target Public Relations Proposals: Evaluate your information about companies
with public relations challenges. Research the company's business philosophy, operating
environment and overall profitability track record. Develop a targeted public relations
strategy that utilizes media appropriate for that company's audience. Present a proposal
summary along with benefits of using your service to each prospect.
6- Cultivate a Social Media Presence: Work with a social media expert to create your
company's presence on major social media websites. Regularly showcase your successful
client partnerships and provide links to your company website. Encourage clients and
prospects to maintain an ongoing dialogue with your staff.

7- Add Public Relations Professionals: Hire public relations- savvy employees or recruit
qualified independent contractors to assist you with your public relations work. Place help
wanted advertisements for part-time or on-call personnel to perform research and support
functions. Contact local colleges with journalism or marketing programmes and ask
department chairs about student work/study opportunities.
ten tips for setting up a public relations agency:
1. Focus your Resources: Lots of companies claim to be global since day one. Even though
this can be true for some businesses, resources are usually limited. Being in too many
markets at the same time will eventually reduce your impact. Focus on a country where
you can make a difference, rather than spreading your budget in too many places. Once
everyone's starting to talk about you and your presence, you can expand nearby.

2. Avoid a Culture Clash: Remember that every time you enter a new country, you are
approaching a different culture. People may speak your language for the sake of
business, but rest assured they live, speak and think in a different way. This affects your
business, but also the way you communicate.

3. Get to know the Market: Since the 80s, sales people started to sell, using techniques to
make you feel pain, an urgent need for something or a feeling of being left out when you
do not have something. In a new market, these tactics may not apply. Have you
considered that external influences could make this new market completely different?
4- Create Connections: The way public relations is handled in another country can vary
greatly. Start checking the local public relations scene to get hints about what is different.
5- Be ready for the next Crisis: The question here is not 'if,' but 'when.' Being prepared is
crucial for any crisis scenario, but it can take a longer time to make it abroad.
6- Be transparent, when Possible: Transparency is one of the most debated issues in the last
few years. This involves your company, but also the market and the country you are
entering.
7- Make yourself Relevant: Make sure to understand newsworthiness criteria in the new
country. What was interesting for your customers at home may sound pointless for your
new potential customers. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and understand what is
relevant to them.
8- The Time is Right: From an international perspective, it is important to check the sense of
time in different countries. Many issues are way too complex to be solved with a slogan or
with a short-time effort. Therefore, adapting to the foreigners' sense of time is an important
part of the process.

9- Manage your Public Face: Not everything can be delegated; many journalists would
rather talk to your Chief Executive Officer or one of the founders, rather than to the public
relations man. Do not expect good results if you just translate a news release and ship it to
foreign countries.

10- Some Problems are bigger than Public Relations: Finally, it is important to stress that a
public relations strategy has to be coordinated with the business one. If you make a
statement about how committed to the local market you are, you are supposed to act
accordingly.
References
Patricia A. Curtin, International Public relations- Negotiating culture- Identy and power, SAGE Publications, 2007
Ezekiel S. Asemah, Moses T.Akase, Adeline O. Nkwam-Uwaoma (2023), Business of International Public Relations and
Advertising , Jos University Press, Jos, Plateau State