THE
INDEPENDENT PR NETWORK THAT COLLABORATES ACROSS BORDERS TO OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE
TO 'THE BIG SIX'
More even than the advertising business, PR has seen
an unprecedented wave of consolidation in the past few years with the
world’s six biggest communication groups having bought dozens of independent
PR firms in order to create critical mass and, ostensibly, to better serve their
clients.
The main driver for this behaviour is the next quarter’s
earnings mentality. These groups are committed to providing their investors
with a continuing revenue and earnings curve, irrespective of market conditions.
As public companies, the issuing of paper to buy successful independent firms
is both a cheap and fast way of achieving growth and market share.
While these major groups can be very skilful at serving large clients in several
different markets the fact remains that there is a considerable community of
clients who simply do not want the cost or experience of a "top six"
network.
Many of them have come to learn that the values held by these businesses are
not always consistent with the partnerships they seek to form with their public
relations advisors. Nonetheless, these clients often need PR in more than one
geographic market and the time and cost of identifying independents in each
market can be prohibitive.
It is for just such clients that Public Relations Organisation International
exists. PROI was established 33 years ago and attracts leading independent PR
firms in each market. These firms meet regularly; provide one another with best
practice in client service and in internal training, as well as working together
on behalf of shared clients.
The ethos of the PROI partners is to assist one another
and, in turn, their clients. By making co-operation and service the drivers
of the relationship, rather than profit or growth, clients have in PROI a PR
partner who is collaborative and commercially aware.
Clients benefit from the entrepreneurial cultures of the independent firms,
while experiencing a smooth international PR effort that feels very different
from that provided by the big six.
The spirit that underpins PROI is the desire to work
for clients in multiple territories. By actually wanting to serve across
borders, rather than seeing it as an inevitable consequence of managing large
accounts, PROI captures a potent force for clients: the desire to be successful
together.
Bill Carlson
President Worldwide Public Relations Organization International, Inc.
