There are multiple reasons to break up and maybe one that will make you stay. That reason has to be strong enough for both parties to be willing to work around their differences and create PR miracles. Associations start off on good notes and along the way fizzle out. However, for every relationship there are milestones that indicate the health of an association. Here are our top FIVE milestones that we implement every quarter to understand and manage our client associations:

1. Account Planning: This is crucial. PR takes time to create and show impact. When the brand teams feel they have no idea what the PR team is up to, they tend to micromanage and want to know everything. Well, this can be a personal trait but it can also indicate a missing link somewhere that is chipping away at the trust in the relationship. Every month plan on the account with both agency and brand teams and ensure the right people on both ends know the plan. Weekly updates, reports and catch up calls play a crucial role in creating that connect and confidence.   
2. Payments: Do they come on time? Are timely payments as essential to the brand team as they are to you? This is usually a good indicator of how they plan and lay importance on their commitments to you. After all, we all want to be compensated for our work. While you can extend credit period, it is often ignored during a discussion till it becomes a heated conversation. Nip it in the bud and ensure a process is set when you get onto the account.
3. Counsel: How often does the brand team reach out to you for counsel? Do they make you a part of the planning discussion or tell you what to do? Do you have to push the door to be included or are you invited? As a PR partner you must have a seat at the  table. If you have a seat at the table and are included in the overall planning meetings it is a great sign of a healthy association that comes with respect and trust.
4. Personal Connect: We are dealing with people on both sides and this personal connect is essential. How does the brand team speak, communicate or treat you and the team? Does your gut feeling tell you otherwise? Does the individual energy pulls you or makes you want to run for the hills ? This matters. It might seem like little things but these have a huge impact on the team morale and how they work on the account. No amount of money is worth self-respect. If there is a mutual respect and admiration on both ends, then you have a great association that is worth keeping. It is a great foundation on which to build trust. If there is a disturbance in this force, then course correct it quickly.  
5. Acknowledge: PR is a tough business and acknowledgement doesn’t come very often. Does the brand team acknowledge your inputs and counsel? Don’t wait for them to do that . They might not know what to credit you for other than media coverage. Speak up. Start by acknowledging the brand team’s inputs and showing them the way on how and what to appreciate with a PR team. Celebrate the small wins as much as the big wins and make the brand team a part of it.   Over time, this becomes a habit on both ends ensuring a happy team on both sides.

While you can bucket the above points and measure health of a relationship remember not to romanticize the association. The teams can do that, but if you are the director of this movie, you have to keep your feet on the ground and keep an eye on all departments that ensures you deliver a hit for all parties. 

– Team Nucleus PR

About Nucleus PR

The 13-year old firm has clients across multiple verticals. With an already established presence in 4 major metros, they have successfully created a strong affiliate network across 88 towns across the country via a team of trusted professional experts. With its inclusion in the exclusive and prestigious worldwide collaborative network of PR firms – PRBI Boutiques International, it adds brilliant minds from over 40 agencies across 14 countries to their resource pool. As the first members from the Asian sub-continent, they represent the entire region in the prestigious international PR network. Their current portfolio includes entertainment, lifestyle, media, hospitality and corporate clients across MNCs, SMEs, and Startups.