The Future of Public Relations

Small to Mid-Sized Businesses Turn to Outside Firms for Marketing and PR Assistance in Midst of Economic Slowdown

PR and marketing firm ARL Marketing offers competitive rates and reliable results

With the current economic slowdown affecting businesses throughout the U.S., small to mid-sized organizations are saving money by hiring outside marketing and public relations firms to manage their marketing and communications needs. Hiring outside firms not only saves businesses from having to pay an extra salary, but it also decreases the cost of a larger office space, insurance benefits, payroll taxes, employee vacation, employee management and more.

"With the average salary for an in-house Marketing and Communications Director starting at about $55,000 per year, plus costs for benefits and payroll taxes, we've seen a huge spike in interest in our services," said Andrew Lord, President & Chief Executive Officer of ARL Marketing & Public Relations. "Many of our clients have financially benefited by downsizing their full-time payroll in exchange for hiring an outside company like ours. Plus, our clients know that we're going to work hard to get them the results that they need in order to stay successful in this tricky economy right now. Our business success relies on their business success."

With so many marketing and PR firms on the market right now, finding the right vendor for your business can be tough, notes Lord. Traditionally, some companies have admitted to feeling comfortable hiring big-name firms, even though the rates for services are higher than a smaller company. However, smaller companies may be able to provide the attention and enthusiasm that larger companies cannot muster.

"Based on the inquiries that we're getting for new business, we're finding that companies are tending to favor boutique firms over larger firms," said Lord. "People are concerned about the bottom dollar now. They don't have extra money to spend on a high-dollar, larger PR firm when they know that a smaller firm will tend to work harder and closer with them, especially when the PR or marketing budget is under $10,000."

A monthly ARL Marketing & Public Relations retainer fee ranges from $500 to $1,000, in comparison to larger firms, which can range from $3,000 to $30,000. Plus, Lord notes, all marketing and PR firms have access to the same press contacts and hire staff for the same roles, including account executives, publicists, writers, and graphic designers. Plus, smaller firms may be more flexible when it comes to contract terms and duration. For example, ARL Marketing & Public Relations refines contracts based on client needs - whether it be a 1 to 3 month project, or one year retainer, ARL Marketing & Public Relations can create a campaign that works for both.

What's more, a smaller firm may understand the struggles and concerns of smaller businesses. "We're a small business, so we understand what our clients are going through on a day-to-day basis," said Lord. "Our goal is to make sure that each of our clients gets hands-on attention whenever they call or email us with a need. Our clients know how important they are to us and because of our boutique size, we're able to develop that close relationship with them that they deserve."