Public Relations and marketing firms come in all shapes and sizes. Most are multinationals that employ thousands of professionals to handle hundreds of clients. While those big and often global agencies work with high-profile brand names and provide extensive resources, there are a variety of reasons to choose an independent agency, like The Pollack Group (TPG), to work with your company. At TPG, we don’t just work for our clients; we become embedded in their teams, delivering faster, smarter, and more impactful results.
Here are five benefits of working with an independent PR and marketing agency, and how they translate directly into wins for your business.
Personalized Attention from Senior Talent
As Vice President, this particular benefit is one of the reasons I prefer to work at an independent agency. While I may be an executive, I am present on all client accounts, attend all client meetings, and perform all activities I would expect a member of our team to do. I still build media lists, draft news releases, and anything else a client needs because, despite my level of experience, we are committed to providing high-level service to those who have placed their trust in our agency. I can also confidently say that this is true for all senior leadership at TPG. Now, this is not to say junior staff at multinational agencies do not provide the same level of attention. Perhaps they do. But with a focused team, it allows for personal time with senior talent to counsel on larger issues, like a company crisis, without breaking the bank.
Stronger Client and Agency Relationships
I’ve worked for other agencies that roll out the red carpet for potential new clients. The president would sell the agency, promising to be a prominent part of the account team, only to disappear as soon as the contracts were signed. With an independent agency, clients are more than a line item; it’s a partnership. We work closely with clients, understanding not just their business goals but their culture, challenges, and opportunities. Our work is professional, but there is also a personal layer to our relationship. I have had drinks with clients, I have traveled with them, and know about their families and hobbies; having this type of connection provides a human element to our work and helps grow our creative approach in working together.
Fewer Clients = More Focus
We are deliberate in the number of clients we take on to ensure that we provide detailed attention to each one. By capping our roster, we’ve consistently delivered campaigns that exceed KPIs. We are careful in the size of the client and their needs, as we honor our founding story, now over 40 years old. Noemi Pollack believed PR had become formulaic and stale, and too many agencies had lost sight of what it meant to deliver real value to clients. She believed that successful outcomes should come from breakthrough thinking and bold ideas. Working with an agency of our size means the client gets 100 percent of our focus. Today, we still embrace the idea that, to be successful, we need to understand the human issues that help clients connect with their target audiences, and as a result, we are proud to work with iconic global brands.
Tailored Strategies That Drive Results
More focus means more creativity. We don’t need to rely on templates for each client, as we believe in customizing strategies based on the needs and goals of their business. No two clients are the same and shouldn’t be treated as such. We ensure there is time to properly vet competition and industry trends, as well as delve into our clients’ current strategies and tactics to build a plan that will meet their public relations goals. In fact, this is often the best part of what we do. We thrive on a challenge, and we look for ways our clients can outmaneuver the competition. Having a more intimate client roster enables us to examine pain points properly.
Better ROI Without the Overhead
It’s hard to imagine that paying for a team with senior talent, personalized strategies, and daily communication is more affordable compared to larger and multinational agencies, but the fact is, most clients get much more for their money with an independent agency like ours. Our clients often tell us they get Fortune 500-level service at independent-agency value, more results for every dollar invested. We keep retainers reasonable, tailor services to their needs, and deliver transparency with no hidden costs. This approach has helped us retain clients for years, even decades, because they see the tangible return on investment, not just in numbers, but in long-term brand equity.
And with our agency, clients are Powered by Worldcom. The Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations firms, with 115 offices employing some 2,000 staff in 105 cities across six continents. Established in 1988, Worldcom was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent firms could deliver immediate impact and sustained value through the intelligent use of communications, wherever in the world a client needs support.
The Independent Advantage
Choosing an agency can be highly personal, and while we salute industry giants for their vast resources, we know some companies want a more intimate experience with their agency, and that’s where we come in. Ultimately, selecting an independent agency means getting a team that’s not just invested in your business but truly becomes part of it.
