Steal My Strategy to Never Choose The Wrong PR Firm Again

I’ve worked with 357 start-ups for over 20+ years, generating media coverage that resulted in customers and investors.

Trey Ditto
3 min readOct 12, 2023

--

Every Day You Stick With a Bad PR Firm, Your Competitors Surge Ahead

Having worked in PR for years (and as a former reporter), I’ve seen it all: companies who’ve felt burned by past PR relationships, dissatisfied with lackluster results, or handed off to inexperienced staff. This prevailing skepticism about PR firms is real.

In the PR game, time isn’t just money — it’s market share, credibility, and influence. While you endure an underperforming PR firm, your competitors are seizing headlines, impressing investors, and winning customers. The clock is ticking, and you’re being left behind.

**But you can stop picking the wrong PR firm in three easy steps!**

The High Cost of PR Complacency

Each day wasted with a subpar PR firm isn’t just a missed media opportunity — it’s a day your competitors shout louder, stealing your spotlight and market share. Every missed headline represents lost investor confidence, potential customers swayed elsewhere, and your brand’s diminishing differentiation in the market.

Identifying the Core Issues

It’s not just about PR firms missing the mark. The industry itself is riddled with practices that do more harm than good. Junior professionals are often at the forefront, senior executives fade post-pitch, and clients’ inflated expectations further muddle the waters. The result? A disjointed strategy, sporadic results, and a growing mistrust​.

Navigating the PR Firm Selection Process: A Three-Step Guide

1. Know Your Team Inside Out: Before you sign any dotted line, demand clarity. Who’s your main point of contact? How actively involved is the senior-most PR executive? A crucial question to ask: How many other accounts do they handle? Remember, many PR professionals juggle over 10 accounts elsewhere!

2. Dive Deep into Your Account Team’s Expertise: Before partnering, meet every member of your proposed account team. Quiz them on your business, industry specifics, and the broader media landscape. Ask about their tenure at the PR firm and their background before joining. The answers might surprise you.

3. Measure the PR Firm’s Track Record: Demand evidence of recent successes. Who are their current clients? What kind of media coverage have they secured for them? Moreover, ask the account team about their roles in these successes. Their involvement can be a good indicator of their expertise.

Why Ditto PR Stands Out

In the expansive PR universe, Ditto PR emerges distinctively. Here’s why:

Senior Leadership on Every Account: Every account at Ditto PR is helmed by a seasoned communications executive with over a decade of industry experience.

Tailored Attention: With a minimum of three PR professionals on an account and none handling more than five accounts, we ensure undivided attention.

Deep Dive Expertise: We’re not just PR experts; we’re experts in our client’s business and sector. This blend guarantees clients receive astute, proactive strategies, and consistent, high-impact media coverage.

Conclusion

Don’t waste precious money and time on the wrong PR firm. Use this guide to make sure you hire a communications partner that you can trust.

--

--

Trey Ditto

CEO of Ditto PR, A Fast Moving PR Firm the combines Strategy + Results AI / Web3 / Fintech / Edtech