The Top PR Agencies In Singapore
1. Redhill
Redhill is one of the fastest-growing PR firms in the world, according to the Holmes Report’s Global PR Agency Rankings in 2019. It’s also the fastest expanding agency in Asia-pacific and beyond.
Redhill’s agility in Singapore’s PR industry makes it the go-to firm for businesses that need strategic counselling, digital and crisis management.
The firm takes credit for crafting communication campaigns to build and maintain brand reputation and growth.
Address: 1 Neil Road, #02-02, Singapore 088804
Phone: +65 6677 8716
2. PRecious Communications
PRecious Communications is an acclaimed PR BEHEMOTH both in Singapore and the rest of Asia. The firm has a rich culture of managing consumer, corporate and start-up entities. The agency focuses on the provision of dynamic, intuitive and proven PR strategies for business success.
Address: 4 Ann Siang Hill, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 069786
Phone: +65 6303 0567
3. McGallen & Bolden
McGallen & Bolden is a decorated PR, branding digital marketing and strategy agency with over 28years of service. The firm has seasoned experts in every field spanning form public relations, content marketing, journalism, mainstream PR and digital marketing among others.
Address: 20 Maxwell Road, Maxwell House, #04-01F, Singapore 069113
Tel: +65 6324 6588
4. Huntington Communications
Huntington Communications focus on providing strategic PR counsel to protect and consolidate the reputation of your business. The agency prides itself in designing concepts, strategies, and remedial solutions to mitigate a crisis. The core Huntington’s concept s to offer media facing skills to start-ups and established brands.
Address: 141 Middle Rd, GSM Building #03-03, Singapore 188976
Phone: +65 6339 2883
5. Hill and Knowlton Strategies
Rating in Singapore under the management of Michele Tham, Hill and Knowlton enjoys top of the cream clientele in the county. Since its entry in Singapore 50 years ago, the firm specialises in client engagement practices. The firm has won prestigious awards including Bronze Medal for Public Relations and Southeast Asia Consultancy of the Year in 2019.
Address: 50 Scotts Rd #04-01, Singapore 228242
Tel: +65 6338 2881
6. EASTWEST Public Relations
EASTWEST Public Relations is one of the leading Boutique firms with its reach spreading across Asia. The company has a stellar record for helping over 400 major brands across 12 Asia-Pacific countries. The agency leverages digital and conventional PR strategies in its operations.
Address: 12 Purvis St, Singapore 188591
Tel: +65 6222 0306
7. Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
For more than 25 years, Edelman PR agency has become a trendsetter in the Singaporean PR scene. It has established offices across the globe. The firm has a strong commitment to helping brands in various sectors, including science, education, marketing, and health. The agency operates with unique strategies in the PR, public affairs, digital engagement, and financial communication field, among others.
Address: 15 Beach Road, Beach Centre, #04-01, Singapore 189677
Tel: +65 6733 1110
8. Ogilvy Public Relations Singapore
Ogilvy Public Relations is one of the famous names in Singapore and across the globe. As an established public relations pioneer, it focuses on providing counsel to small and big brands. Its main emphasis lies in helping organisations to consolidate and drive their communications to an advanced level.
Address: 71 Robinson Road, #07-01, Singapore 068895
Tel: +65 6213 7899
9. Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific
Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific relies on data and integrated PR culture to asses, track analytics build strategies, and to engage brands. The firm guarantees, practical PR outcomes, whether its reputation management or crisis mitigation. We hire the best strategists, public relation specialists and technologists to provide well thought out solutions to every client’s PR challenge.
Address: 40A Orchard Rd, Singapore 238838
Tel: +65 6825 8000
10. DIFY Singapore
DIFY is a local-based boutique agency that specialises in providing integrated communication services in esports, fintech, blockchain, and emerging market niches. The agency focuses on driving impactful and lasting two-sided communication for brands worldwide and has serviced over 60 brands from 7 countries. DIFY’s service pillars are comprehensive and well-integrated, ranging from PR to social media and event activations.
Services: Public Relations, Integrated Communications, Events & Activations
Clients: ONE Championship, EMERGE Esports, Our Tampines Hub, Singtel PVP, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
Address: 33 Ubi Ave 3, #05-56, Singapore 408868
Telephone: 6679 1218
Website URL: https://www.dify.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIFYSG
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/difysg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/difysg/
11. Brand Incorporated
Brand Incorporated is a leading PR agency specialising in the consumer lifestyle and public relations in Singapore. The firm is a notable entity in the customer lifestyle public relations niche. It handles specific hospitality, tourism, medical, and health PR, not to mention digital PR. The successes of the firm come from leveraging carefully crafted strategies. The agency’s PR and communication portfolio in Singapore are unmatched.
