For many who have taken the decision to appoint a professional PR agency to help improve the reputation of their business and boost its fortunes, one of the most common questions is what size PR agency should I choose?

Make no mistake about it, size matters and as a boutique PR and communications agency for companies operating in the automotive and mobility industry, we’re bound to say that small is beautiful. However, to back this up here are just some of the reasons why we think small specialist agencies can offer a more effective and better value service when compared with larger, non-specialist rivals.

A personal service

With smaller agencies, the team you meet on pitch day is much more likely to be the team you’ll be working with on a day to day basis. In other words, you won’t be passed on to a junior member of their team once the contract is signed. What’s more, very often this will also include the regular involvement and attention of senior staff from the agency adding valuable weight to the service.

Ongoing attention

With a small agency, your fees are likely to represent a much higher proportion of their overall annual income. This means they can’t afford for you to be unhappy and go elsewhere so they’re much more likely to go the extra mile to deliver the results you crave. In short, simply consider which is likely to get more attention – a small fish in a big pond, or a big fish in a small pond?

Extensive industry knowledge

As a specialist within its chosen sector, smaller agencies can often deliver a deep level of understanding and insight that larger, non-specialist agencies can only dream of.

Often having worked in-house with the industry themselves, specialist agency staff know how the industry works, what makes it tick and how to get results. As a client, this often means quicker and more effective results for you.

Established media relationships

Along with the extensive industry knowledge that comes with a niche sector specialism, a small agency which focuses on one industry is also much more likely to have better, more established relationships. And no matter how far the PR industry has evolved down the digital route, a PR agency’s contact book is still worth its weight in gold and can help you unlock doors that you’ve been trying to enter for a considerable amount of time.

Servicing clients, not shareholders

As a boutique, owner-managed company, most small agencies don’t have an extensive list of shareholders who they need to satisfy. Rather than being focused on increasing shareholder value, small agencies can be much more focused on servicing clients and providing them with the best possible service.

So, these are just a few of our thoughts on the subject but we’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on the subject too. What have your experiences been of both small and big agencies and which route will you be taking in the future?

Of course, if you’d like to learn more about how a specialist automotive PR agency can help grow your business, why not give us a call on 01926 832395.