Book Title: Managing A Public Relations Firm For Growth And Profit

AUTHOR:             ALVIN CROFT

PUBLISHER:       ROUTLEDGE

NO OF PAGES:   155

REVIEWER:         NZE EUNICE

Croft is one of the few authors who focus his expertise on one important area  which is running an agency successfully and profitably. This second edition is a welcome update to his earlier work on Managing a Public Relations Firm.

Managing a Public Relations Firm for Growth and Profit combines real case studies with step-by-step how-to guidelines drawing from the author’s rich experiences in business. The central theme of the book says that every public relations activity, whether run by an agency or enterprise, should at least yield profit, if not growth.  Also, despite the fun of working with a broad range of creative people and situations, the adrenalin-rush of doing something that few others can do to produce positive results, and the uncertainty of working in a business climate that is changing so rapidly; public relations is still viable a business. And as with any business  profit or not-for-profit  it is all about achieving desired growth. As such, every practitioner must take a long, hard look at all their organization’s PR programs to ensure every aspect contributes to the bottom line of the organization as that is the way management manages the growth of the firm.

He harps on the marketing aspects of agency growth in the early chapters, pointing out that while many agencies focus on marketing communications, their in-house marketing is hap-hazardous at its best.  Yet if agencies do not focus on doing the precise things they advise clients to do, most efforts at new business development will be like playing darts with a blindfold on.  The book also emphasizes that the core of successful public relations practice is winning the right businesses, as opposed to merely winning businesses.

It goes without saying that every PR person has a budget to work with. How the PR firm develops, presents, sells and manages that budget determines how profitable it will be to client.  It also goes without saying that agency heads have to learn how to balance businesses that are in house as well as future clients  e.g. the moment a client is won, it then means that a vacuum exists in its place in the list of prospective clients which must be filled.

Croft also dwells on the often tedious and overwhelming issue of agency search. He teaches how to identify an agency’s strengths and weaknesses, and how to manage staff and time which are very invaluable resources  during the process to maximize the benefits of the exercise.

In a logical, easy to follow process Croft teaches how to manage accounting and time billing to ensure profitability for clients, individuals and the agency.  While acknowledging that it may sometimes seem to be a tough call, the author notes that it may be more rewarding to walk away from some prospects and transactions in the interests of the agency’s growth and profitability in the long term. Today’s shrewd agency managers must be well aware of this bitter experience.

A veteran in agency business, the author includes very insightful profiles on many agencies and professionals in the field. These provide a real-life glimpse into other professionals’ thought processes and approaches to the broad range of activities that agency heads must master.  Rarely does one get the full benefits of the up-close and personal disclosures the agency principals provide in Croft’s book. In addition, the author has helped hundreds of other agency principals improve their business activities. He freely shares their success strategies in this latest edition.

If you read nothing more than the executive profiles included in each chapter, you can gain a world of experience and expertise in just a few readings. It is clear to see that managing a public relations firm is really no different from managing any other business.  But for some reasons, perhaps shortcomings arising from the medium sized nature of such businesses, it is usually more difficult to manage growth and profit.

If you head an agency, Managing a Public Relations Firm is a must-read.  If you are contemplating starting your own agency, this is the book you need to read. If you have no desire to leave your organization and want to operate your PR activity as a bottom-line centric business  or simply want to scare your boss,  get a copy of Croft’s book, read it and keep it in your office library as an important reference. It is advisable that every public relations practitioner should look at the book from the perspective of personal and organizational growth.