Bringing in a PR partner represents a significant decision for any business, and a clear change in their thinking, meaning there’s understandably often a sense of both excitement and apprehension. The promise of greater visibility, improved perception, and more consistent reputation management rightly feels like a step forward, but the practicalities of how the relationship actually starts can feel uncertain. This is why we’ve analysed the first 90 days of a PR onboarding and client partnership process, and provided tips on how to not only shape the effectiveness of the relationship, but also the agency’s ability to translate commercial ambition into visible results.
The onboarding phase is usually where the real groundwork happens, although many agencies will work away in the background before the kick-off date to ascertain key stakeholders and priority messages. This phase isn’t a box-ticking exercise or a polite series of introductions on Teams or Zoom, but where both sides learn more about each other and the processes to reframe their ambitions into stories and messaging fit for the external world.
Every relationship should begin with this discovery period, and the agency will want to understand more about the company and dig deeper into information that’s not publicly available. Yes, a business may have published swathes of financial reports or blogs, but real clarity comes from the less obvious locations, and from having real conversations with real people. This is why the best agencies will seek to identify what the business stands for, how it competes, what drives its clients and candidates, and how it fits into the wider landscape in its specialist fields. For recruitment marketers, for example, this could encompass sharing market insights, the challenges behind pipeline numbers, and even cultural nuances inside the business.
Without this context, PR activity risks becoming superficial and misaligned with the reality of the company. If the work is to support employer brands or client acquisition, this mismatch can have lasting consequences. Even if it doesn’t reach an external audience, the time spent on not understanding each other is essentially wasted, whereas putting in the groundwork early on can ensure the agency hits the ground running. Ideally, this should take place in the first week or even prior to the relationship beginning, but success here often lays the foundations for instant results.
The first week of the relationship is then about immersion as the agency forms a clearer picture of how the brand is currently seen and how it could be positioned more effectively. Kick-off conversations with leaders, consultants and marketers all reveal what differentiates the business and what has previously failed to land and often, this stage uncovers hidden stories; a consultant who’s developed a unique niche, or an internal initiative that quietly sets the company apart, for example.
In recruitment, the best results in the media rarely come from generic industry commentary but instead come from insight, such as someone who understands the hiring pain points in a specific market and can speak with genuine authority. That’s why onboarding is as much about people as it is process. The agency needs to identify the voices early on, or be steered in their direction, to understand who will add credibility to media commentary or thought leadership content.
The emphasis will then quickly shift from listening to mapping, and there should be an established idea of what success looks like. Some agencies will pride themselves on their ability to hit the ground running and immediately deliver visible results while highlighting an understanding of who the key audiences are, which topics and themes are likely to engage journalists and prospects alike.
But onboarding isn’t just about generating quick coverage. It’s about learning. The results of those first pieces and which angles resonate, which headlines get traction, and how internal experts perform in interviews all inform the next wave of activity. Businesses often find this phase illuminating as it’s where strategy moves from theoretical to practical, and assumptions are tested against real-world responses, and the initial expectations are set.
This is another crucial step, and by agreeing on timelines, communication rhythms, and the practicalities of sign-off, it means all activities will run more smoothly. This is notably key in recruitment, where many firms operate at a fast pace, and priorities can subsequently shift with client demand. However, agreeing on a good process with built-in flexibility while ensuring that strategic consistency isn’t lost, and setting a schedule for weekly catch-ups, clear approval points, and transparent reporting structures make all the difference to how smoothly collaboration runs once campaigns are in motion.
Around two to three months into the partnership represents a good opportunity to review and refine. Many agencies will want longer, and while it’s true that successful PR require time and a sustained approach, the best marketers should be able to ascertain what’s working and what needs adjustment by now. From here, both sides can ascertain whether the current approach will deliver on its ambitions, and if the first months have been used well, there should be no ambiguity about priorities or process. Both sides will understand each other’s working style, communication cadence and commercial aims.
Ultimately, onboarding sets the cultural tone of a PR partnership and is where trust is built, or lost. Businesses that approach it openly, provide access to the right people and are transparent about their challenges, get the most out of their agency relationships, whereas those that see it as an administrative hurdle tend to find themselves six months down the line, wondering why the strategy feels disjointed and isn’t delivering what they wanted.
The first 90 days are all about alignment and delivery. By agreeing on language, expectations, insight and ambition, it makes effective delivery far more likely and leads to results beyond simple coverage numbers, leading to a partnership that helps a brand articulate its value, earn authority in its market, and turn communication into a tangible business asset.
If your business is seeking its next PR partner, get in touch with our team today.
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