PR consultancies will become first choice agency partner for many clients says The Blueprint founder Gareth Moss

Alongside fellow panellists I was struck by the appetite, desire and pace of change seen in the industry these days. From the media, to agency owners, bloggers and commentators, we are all racing to pinpoint the future direction of the PR industry.

But what is becoming apparent is that not one single model will be right or will dominate in the future. PR agencies sit at the centre of the communications industry evolution, helping agencies and brands change through a mix of strategy and planning, identifying and appointing new talent and providing ongoing support and mentoring services.

Critically, in this new agency landscape, the future PR agency can become the go-to partner for the client. The opportunity exists to become an objective, independent and collaborative communications advisor, a partner who is able to work across strategy, planning, creative and delivery, and become the first port of call for clients.

As the economic recovery gathers pace and company budgets recover, it is the agencies that are innovating and adapting to change that will win over others.

Agencies that attempt change alone may not succeed. It was echoed on the panel that agencies that innovate without the involvement and engagement of the clients they serve will face even greater challenges. The change needs to be collaborative so client and agency evolve together.

Here are some of the main points from the PRCA National Conference to consider…

New organisational structures

The shift in the communications landscape from ‘selling’ to ‘engaging’ requires a totally new approach, underpinned by new agency structures and people. Shifting away from siloed and hierarchical structures continues to be essential. Agency teams need to move from industry generalists to sector specialist, working collaboratively to help deliver more integrated campaigns. This seems to be a significant driver of opportunity for the new agency where interdisciplinary briefs are now a standard.

The growth of planning, strategy and insight teams alongside established functions such as media relations, corporate and internal communications will help shape the offer to clients. These new structures naturally focus a deeper level of understanding of the client, putting the client or brand need at the centre not the agencies. It makes heroes of creative thinkers who can see laterally how an audience wants to engage with a brand. And not just through advertising, through, products service and environments that align both brand and audience.

The shift in client buying behaviour

The agency retainer has been derided by some for many years both on the buy- and sell-side, something that was echoed at the conference. While some level of retained consultancy will always be required, clients are focusing their spend around projects. Specifically, projects with a shorter timeframe, focused objectives and thorough requirements to demonstrate a commercial return to the business. Again this is a shift that requires change in the agency team structures, their skills and wider agency operations.

Selfish Vs Selfless

Communicating in the digital landscape requires a vast array of new skills and expertise, compounded by the need to stay abreast of new and emerging channels. It’s rare that all these skills – to an expert level – will be found within one agency. Building a robust partner network will become increasingly important in the future. Openness and transparency are key to this.

The new communications and agency landscape means bringing in the best teams, people, partners or skills to get the job done.

This requires creating/finding agencies to invest in, grow and be transparent where the skills exist. A rich network of partners, practitioners and consultants will augment the core agency offer. The effect is a more open and selfless approach to delivering the best results.

The right resources at the right time

Having the right people at the right level to bring about change is what The Blueprint has helped agencies achieve for the past eight years. Now, more than ever, building teams not only to meet the day-to-day needs of clients but also to evolve the agency and the services it provides is a critical driver. New entrants and the next generation joining the industry should develop and become experts in disciplines, sectors or techniques. Which leads to the next observation.

New revenue streams

Agencies must have a clear understanding of where the best results and indeed most profit are being generated. Looking at services and finding ways to package, productise and resell as solutions to clients is a fascinating part of the future for agencies. As brands take greater ownership of key areas of communications IP they will protect this by taking some work or roles in-house. It will be the new products and services and innovations from agencies that will attract the greatest fees.

The place for PR or communications in the landscape over the next 10 years

If change is embraced in the way it was talked about then the PR agency has a bright future, but a future that does not reflect its past. Echoing this in a recent PRCA video on agency change, Matt Neal, CEO of Golin Harris, surmised the task ahead. “A part shift in agency culture will not be enough, an all-in change is required.”

If an organisation of 1,000 employees can embrace and make this change, the outlook is bright. Very soon PR and communications will become a true professional management discipline for the modern enterprise.

Work hard on thinking through the preferred shape of your business going forward. What I’m seeing is that the agencies doing really well currently are more selfless. They don’t automatically grab every penny of revenue even if it would be better spent with a partner. However, if you’re going to be selfless and genuinely place the client’s funds where they will do the best job for the brand, you are going to have to structure yourself to make the most of the revenue available to you. You are also going to have to search for other revenue streams. That’s an interesting part of our work.