How to brief a PR agency: A guide for law firms

We have recently been working on a number of pitches for PR retainers for law firms. Seeing how different firms have approached the process has been really interesting. The pitch system isn’t without its pitfalls, and I remain to be convinced that it’s the best or indeed only way to select an agency. We relatively rarely pitch for work, mainly because our relationships within the sector mean most of our clients come to us, but also because pitching is an expensive process with no guarantee of success. Also, we are quite fussy about who we work with.

However, for the right firm, we will pitch. And when we do, we go hard!

Now that the process has finished, and we’re waiting to hear whether we were successful, I started thinking about the lessons I could share agency-side for other law firms looking to find a great PR partner.

What does a great PR brief contain?

1. Clear, measurable goals: One of the features of a great PR brief is a clear outline of what the firm is trying to achieve by bringing in a PR partner. The more honest about this you can be, the easier it will be for the pitching agencies to create a proposal that helps you to reach this goal on time and on budget.
2. Introduction to the firm: Don’t make us Google you (too much). Tell us about the firm – what you do, who you do it for, which sectors you work in and set out your key partners and heads of department.
3. Key trends, stories, legislation, reported cases: What’s going on for your clients. What’s keeping them up at night, what are the challenges or opportunities they face? What are your colleagues working on, how are they helping your key clients?
4. What are you doing now and what you have done in the past? Do you have an incumbent agency? Have you worked with an agency before? What kind of marketing (if any) have you done before, what are you working on now?
5. Tell us who we’ll be pitching to: Will it be the management team, marketing and BD team, both or neither? Let us know so that we can ensure that our pitch is appropriate for the audience – a PR pitch for a marketer will be quite different to one for a bunch of lawyers.
6. Involve your marketing team: I’m sure you all do this, but if you don’t, please start. These are the people at the coal face of working with your lawyers, so they know what will and won’t work, and they will be able to be very clear about what they want your PR agency to bring to the table. Ideally let your marketing team write the brief and manage the process.
7. Let us know your budget: Please do this as it allows us to create a bespoke package that aligns with your goals. Also, it’s only fair to let us know how much is available on a monthly or annual basis, so that we pitch something that matches your budget. I won’t pitch without a budget, and we absolutely have a minimum monthly spend.
8. Tell us if you want to see anything specific: The following provides some sensible examples:
   1. 1. Previous law firm experience
      2. How do you measure success
      3. Example outputs
      4. Levels of activity
      5. Who will be on the team?*
      6. Budget required
      7. How will you plan activity on our account?
      8. Will we get reports?
      9. Do you work with other law firms, and how will you manage working with competing clients or conflicts?**
      10. Budget and disbursements
9. Be clear on the post-pitch process and know when you’ll be able to appoint: Please don’t drag out the process any longer than you need to. Ideally, get the post-pitch meetings into the diary before you hear the presentations and then make a quick choice. Let us know if we were successful, and if not, please do give feedback.

10. Once you’ve appointed your agency, make sure you have everything ready to enable them to crack on. Then stand back and let them impress you!

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*Not a problem for us, the team that pitches is the team you get. 

**Also, not a problem for us, we don’t work in conflict.