Industry Watch: Public Relations Agency
April 2005

Q&A with Chris Perkett, President and Founder of PerkettPR

Q: How did you get into Public Relations?
I was attending college, but I still hadn't decided what I wanted to do. So I left college to find myself. I took personality tests and did a lot of research into careers. I even read What Color is your Parachute. What all of this revealed is that I would do very well in public relations. When I returned to school, I chose Ferris State University in Michigan because the school has a great Public Relations Program in the Business Department. The program is very pragmatic with marketing a big part of it. I got into the technology end of PR after I attended a PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) conference and happened to go to a session where the focus was on technology PR. I'd actually planned to go to another session, but it was filled. The speaker was a dynamic woman who really impressed me with what she said about high tech PR and the possibilities. So here I am. I've been very happy with my choices.

Q. I'm always impressed by the PR professionals who decide to open their own shops. You had an illustrious career before you opened your own agency. What prompted you to make that choice?
I was in the right place at the right time. In 1998, I left a position with an agency for a corporate position, in which I promoted racing games. But to be honest, the work was not challenging enough. I left there without a job and freelanced for a while. There seemed to be a huge opportunity with start-ups in high tech in the lower to mid-market range. These young companies couldn't afford the bigger agencies, and so there was a big hole there. I saw the opportunity to fill it.

Q: One of your specialties is promoting early stage, venture-backed companies. Do you handle this kind of PR differently from other PR work you do such as with blue chip companies or nonprofits?
We do handle early stage companies differently in our up-front marketing and branding. For one thing, we can take more risks. Since these young companies have limited resources, we have to help them focus on how to use those resources. Also, early stage companies don't have any or many customers, or customers who want to talk, so there's no measurement or anecdotal information possible with which to market the company. Public relations for the sake of public relations is not good - so we help them to decide what they can do right now and what they can grow into.

Q: What does a typical workweek look like for you?
There is no typical workweek for me. But I can say how I spend much of my time. The most typical thing I do is attend client meetings and address what's most needed for them. I have multiple client meetings each week. I do the financial planning, I review vendors. And when I have some extra time, which isn't very often, I work on items from my never-ending To-Do list.

Q: What are some of the unique challenges you face when working for your particular clients?
They can be very private and not want to share financial information. Also, the relationship between a smaller agency with its clients is much different from the relationship between a larger agency and its clients. We work very closely with our clients, and sometimes a client will try to manage the marketing team, so keeping the relationship appropriate can be challenging.

Q: Is there a company or person you think is in particular need of PR help right now?
Michael Jackson is an obvious answer. Also Hewlett Packard needs some good PR after Carly Fiorina's exit. HP management didn't anticipate the issues that came up about the glass ceiling for women.

Q: What would you describe as the high point of your career? How about the low point?
I've been pretty lucky. I haven't yet made any significant mistakes. We've successfully passed the five-year mark for measuring agency success and are approaching the seven-year mark - both specific hurdles to pass. A high point was when my agency won a piece of business over two large agencies. I really didn't expect that. I haven't hit a low point with my business, per se. For instance, I never had to let anyone go because of financial reasons, even during the bust, for which I'm very grateful. But I did have to make the decision to let a long time colleague and friend go. I don't regret it because it had to be done for the good of the agency, but I think about it every day.

Q: In general, what are some of the best practices you see being used today by PR practitioners? Are these best practices different from those of 15 to 20 years ago?
One of the biggest and best is that measurement has improved. Clients are holding agencies more accountable and are asking for concrete results. It wasn't so long ago, only 10 years, that common wisdom said PR was not something one could measure. But after the bust, clients said they needed to know the value of their PR and marketing money. Now measurement of success is built into a program. It's made public relations more professional.

Q: If a public relations professional wanted to get into your end of PR, what education and experience would you counsel them to attain? What skills or characteristics do you seek in new PR hires at your company?
For skills and characteristics, they need to be self-motivated and hardworking. Really have a strong work ethic. Being non-egotistical is also really important because the job is about making others shine. Being a team player is important because you can't do this work alone. Also, networking is important - being able to pick up a phone and call strangers is essential. And you have to be passionate about technology. I would also advise that they do internships in both corporate and agency environments so they can decide which works best for them.

Q: What changes do you predict for the PR industry over the next few years? What aspect of the PR industry do you think will be fastest growing in 2005/2006?
Public relations is on top of the list of budgets, and it's a great time to be in PR. It's also a great time to be in a boutique or mid-level agency. Small to mid-level agencies are getting a lot of business, which has forced large agencies to look at what they're doing. It's also a great time to be in Tech PR. Tech companies are getting funding again. Venture capitalists have loosened up money and are more willing to back companies. Biotech and Healthcare are both big. And there are a lot of new products and services out there - motorized golf carts, eight-minute online dating, telecom routers, encryption technology. It's a great time to be in Tech PR, and it's a great time to have my own agency.