How To Interview PR Firms.

HOW TO PICK A PR FIRM.
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU ASK?

1.  Are we meeting the publicists who'll actually be working on our account on a day-to-day basis or just the owners and managers of the firm? And what are their qualifications?

Be careful here. Many firms send in their senior people to make new business presentations, yet seldom will they be the ones who'll actually work on the account. With TransMedia, you're looking at the team of publicists who'll handle your account, as well as their supervisors and the publicist assigned to be your point person for daily communications. The publicists who'll work on your account are all professionals with distinguished journalistic backgrounds and many years of experience.

2.   What major awards has your firm received for excellence? For example, have you ever won the highest award given by the Public Relations Society of America-an Anvil Award?

While there are plenty of local awards given out to local business, what national recognition has a firm received? TransMedia is one of the few firms in Florida that has won a Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America, plus numerous other recognitions.

3.  How many times has your PR firm been written up in the major PR trades?

Articles calling TransMedia's PR campaigns "exemplary" and "outstanding" have appeared in PR WEEK, O'Dwyer's, PR Tactics. You can read them at www.transmediagroup.com. TransMedia has also been featured in general business and consumer publications including South Florida Business Journal, Palm Beach Post; Washington Post; The Virginian-Pilot; Hollywood Reporter; CBS Marketwatch. Speeches TransMedia has written have been reprinted in The New York Times, and features on TransMedia personnel have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Time Magazine.

4.  Who are your clients and how long have they been with you?

One of the signs of a productive PR firm is the type of clients it serves. Take an outstanding marketer like Krispy Kreme.

When Krispy Kreme opened its first retail store in Palm Beach County last year, they interviewed all the local PR firms before selecting TransMedia. And in terms of the quality and quantity of publicity generated, TransMedia exceeded even their high expectations. Other TransMedia clients include Precision Response Corporation, one of Barry Diller's interactive companies, whom we've served for three years; Jordache Enterprises, the world's largest manufacturer of jeans and U.S. Polo Association, also for three years, and Rexall Sundown, whom we served for seven years straight. The company's founder, Carl DeSantis, will verify that we were instrumental in helping Rexall rise from $150 million to nearly $1 billion in sales during that time. Carl sold the company for $1.5 billion.

5.  Are the firms you're evaluating bi-lingual?

It sure would make more sense if they were. Media opportunities expand dramatically when a PR firm has a staff that speaks several languages, particularly Spanish in a market such as South Florida. Florida's Hispanic population is large and growing, both in size and affluence. Many client firms comprise employees who speak Spanish. This opens huge media doors at programs like Telemundo, on which TransMedia books clients regularly.

TransMedia has three publicists on staff who speak fluent Hebrew, which provides unique advantages in reaching the growing Israeli community in South Florida, not to mention the vast Jewish population through media targeting that key group of high-net-worth individuals and business owners.

6.  How are the PR firms you're interviewing ranked by the major services that rank PR firms?

TransMedia is ranked among the top 10 PR firms in Florida and among independent firms, it's in the top five. It's also ranked as one of the fastest growing PR firms in the country. TransMedia is far and away the largest PR firm in Palm Beach County. No other firm in Palm Beach County comes close to TransMedia in revenues ($1 million plus), staff size (14) or office size (5,000 sq. ft.). TransMedia is located in a building it owns in downtown Boca Raton.

7.  What specialty areas does your firm have that will benefit us?

TransMedia is uniquely qualified to represent clients whose businesses are involved in health care, technology, financial services, retail, sports, entertainment, transportation, art, food and fashion. First, we have extensive experience in publicizing financial services firms and NASDAQ and NYSE listed companies on a local, regional and national level. We've managed to put relatively small security brokerage firms onto the national stage by arranging interviews for the securities analysts with national business and financial publication as well as appearances on network and syndicated financial programs on radio and television, including CNBC, CNN, MS/NBC, FOX, etc.

Besides financial services, another area we have considerable experience in is health care. We've conducted some of the most successful media campaigns for major pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical and dental professional groups. Our media contacts in this field are far and wide.

Publishing

TransMedia's publishing division is capable of producing books for its clients that reinforce a firm's leadership in its respective field. We envision a book for many of our clients, with chapters written by principals, senior management or experts with the firm.

Media Training

Few firms have the skills and capability of providing their clients with high-quality media training that TransMedia is capable of delivering.

Crisis Management

TransMedia is one of the most respected crisis management firms in the country, which is why we are consulted by such publications such as Entrepreneur Magazine and The Washington Post on this subject.

8.  Does your firm represent any other competing firm?

If the answer is "yes," better think twice as it's near impossible for a PR firm to represent competitors, particularly if they're serving the same market. TransMedia will not accept any firm as client if it competes with an existing client.

TM