We use our “Firm Showcase” feature to celebrate the most exciting, pathbreaking models, techniques, and approaches in our industry. This week, our attention turns to a large agency that made headlines for doing something that many companies have talked about but few have done: Aggressively altering their model to meet the demands of today’s clients….

Risk, instability, uncertainty, change, volatility: These are the buzzwords of our time, and they apply to changing markets as much as they do to changing geo-political conditions and even our changing physical environment. The question is: What do we in the public relations industry do about it? How can we better run our firms to…

It’s harder than ever to do well, but that’s not stopping more firms than ever from doing good. Corporate responsibility is a hot topic among professional services firms, with much discussion recently around a particular form of corporate benevolence, the performance of pro bono work. According to a recent report by consultancy Deloitte, “corporate responsibility…

When’s the last time you spoke to your next-door neighbor about your itching problem—down there? Or your thinning hair? Or your use of feminine hygiene products?  Or incontinence? Today, it often seems like nothing is taboo. People visit websites to confess their deepest darkest secrets, television shows seem to break new bounds every year in…

We all recognize how important it is to choose clients wisely, yet we don’t always do it, and the results can prove damaging: Short-lived and tumultuous partnerships, poor return on new business budgets, and perhaps worst of all, confusion and declining morale among internal personnel who have to witness and live through client-firm conflict. The…

Creativity pays, which is why we all want that next great idea, that flash of brilliance that will delight clients and keep them coming back for more. What if I told you that a firm out there has devised a pathbreaking new tool, at relatively low cost, for harnessing some of the best young minds? …

Whether it’s Mideast politics or the standoff between NFL players and owners, negotiation has snared headlines in recent months. Yet it’s an increasingly important subject for professional services firms as well. Given shifts in the communications marketplace, and with procurement officials and others monitoring budgets more tightly than ever, continued profitability for many firms depends…

What are the truly inspiring stories in our industry today? Which agencies, individuals, teams, or offerings are boldly pushing the envelope, creating new value, innovating, seeing around the corner, making the world a better place, and inspiring others to do the same? Who are our big risk-takers, our thinkers, our trendsetters, and our heroes?

How cool would it be to walk into a hardware store and see advertisements and coupons for exactly the plumbing fixture we’re seeking? Well, it could be cool. Sort of.

Isn’t there a better way? I’m talking about RFP’s. Clearly they serve a necessary function: How else are clients  going to choose among the many potential partners  who can provide the service they seek?  But that doesn’t mean all RFPs are created equal.  One public relations executive we spoke with complained of “nightmare” RFPs, noting…