Address: 27 Foch Road, #05-02/03, Singapore 209264
Tel: +65 6223 1866
12. The Hoffman Agency Singapore
Since opening shop in Singapore 26 years ago, The Hoffman Agency Singapore has been committed to getting their PR formulas right from the moment a client walks through their doors. It specialises in a dedicated client, crisis, corporate communications, and digital communication management, among other disciplines.
The company relies on high-end industry experts to provide informed counsel and solutions to real-life public relations challenges. The agency has been feted severally with awards such as the Public Affairs Gold Standard Awards 2017: Southeast Asia PR Consultancy of the Year.
Address: 331 North Bridge Road, #10-06 Odeon Towers, Singapore 188720
Tel: +65 6361 0250
13. Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller is a reputable global public relations and communications agency with offices in Singapore. The firm has been crafting strategic concepts and innovative PR programs that help in building strong brand reputations. The agency’s PR strategies encompass insights touching on public relations and affairs, digital media, and marketing. The firm has high-end clients panning across corporates, multinationals, governments, and businesses.
Address: 50 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228242
Tel: +65 6336 6266
14. Ellerton & Co.
Ellerton & Co. is a Singaporean based public relations outfit. It specialises in the provision of PR and communication support to a cross-section of industries in different niches across the Asian country. It’s recognised for its strategic digital insights, PR roadmap designs, media engagement, and social media management.
The company boasts a portfolio worth over $7 billion. It handles big and start-up clients in the hospitality, finance, and real estate sectors, among others.
Address: 267 Joo Chiat Road #02-02, Singapore 427521
Tel: +65 6247 7325
15. Mutant Communications
Mutant Communications commands a massive following in the Singaporean PR arena. It provides customised PR, digital marketing, and content outreach solutions. It boasts of an impressive track record in Singapore and other Asian nations.
Address: 41 Craig Road Singapore 089679
Phone: +65 6221 7239
16. Bridges M&C
Since 2005, Bridges M&C is a regional PR agency based in Singapore and other ASEAN countries. Since its inception in 2008, the agency has specialised in providing PR services in the pharmaceutical, medical device and health care niches.
The firm is well-versed with the PR tenets governing operations in such sensitive fields. Bridges M&C relies on highly qualified experts and account managers with immense experience in the journalistic and corporate communications world.
Address: 20 Maxwell Rd, Singapore 069113
Phone: +65 6532 3623
17. Mileage Communications
Mileage Communications is a home-grown PR operating from its headquarters in Club Street. The agency provides extensive counsel in PR fields including shipping, pharmaceutical, corporate finance, healthcare and lifestyle, among others.
The agency is affiliated to Public Relations Global Network and the MTI Network.
Address: 52B Club Street Singapore 069429
Tel: +65 6222 1678
Email: info@mileage.com.sg
18. Absolute PR Pte Ltd
Absolute PR has been operating in Singapore since 2005. With immense experience, it caters to the PR needs in the lifestyle sector. The main objective of Absolute PR is to revive stagnant brands and to inject the right PR strategies into start-ups.
The mainstay of the firm revolves around Strategic Public Relations, Influencer seeding, Social Media Management, Corporate Profiling and Events Management. Their clients includes HITACHI, Mos burger, Shiseido, Sloggi and Drypers.
Address: 391B Ngee Ann City #22-01, Singapore 238874
Tel: +65 6221 2688
Email: admin@absolutepr.com.sg
19. IN.FOM
IN.FOM is an established, Singaporean public relations agency with more than nine years of experience. The firm focuses on re-inventing PR and communication strategies. The Institute of Public Relations Singapore and the Holmes Report recognise IN.FOM for market-leading insights and concepts. The firm has been awarded the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Technology Agency of the Year award.
Address: 7 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec Tower One, #04-03, Singapore 038987
20. Spurwing Communications
Spurwing Communications is a pacesetter in Singapore’s public relations industry. It relies on seasoned PR and communication professionals and experience in the corporate communications sector. It focuses on core areas including healthcare and nutrition.
Address: 168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower #20-01 , Singapore 068912
Tel: +65 6751 2021
21. Touch PR & Events
The Touch PR and Events agency has been in operations since 2007. It leverages its exceptional expertise in crafting brand narratives and stories. The firm specialises in areas including entertainment, event planning, Fashion, F&B and the Retail industry.
