Where are all the PR consultants?

It is a startling reality that there remains very few heavyweight consultants in this industry. Instead there is a plethora of light to mid-weight consultants who, one wonders whether or not, can offer clients any real PR strategy tied to brand values and business goals. It appears that the former territory of PR consultants as business advisors has been completely eroded and is now the gambit of advertising and marketing agencies which list press releases as an "also offering".

This is a very sad situation and one wonders how the clients perceive this. Is it any wonder that the value of PR as a business tool has been devalued to the point that it is just seen as an "also offering" and no longer as a profession?

The situation in the UK and the USA is very different. The Public Relations Consultants Association is vocal on a number of fronts, from finding and selecting a consultancy to briefing consultants and building a transparent consultant client relationship. Perhaps this is indeed the difference - members of the PRCA are qualified professional consultants, not agents, who have undergone assessments in terms of their ability to offer consulting and these firms' quality and professionalism is assured.

Like other professions, professional public relations consultants are bound by a professional charter and code of conduct.

Would you allow a doctor to operate on you, who was not endorsed nor a member of the relevant standards body for his profession? Would you take financial advice from someone who was not a chartered accountant? Well, why then do clients buy PR services from advertising agencies or PR agencies that are not endorsed as professional consultants in this profession? Just having a qualification in PR or communications, does not a consultant make. Like other professions, it is the accumulation of years of experience and business exposure that makes the difference between someone who can do the job and someone who is specialist and expert enough to offer the advice.

Let's look at the dictionary definitions for some clarity.
Consultant (noun) 1. professional adviser - an expert who charges a fee for providing advice or services in a particular field
Agent (noun) 1. somebody representing another - somebody representing somebody else in business usually under contract, especially in buying and selling property, insurance, or services, or in arranging work in entertainment or publishing

The question arises, is this the fault of the profession or is it a lack of sophistication on the part of the clients who are buying the services? It could be both.

However, there are excellent resources for clients available on the web if they know where to look. The PRCA website (www.prca.co.uk) offers a number of downloadable best practice guides to selecting consultants, managing the client consultancy relationship and how to set and measure effectiveness and value. Further, for those clients who are actually about to brief potential consultants, there is an absolutely free online interactive service which walks you through all the steps of compiling a brief for the consultancy and includes hints and tips at each step of the way. (https://sslrelay.com/secure.clientbrief.info/)

Locally, the Public Relations Institute of South Africa has a consultant's chapter, the PRCC, which like its counterpart in the UK, identifies which consulting firms are owned and run by a professional who has undergone the necessary accreditation process. This meaning that while there may be junior consultants working in that firm, they are doing so under the watchful eye of someone who has been assessed and found to be of sufficient weight and experience to be considered as offering a professional consulting service.

PRISA lists 51 professional consulting firms on its website for clients who are interested in dealing with people who take their profession seriously. There are of course in excess of 300 PR agencies listed on other business portals.

With the work of the South African Qualifications Authority and its Setas there is a move to quantify levels of qualification and experience with a view to professionalising certain services. As an example, The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as the statutory body for the registration of engineering consultants has now the authority to de-register engineers which are found to be lacking in maintaining their professionalism through Continuing Professional Development. Simply, what this means is that without registration, they may not act in an engineering role, unless under the supervision of a registered engineer. This has been done in the interests of public health and safety, since the failure of a building design has serious ramifications for loss of life and limb.

One could argue that in the PR profession there would be few casualties from someone doing a less than professional job. However, you can also say that PR is a business service, it has the ability to tell the story of a brand, communicate complex messages about brand integrity, and build a client organisation's reputation and credibility. As a result, the casualties here would be the very companies buying the service. And the financial losses from a brand mis-communicated could run into millions of rands.

Now having looked at the risk in these terms, there is something to be said for those PR consulting firms and individuals who are committed to professionalism to the point that they are prepared to be reviewed by the voluntary association which sets standards for their conduct and professionalism.

Risk management is the buzz word of the day in many professions. It is only a matter of time before clients begin to select their PR consultants not on cost or gimmick, but on their ability to build reputation and offer a service in which the risks are contained by their recognised and endorsed professionalism.

The PR profession needs to reclaim its areas of expertise and we need to take pride in the fact that we have skills and talents which are best done by professional consultants.

We need to ensure that we remain at the forefront of business strategy in order that we might advise our clients on effective PR activities which are in line with the business goals and not just willy-nilly sell press release writing services, brochures or quirky promotions, without an understanding of the broader business objectives.

I call on all those consultants who consider themselves professional to join in the debate and add their voice to the call to professionalise our industry. It is in all our interests, not least of which the clients'.

The PRCA gives this advice.

The ten golden rules for getting the best from a public relations consultancy:

1. Work hard on the understanding process - both at the outset and throughout the relationship.
2. Trust your consultancy. Don't keep unnecessary secrets that will hinder the relationship or the quality of their advice.
3. Involve them at an early stage in any activities that will require their support - last minute briefing usually means lost opportunities.
4. Make sure they are helped to work in harmony with other communications suppliers and with any of your own staff important to their work.
5. Ensure your top management are aware of the public relations goals and are committed to their achievement.
6. Plan and manage all activities carefully, but be prepared to act quickly when the consultancy advises you it is necessary.
7. Give them a clear understanding of the limits to their brief and when there is a need to go to a higher authority.
8. Conduct regular and honest reviews of progress and achievements to ensure the relationship continues to flourish.
9. Agree what constitutes success from the programme and measure the results constantly against the criteria agreed.
10. Accept that success or failure belong to the whole team and that the consultancy cannot be expected to deliver unaided.

The PRCA's guide to Getting the Best from a Public Relations Consultancy was produced to help clients foster a successful relationship with their consultant, for the greatest possible benefit to the business.