Most PR agencies don’t work out. Ever wondered why?
The old switcheroo.
That world-class agency team you were promised?
They vanish post-signing, leaving overwhelmed junior staff in their wake. With high turnover, no one fully grasps your objectives.
While you wait for answers, they recycle the same stale pitches. Reporters are annoyed, not impressed.
Unsurprisingly, clients typically fire agencies within 6 months. They expect strategic guidance, not PR paint-by-numbers from a disengaged B-team.
Overpromise, undeliver.
Traditional PR agencies prey on startups, charging exorbitant monthly retainers up to $100k while providing little strategic value and lackluster results.
Agencies exploit "ramp-up" periods to waste time and siphon fees before making empty promises of media coverage through inexperienced staff and pay-for-play deals with unscrupulous contributors. This results in modest publicity but burns through startup funding and resources.
Meanwhile, agencies rake in billions through duplicitous practices like intentional delays, manufactured "exclusives," and churn-and-burn retention of ill-equipped junior employees.
Spam Communications.
Many public relations professionals rely on ineffective and irritating tactics like ALL CAPS, cold-calling reporters, spamming irrelevant pitches, and aggressive follow-ups.
Despite frequent feedback that these practices annoy journalists and damage your reputation, some agencies persist, valuing easy volume over relevance and relationships.
This refusal to adapt reflects deeper issues of prioritizing convenience over work quality and shared disrespect for media colleagues.
Though ethical firms understand the value of research, restraint, and sincerity, lack of accountability allows poor practices to thrive.
The PR Industry is Broken.
“Me to a publicist just now: This is the ninth time that you’ve emailed me with the exact same subject header. Please stop. Right now.”
Rob Pegoraro, Fast Company
“The morning harvest of PR emails include a pitch about why my workouts aren't getting any results and what Prince Harry must do to reconcile with his family...I write about technology.”
Eric Johansson, Verdict
“I've seen some desperate PR moves, but this is a new low -- this PR created a fake email response from me to make it sound like I had previously shown interest in this story. It's so easy to demonstrate I didn't send that email... I can't imagine why they thought this would work.”
Paul Sawers, VentureBeat
“Wouldn’t it be nice to never read the phrase “if you can agree to this embargo” again, all the more since the vast majority are extremely minor bits of news and not remotely sensitive? Maybe one in 20 could justify such a request. Enough already.”
Phil Wahba, Fortune
“I have twice been pitched a funding round that Christine Hall covered days ago. I even responded once to point that out. Still, I got another email today.”
Mary Ann Acevedo, TechCrunch
By the numbers
34.6%
fire their PR agency
after initial engagement
$30,000
traditional PR agencies
average monthly retainer
38.4%
leave their agency
jobs every year
Ready for a better way?
(We do things a little differently)
Direct Access to the Founder
You get the principal - every time.
At my boutique agency, you work directly with the founder during strategy sessions, media pitching, and results analysis.
A focused approach delivers bespoke programs tailored to your brand, not recycled templates.
I thrive on making connections between your story and the right journalists.
A Network of Experts
Our remote team is comprised of trusted and vetted freelance experts also running their own successful businesses. By only collaborating with seasoned pros rather than relying on junior agency staffers, our clients benefit from better work all around.
Our writers and editors are often former journalists, bringing unique insight into what makes a compelling story and effective pitch.
Clients gain the best of both worlds - our founder's hands-on partnership plus the niche expertise of subject matter authorities. This flexible model provides senior-level talent across the account that can scale up or down as needed.
The end result is an unrivaled team producing standout work.
True Partnership
We operate as an extension of your team using efficient modern tools like Slack, Google Docs and Zoom. This enables real-time coordination that makes partnering effortless.
No lengthy meetings or unclear responsibilities - just tight communication delivering transparency.
Our focus stays on the work, not administration. We integrate seamlessly, leveraging the same platforms your staff uses. You gain an integrated team working cohesively to keep you informed.
Our priority is making collaboration easy.
Good Storytelling, Above All
We understand what the media cares about.
Clients are often too close to their own news to frame it for maximum interest. We excel at educating media on why your developments matter.
Our storytelling digs deep to uncover the angles that grab attention for your brand because we know how to write and speak about you in an engaging way. We step back to see perspectives you may miss when assuming everyone knows your value.
We specialize in framing news through a lens that resonates.
Positively Proactive
We take a proactive approach to media engagement that positions clients as experts on breaking developments.
Our consistent outreach provides regular commentary opportunities, ensuring visibility even without hard news. We actively set introductory meetings and build relationships with key targets, keeping clients top-of-mind.
You won't wait for direction on next steps - we'll move initiatives forward anticipating needs.
Our goal is driving consistent media interaction that reinforces thought leadership, whether through timely story pitches, informal coffee meetings or meaningful commentary on unfolding events.
Access Accelerates Results
Transparency is core to our client partnerships.
We provide full access to media lists, coverage reports, and journalist contact information. Our goal is facilitating direct connections between you and key media targets through introductions and 1-on-1 meetings.
We don't place ourselves in-between - our role is opening doors, not limiting access. With open sharing of information and relationships, we enable you to be hands-on while still leveraging our expertise as needed.
We want you to have every tool needed to thrive, not dependent on us alone.
See Our Results
AI
AdTech & MarTech
AgTech
B2B Tech
Consumer Tech
Crypto & Web3
Cybersecurity
Developer
Enterprise
IoT
Sustainability
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