Address: 380 Jalan Besar, #10-04/05, Singapore 209000
Tel: +65 6295 2077
These Are The Top Online PR Agencies
Online PR agencies specialise in the online reputation management of their clients who may:
- be maligned by competitors
- have biased, fraudulent, untrue claims about them published online
- have negative press releases, news, and forum postings besmirching their good name
- factual but unpleasant news about them involving scandals, convictions, negative publicity
These online PR agencies act to:
- provide social listening to ascertain what the market is saying about them
- create positive and neutral news and postings to drown out the negative postings
- use SEO to push the negative stuff on many pages from the glaring spotlight of 1st page
Let us shift gears and look at top agencies that help their clients look good online in Singapore.
MediaOne
MediaOne provides online branding, public relations, and reputation management for MNCs and SMEs alike. It has consulted on some international public relations campaigns, managed reputation crises and provides content for communications. The agency has also won numerous international awards for its online digital work.
Services: Online Branding, Communications, Public Relations, Reputation Management, Marketing
Website: https://mediaonemarketing.com.sg/online-brand-reputation-management-orm-singapore/
Telephone: +65 6965 7008
Address: 1 Neil Road #03-02 Singapore 088804
Digital Marketing Agency
Digital Marketing Agency has more than two decades of experience serving different companies from all across the world in PR. They recently opened an office in Singapore, which they have been using to provide brand positioning, media relations, social media analysis, web designing, public outreach, and marketing services to both small and mid-sized businesses.
DMA has a department that’s strictly dedicated to managing their clients’ reputations. Their aim is to help business brands from all parts of Singapore maintain a positive reputation on social media and in search results. They’re able to do this by building a strong online presence across different social media channels.
Services: PPC, Web Design, SEO, Reputation manager
Website: https://www.digitalmarketingagency.com/
Telephone: 1800 569 2754
Address: 16 Collier Quay, Level 18, 20 and 21, Singapore 049318
Marketing Agency
Marketing Agency is a multi-national boutique marketing and reputation management firm with an office in Singapore. The company’s expertise touches on marketing, PPC, SEO, content marketing, and reputation management, to mention a few.
Founded in 2007, the company offers PR as one of their core services. With this service, the company focuses on creating a positive brand image and protecting it using different digital marketing initiatives.
Services: SEO, Web Design, PPC, Digital Marketing
Website: https://www.marketingagency.io/
Telephone: +1862 229 1681
Address: One Gateway Center 2600 Suite Newark NJ 07102,USA
Locus-T Online Pte Ltd
Locus T Online has one of the most committed PR teams in Singapore. This team has been known to provide state-of-the-art reputation management solutions using a no-nonsense approach that focuses on nothing but results.
The company is focused on generating cost-effective results for every single one of their clients, using strategic tools and services that are meant to help your business grow. The company stands out for offering a broad selection of top of the shelves services that address different business needs.
The aim is to help brands learn to think big and figure out how to enhance their online presence, brand recognition, and consumer trust, among many other things.
Services: SEO, Web Design, PPC, Reputation Manager
Website: https://www.locus-t.com.my/
Telephone: +65 6295 5770
Address: Menara Amfirst, Level 2 and 17 Jalan 19/3 Selangar, Petaling Jaya
NotionAge
NotionAge is a top, full-service interactive and online marketing agency in Singapore. The company has been in the business of marketing since 2001, specialising in a wide selection of digital marketing services, including SEO, Web design, and reputation management.
Their modus operandi is to help Singapore businesses connect with their target audience using out-of-the-box thinking and modern innovations. This marketing firm has one of the most creative and enthusiastic teams of marketers with in-depth experience in all the major aspects of digital marketing.
Services: SEO, Reputation Management, Web Design
Website: https://notionseo.com/
Telephone: +65 6438 8303
Address: 331 Beach Rd, Singapore 199562
iClick Media
iClick Media creates and executes strategic marketing solutions from its two offices in Singapore. It’s a full-fledged digital marketing agency that first stepped into the marketing scene in 2011.
The company’s expertise stretches far and wide, but its key area focus includes Google AdWords, Google Analytics, content management system, social media training, and reputation management among others.
