Re: UKNM: PR Agencies

[David Bentley]

In the inimitable style of Mr. Magdalinski....


Manou, I appreciate your need to appoint a good PR agency for your business

and I appreciate your need to research, as far as you need, all possible PR

firms in the marketplace.  For this UKNM is a useful resource.


But to send a mail to UKNM, outlining the list of candidates (in order of

preference!) and asking an open list of c.400 people what they think, is

IMHO far from good business practice.  Having been both a client and agency

person - from a client perspective, I wouldn't have dreamt of displaying

this sort of information for the world to see or to collectively decide

upon and, from an agency perspective, if I found out that a prospective

client had acted in this manner then I would pull-out of the pitch.  It is

a very bad reflection of how a relationship might develop. 


Firstly - you are paid (I assume - and with the title of Marketing Director

probably - quite handsomely) to determine for yourself the worthiness of a

supplier for your business.  


Secondly - if you feel unable to accept the (1.0.1) task of appointing a

supplier, please don't ask us what you should do.  We don't know your

business and we don't know your objectives, as such any advise is purely

subjective.


Thirdly - if you would like some informed and truly constructive

opinions/help identify a consultant and pay them for their advice.


Finally - relationships between agencies should always be collaborative and

respectful of both parties.  Many clients use agencies as 'the people who

can do the work that I don't have time/ability to do' - bad start...  bad

ending...  bad attitude...


I hope for your sake that no-one from one of those agencies is lurking on

this list. 


I despair.


David


At 05:05 PM 2/16/99 +0000, you wrote:

>Folks;

>

>I know we talked about PR agencies a while ago and I actually did contact

>some of the firms suggested.  We have narrowed our search to 4 companies

>and wanted to see what sort of response UKNM participants may have.  Keep

>in mind we are interested also in media buying as well as expertise in new

>media marketing and PR.  The four are; (in our current order of preference)

>Nelson Bostock, Flapjack, Midnight, PBC.  We are interested in Gnash and

>Joe Public, but have yet to meet them or receive a proposal, what is the

>general consensus on them?  I look forward to your reply.

>

>Manou Marzban

>Director of Marketing - BiblioTech

>0171 460 4647

>

email: manoupostmaster [dot] co [dot] uk

------------------------------------------------------------

David Bentley

Account Director and Director of Interactive

Anderson&Lembke

New York, NY

tel:	(212) 886.2128

fax:  	(212) 989.6417 

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