Three years ago, I wrote an article briefly touching on the tender process for public relations (PR) and communication work.
To recap, a Request for Information (RFI) is the first step in the process, especially if you’re not very familiar with the different components of communication these days. The industry has become highly specialised.
Advertising, creative, branding, PR, digital, social media, influencer management, media buying, media monitoring and event management are all highly specialised fields in their own right. So, if you’re unfamiliar with the industry and who does what, it’s best to find out first.
The client-side procurement team needs to do its research, which is fairly simple these days. Review the credentials of relevant consultancies or agencies, and if you see work that matches what you’re looking for, shortlist about eight agencies. Call them and set up an appointment for a credentials presentation.
During this meeting, both parties can ask questions. Procurement can then shortlist about five agencies that meet the requirements in terms of expertise, experience, resources, team chemistry, etc. Next, the client prepares a detailed brief and issues a Request for Proposal (RFP), which should contain the full scope of work, resources required, budget, etc., and invites the shortlisted agencies to participate. Typically, depending on the size and scope of the project, agencies are given two to three weeks to put together a proposal.
Agencies are then called in to present their proposals, and the list is further narrowed to three finalists. They are then invited to negotiate pricing or given a Request for Quotation (RFQ). When PR agencies see that a client has taken the time to go through this process diligently, we know the client is serious and practises good governance.
Recently, a trustee company issued an open RFQ. “Open” meaning every agency in town received an invitation to quote for the services. It was obvious that the person or persons who drafted the RFQ had little understanding of the subject matter, which was crisis communication and management.
No one can predict how long a crisis will play out – it could be days, weeks or months. So how are we expected to cost PR services for it? Anyone who knows anything about crisis situations knows there is no off-the-shelf, supermarket solution. In addition, the submission timeframe was just a few working days.
It’s most unfortunate when an organisation doesn’t take the time to write a professional brief because it wastes everyone’s time.
When PR agencies receive a brief like this, we know it’s one of two things: the client is just window-shopping for budgetary purposes, or they already know who the project will be awarded to and are merely going through the motions to make it look like due diligence has been done.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not represent those of Twentytwo13.