Services: PPC, Link Building, SEO, Web Design
Website: https://www.iclickmedia.com.sg/
Telephone: +65 6362 0041
Address: 246 MacPherson Road, Betime Building #02-01, Singapore 348578
Easy Business Needs
Easy business focuses on cleaning a negative brand image. Their PR services try to help businesses in Singapore address bad press. They’re the agency to hire if you’re looking for someone to deal with negative comments that users have been leaving on social media and various online platforms.
The company also strives to increase your brand awareness and monitor cases of false representation of your brand. Overall, the company is all about helping businesses maintain a positive image and stay relevant.
Services: SEO, Link Building, Reputation Management, Local SEO
Website: http://www.ezbusinessneeds.com/
Telephone: +65 6402 0059
Address: 21 Science Park Road, Human Touch #02-03 Aquarius, Singapore 117628
Awebstar
Awebstar is a well-known digital marketing agency in Singapore. It’s among the few agencies that can confidently say they have played part in the successful growth of so many companies and businesses in Singapore.
The company stands out for raising the digital marketing bar really high. In their words, the company only wants to make you a successful pillar in their line work. They have the experience, the technical expertise, and a committed team that’s obsessed with your success. There’s no way this agency is all hype on this.
Services: Web Development, Reputation Management, Web Design, SEO
Website: https://awebstar.com.sg/
Telephone: +65 6909 9163
Address: 3 Raffles Place, Bharat Building #08-01B, Singapore 048617
ClickTrue
ClickTrue is a full-service digital marketing and reputation management agency in Singapore. Besides helping you market your business online; the company specialises in marketing communication and brand strategy.
The company works very closely with its clients in delivering varying levels of digital marketing solutions, including SME Solutions, B2B solutions, web design, crisis management, social media strategy, conversion and optimisation, and so on.
Services: SEO, Reputation Management
Website: https://www.clicktrue.biz/
Telephone: +65 6950 3366
Address: 998 Toa Payoh North, #03-25, Singapore 318993
First Page Digital
First Page was started in 2011. Less than a decade down the line, and it’s grown to be one of the leading providers of digital solutions in the country. The company has one of the most proficient teams of marketers, boasting vast industry knowledge and cutting-edge technologies that they’ll be using to market your business and give it an edge.
The company’s full range of digital marketing services includes SEO, PPC, reputation management, social media advertising, and content production to name a few.
Service: SEO, Reputation Management, PPC
Website: https://www.firstpagedigital.sg/
Telephone: +65 6270 2193
Address: 144 Robison Road, #20-01, Singapore 068908
What is Public Relations?
The textbook definition of PR is a strategic communication process that helps to establish beneficial partnerships between an organisation and its publics.
Not to be confused with marketing, PR is the science of consolidating an organisation’s positive attributes and crafting them into a story that strengthens the overall company goals.
Asked to explain what people in public relations do, will you? It’s easy when you’re a teacher, cop, or nurse. With any of these options, people have no trouble understanding what you do.
But things appear to be a little different for those in Public Relations (PR). You have to keep on explaining what you do and that you do not buy ads or order journalists to publish stories for your clients.
You have to constantly keep on reminding clients that you do no produce jingles or dish out free samples at a shopping mall. And that’s when you’re slammed with the big question, “what is it that you do then.”
PR is one of those job titles that people think they know when they have absolutely no clue as to what it entails. Yes, a PR specialist tries to promote their clients. It’s their job to promote brands, but unlike advertisers, they do not go to the extent of persuading their audiences through unpaid and earned methods.
Whether it’s through the traditional media, speaking engagements, or social media, PR specialists try to communicate to their audience through trusted sources and not paid ones as with advertisers.
Excellent communications need to be at the centre of every strategy that a business invests in. It can be the difference why your venture grows exponentially or dies a slow death. For a brand, such communication helps you to get in front of the competition. Also, it helps to position your product/services as a trendsetter.
A discerning business that yearns to drive its credibility, build a reputation or grow its awareness, a public relations strategy is critical. It’s the best tactic that helps you to craft brand-aligned messages that resonate with key players, including clients and the general public.
The PR organ in any organisation; big and small, can be leveraged to build relationships, protect brand image or reputation through trusted player-the media.
To help the public understand PR to the depth of it or if you’re looking for an easy way to explain it to your family, occasional strangers, or even friends, we suggest you begin by understanding the following few things.
PR and its Many Definitions
Try mentioning PR in a conversation with marketing professionals, and chances are they’ll each have different opinions on the subject. Traditionally, PR can be defined as the act of mentioning a company, organisation, person, or brand in the media, including the radio, TV, and print.
