I like to pretend I’m not very old.
But the truth of the matter is, I began my career before we used email daily.
Back when you had to overnight materials to the client for approval. Back when you (gasp!) had to actually call journalists on the phone and talk to them about your news.
I guess I’m pretty old…but I don’t look my age!
Right???
Right.
Back in the olden days, we would spend the last quarter of the year creating the communications program for the following year.
It would be approved and we’d spend the full year executing.
Then we’d spend the first half of the following year doing research to see if our program had increased brand awareness and whether it affected sales.
A good 21 months after the first planning meeting—and millions of dollars later—we’d know what worked and what didn’t.
How Andy Crestodina Inspired Me
Thankfully, that’s not how things are done anymore.
Sure, you can easily spend $20,000+ to do your own study (and I recommend it for in-depth research) or you can spend a few thousand bucks to buy someone else’s research.
It’s not an inexpensive endeavor.
But we’re always looking for better ways to do things.
A couple of years ago, our super smart friend, Andy Crestodina, sent a blogger survey to a handful of his friends to see if he could determine some trends.
Since then, it’s grown into a force to be reckoned with, with more than 1,000 respondents, and results that are of value to everyone who runs a blog.
And he gives it all away for free.
I’ll be honest: I’ve watched that and always been a little envious!
We should have a survey, too, that provides real value to PR professionals.
And so we made it happen.
Yippee!
Is the Trend to Hold Onto Cash?
This is a very strange year.
I keep hearing from fellow PR agency leaders that clients are breaking contracts, reducing budgets, or taking the work in-house.
My gut tells me this is because the Great Recession is still really close in our rearview mirrors.
And, because of that combined with the global, political environment, everyone is skittish to release their cash.
And who can blame them?
Cash is, after all, king.
But that doesn’t help when you are running a business, no matter the size.
And my gut isn’t statistically significant, nor is it real research.
Let’s Not Guess…Introducing the PR Agency Survey
So we created the PR Agency Survey.
It’s very targeted and will allow us to shed some light on the changes to how PR professionals are growing their organizations.
Which means if you don’t work for an agency, this survey is not for you…and you can go on about your day.
But if you do work for an agency, we’d love for you to take the PR Agency Survey.
Our goal is to get a minimum of 500 responses so we have something to call home about, and provide you some real value.
And it will be interesting to see if my gut is right…and what other insight we glean.
If you take the survey, we’ll share the results with you.
I’ll also do an exclusive webinar, just for respondents, to go through the results and discuss the trends that will affect your agencies in the next four years.
We Need Your Help!
But we do need your help!
To be able to offer the results to you for free—and discuss how the insights will affect you—we need more of you to take it.
We’re only at 100 respondents right now.
So please take the PR Agency Survey—and share it liberally, particularly with those who work for agencies.
With the data, we’ll be able to help you work beyond factors outside of your control and grow your organizations in a crazy environment.