Structure of a PR Firm
The structure of a PR firm will be very dependent on the size and the projected client base of the firm. Large globally oriented PR firms must concentrate more on research than the smaller “boutique” firms.
An independent PR firm will have an organizational structure that does not differ greatly from any other professional organization. The basic functions of business must be accounted for in the structure of a PR firm in the same manner as any other business venture. These standard organizational functions include accounting and personnel departments. Such things as sales and customer relations are as much a part of the structure of a PR firm as any business.
Where the structure of a PR firm differs is the area of production. In a PR firm, the term production, or the actually product offered, is Public Relations. How this product is developed and how it is delivered is unique to the Public Relations industry. The major necessity in the development of Public Relations is the identification of the proper target audience. Size is an important element here and it dictates not only the means of producing, but also the structure of the firm itself.
When a target audience is large and diverse, the means of reaching it must be equally large and diverse. The Public Relations campaign for a product that is intended to be sold nationally or even globally needs to utilize means much more extensive than the campaign directed towards, say, Oregon fishermen. In recent years, the trend in the PR industry has been toward smaller structured organizations that are sometimes called “boutique” firms.
The boutique firm tends to concentrate its PR efforts toward a smaller target audience. This might be smaller in terms of geographical distribution, as would be the case of a particular city or area, or it might be smaller in terms of interest, such as fisherman or coin collectors. The concentration of smaller target audiences that remain fairly constant allows the boutique firm to develop and exploit contacts in the media that are aimed directly at the target.
The structure of a larger, more globally orientated firm must include the research and media development ability to be more flexible and responsive to new situations. Since the client base and the target audience is constantly shifting, more effort must be put into identifying them and more resources allocated to developing measurement criteria that can properly gauge progress.