How to Write a PR Brief

Monday April 10, 2017

Many have tried.
Some have succeeded.
Most have failed.

The art of writing a PR brief is in fact – more of a science. It should be concise, specific and most importantly, articulate.

At its core – a PR brief is comparable to a job description. It provides information about your company and values, your current requirements and your goals for the future.

Briefly – your brief should state exactly what you are looking for from your chosen PR agency, in addition to providing details of your marketing objectives and overview of your communications campaign.

So, what are the key elements to writing a good PR brief for your PR and marketing agency?

Read on…

1. Background

Provide details of your company with the most up-to-date key company information, including your position in the market, current turnover, key senior figures, brand ambassadors, biggest competitors and USPs.

Key questions to answer include: How long will your campaign be? Which audience are you targeting? What is your budget? What are your brand’s currents strengths and weaknesses?

These must all be answered from the out-set to ensure your agency perceive you as a professional brand who care enough to provide details and value their time.

It’s pretty simple: If you know what you’re looking for – it makes it easier to find it.

2. Goals

The most important purpose of a PR brief: your goals.

What exactly are you trying to achieve? Where would your brand like to be? Why PR and marketing?

Outline what you are specifically looking for – for example; are you looking to build your brand from genesis? Are you looking to innovate and take it in a new direction? Do you want to target a particular kind of stakeholder for your campaign to increase sales in a certain market? Do you want to influence public opinion on a particular subject?

One tip is to include your brand’s existing key messages to trigger inspiration – these will provide a solid grounding for agencies to tailor their proposals and pitches for you.

Being focused on providing this information will ensure each PR agency to whom you circulate your brief to – provide the most accurate and appropriate communications solutions to your needs.

3. Measurement

A good marketing agency will ask about your previous PR relationships and how they were for you.

9 out of 10 times, we find our prospective clients have had rather troublesome experiences and have either lost hope in the power of PR or are ready for a serious-grown-up PR relationship; one which brings out the best in their brand and understands them fully.

For both brand and agency to feel fulfilled; it is essential that the measurements of success are identified from the beginning in your brief.

What does success look like to you? How will you measure this? Be realistic in your targets and always ask for measurable systems and KPIs from your agency to show return on investment.

Final Thoughts

As a brand, you must do your homework.

Weigh up the cost/benefit to each PR agency in terms of their potential value add and use your brief as a tool to aid your informed decision making.

Ultimately – your brief should be a checklist for the criteria you require from a marketing agency which will fulfil your business objectives. It should be thoughtful, strategic and transparent so that the proposals you receive are focused, quality-driven and bespoke.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team bd@curzonpr.com