How to brief your potential PR agency—a guide to RFPs
Photo by Romain Dancre on Unsplash
Like every agency, we are always delighted when we receive a new client inquiry from the far reaches of the universe. However, in order to avoid getting lost in the endless expanse of space, we—as like any other agency—need to be sent on a specific mission in order to reach for specific stars. Orbiting the comms space for quite some time now, we noticed, that companies of all sizes—whether they’re newly launched start-ups or big corporations—can struggle from time to time to come up with an initial request for proposal (RFP) briefing. However, if you can't articulate exactly what you really want and need, it's hard to choose the right partner. As for the agencies, a journey without concrete goals becomes a random trip with uncertain outcomes.
If you happen to experience this struggle, here we are to the rescue. In the step-by-step guide below, we show you why a well-thought-out briefing or RFP matters, what format to use and information to include, and how to determine timelines and tasks in the most respectful way. Let’s get started!
The briefing format and why it matters
A briefing usually follows the initial contact. That initial contact is a great opportunity to ask the potential agency for general availability according to your timeline, conflicts of interest with existing clients, credentials, and to maybe set up a chemistry meeting. Next comes the briefing, which can take place in writing, by (video)call, or in person. We strongly suggest that the brief be in writing, and then followed up with a subsequent video call or face-to-face discussion. This structures the thinking, allows the agency to be better prepared, and at the same time gives room for more precise queries in person. In addition, having it in writing helps to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunication. When you, as a client, take the time to properly write down your thoughts and ideas, this massively increases your chances of receiving a truly fitting and tailored proposal.
The briefing information
Every company is different, but there are still a few elements that should be included in every brief. Even if you think this information can be found somewhere online, you can save the agencies, you’re requesting proposals from, a great deal of time by putting this information together beforehand—and that way carve out more creative time with them. So here is a handy checklist of what to keep in mind or include:
Ask for and/or check the agency’s pitch etiquette - Detailed, creative, and strategically thought-out offers are not made quickly and are not a matter of course. Great agencies that are in high demand have rules and principles which determine whether they enter into the proposal phase or not. And so do we! Check out our Space Dog School of Pitch Etiquette as an example.
NDA - Does the agency first need to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement)? Then let them know, and get this initial task out of the way.
Background - Provide a brief overview of your company’s history in your very own words.
Present and future - Outline your mission, vision, and values with as many details as possible. After all, that’s the essence of what the agency will be working with.
Triggering situation - What led to your need to contact a communications partner? Writing down what made you consider hiring a new external partner can give agencies valuable insight into what you’re looking for.
Goals - What business and communications goals are you trying to achieve, and in what time frame? Where do you expect the agency partner to support these goals, and what other activities are you undertaking to reach the goals? (After all, it’s a team effort.)
Roadblocks - What stumbling blocks did you face in the past and/or are currently facing, and/or may potentially face in the near future?? This could be, for example, potential weaknesses in the product, a very strong market competitor, or a very tight timeline. It is important to openly discuss not only the strengths of the business but also the challenging bits.
Target markets, customers, and competitors - What do the specific profiles and personas of your target customers look like? The more specific you can get, the better ideas can be tailored, and the better the most relevant media, influencers, as well as other potentially meaningful connections can be targeted. In addition, make sure to share as much data as possible on competitors.
Key messages - What do you want your target groups to know about your company and your products? What needs to really stick with them?
Spokespeople - Let the agency know which spokespeople can be used, and what languages they speak, what level of media training they have, and what responsibilities fall under them (i.e. what parts of the business can they comment on?).
Timeline - Of course, agencies are aware that start-ups and high-growth companies work very agilely and quickly. Nevertheless, a certain time frame planning is useful and is crucial for the feasibility of some ideas. Therefore, let us know: What is the timeline for what needs to be implemented or achieved? When will the products or news be launched? Last but not least, add a timetable for the response time, potential pitch dates, your selection deadline, project start date, as well as any other key deliverable or milestone.
Budget - Yes, money talk is a part of every good briefing. Unfortunately, however, there is a persistent misconception that once provided with a certain number, agencies will use that budget to the maximum. For Laika, this is not the case, and often, this is not the case for agencies in general. But in order to develop ideas that really fit the assignment, agencies need to know how much they are allowed to spend in theory. Last but not least: You are trying to find a true partner, not a cheap bargain. Therefore, being budget transparent is a sign of trust and respect.
Evaluation - How do you define success? For example: Are you more focussed on the overall quantity and a steady drumbeat of coverage, or do you care more about the high-quality type of media? Or perhaps a combination of the two? Does success also mean preventing a certain image? Or maybe improving internal communications processes? How do you plan to measure the success of your communications campaign? What measurements do you expect from your partner?
Miscellaneous - Here is a great opportunity to mention any other information that is important and relevant to your company and brand, which you feel the agency should know about.
Rules for fair-play pitching
You probably want to avoid becoming the World’s Worst RFP and cause those agencies you contacted traumatic flashbacks, right? Well, then you basically need to realize that you’re asking the RFP agencies to work for free. (By the way, a big shout-out to ZAK for their humorous take on this.)
While most agencies will be willing to show you some of their ideas, and ways of working, after receiving a proper RFP, it is important that the brief does not ask the world from them. The more you ask for, the more likely it is that you should offer to pay for the pitch. We already linked to our very specific Laika spaceship rules above, but as a rule of thumb, here is what we think universally applies to the vast majority of agencies out there:
Choose a fair amount of contestants by pre-selecting after credential checks or quick chemistry meetings… Don’t invite more than three agencies to pitch—otherwise, you most likely won’t have enough time and attention for each agency, not to mention, most good agencies usually pull out of such “lottery systems.”
Provide a fair timeline—don’t expect a pitch deck the next week after requesting a proposal. Any good agency will always prioritize their client work. And after all, do you really want to work with a partner that neglects current tasks, to just jump on the next new biz opportunity?
Limit the number of ideas or tasks that need to be presented. This is not an all-you-can-eat buffet—and if you lose focus, so will the agency. Therefore, carefully only add requirements you really need to be met in order to properly judge potential partner agencies, and which are still in line with a fair and doable workload.
Last but not least: Be responsive and give feedback at every step of the process.
Understanding the importance of a well-thought-out request for proposal, paying attention to your briefing format, knowing what information to include, and playing fair when pitching, will undoubtedly help you and agencies alike, avoid getting lost in the endless expanse of space. In short, know what you want, specify what you want, and you’ll be well on your way to creating quality RFPs and receiving fitting proposals.
Would you like a sample PR brief to use? To help you on your mission, we have provided a simple-to-use RFP template here. Once filled out, you’re good to go... go ahead and find your perfect partner out there in the comms universe!