But it’s like the word of marketing took a 360, and what we used to know of PR no longer carries enough weight. The PR that now exists is more evolved and well-integrated into the overall marketing and communications structure of organisations.
First, PR can be defined as the process of adapting an organisation to its public. That’s because PR looks at an organisation as a collective group of individuals representing a common goal, and not just a single unit business. The public is an all-encompassing term for all the other stakeholders the organisation relies on.
In the second definition, PR can be viewed as the process of communicating the message of an organisation to the right audience at the right time and in the most appropriate manner and place. And now that technology has advanced a great deal and different tools introduced, it’s now possible to measure the value of your PR effort and how it aligns with your overall business mission.
The third definition views PR as the art of connecting with humans at a much deeper level. This makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that PR at the very beginning was more about establishing relationships with different types of communities and not just the press. The only difference between PR then and PR now was that the audience was out in the meat world, and not online.
Our definition of Public relations:
On our end, we view PR as a way of managing your reputation. It’s about managing the results of your action, what you say, and what the public thinks and says about you and your brand.
Public relations is the department tasked with the role of managing your reputation, with the aim of gaining support and understanding, as well as influencing opinions and behaviour.
As you read this, keep in mind that an organisation is not limited to businesses only. It can be a profession, government body, political party, celebrity, a public service body, education sector, culture, health, and so forth.
The public is the audience that’s important to the underlying organisation. It includes customers (current and prospective ones), investors, media, government, suppliers, opinion-formers, employees, the management, and a host of other stakeholders.
PR, like we mentioned, is about developing an understanding between an organisation and the public. Understanding, in this case, swings both ways. To run an effective PR campaign, your ears must be on the ground, ready to pick the opinions of the people that your brand interacts with in one way or another, and not just about relaying information.
In other words, you’re influencing the public; and, at the same time, you’re letting yourself get influenced by them.
For a client, PR doesn’t mean much other than getting the name of your brand out there. You may not be well aware of what happens in the PR campaigns. And that’s because you’re more concerned about getting known and gaining more leads for your products and services.
For an agency that understands PR to the bone, one thing they know is that PR is more about generating long-lasting results, which doesn’t come with a snap of a finger. You have to first work on formulating a well-defined strategy and make sure everything is supported by tested tactics that have been known to produce results.
In a layman’s language, what we’re trying to say is that NOT all PR campaigns are the same. Neither will a single PR tactic generate the results you need. Quite differently, your PR plan is only good when it’s engineered based on mutually agreed-upon goals.
What Exactly Does a PR do?
A PR agency handles various tasks including but not limited to:
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Compiling, writing and circulating public releases
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Pitching company messages to journalists
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Creating and facilitating public outreach and campaigns
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Expanding business contacts by networking and sponsored events
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Designing crisis management strategies and messaging
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Social media promotions and reputation management, among others
Notably, public relations comes with more credibility compared to marketing or advertising. If the PR strategy is right, a brand can tell captivating, memorable and emotion invoking stories that keep the target audience closer to the brand. This way, clients or consumers will remember your company every time they need the kind of services or products that you offer.
The function of a PR manager or agency includes:
- Anticipating, interpreting, and analysing both attitude and opinion formed by the public towards your brand. That will be formed by you formulating a strategy that you’ll be using on both earned or free media to influence them.
- Creating a strategy that supports your brand with every campaign using editorial content
- Writing press releases and distributing them
- Planning and executing media relations events and special public outreach
- Offering guidance to those employed by an organisation on the issues of policies, responsibilities, and course of action
- Handling the social media presence of an organisation and responding to public reviews
- Dealing with legislative agencies and the government
- Handling public groups and other organisations
- Writing web content for the organisation
- Handling investor relations
As you can see, the list is endless. And most of the time, the scope of your PR manager’s work will vary depending on the type of PR jobs that they do. For instance, there’s media relations, investor relations, government relations, customer relations, marketing communications relations, internal relations, community relations, and so forth.
PR professionals can use social media as the springboard to their goals. On the downside, it can also stand in the way of their reputation management process.
With that said, here are some of the way a PR professional may use social media:
To Find Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers give brands a unique voice that’s hard to achieve on your own. Think of being promoted by someone that your prospective customers already trust. These are people with massive digital influence, and any word they say is enough to get a good number of people to reconsider their stance and shop with you.
To Identify Brand Threats
Through social listening, professionals get to understand public opinions before it becomes a trending topic. It gives you the power to find and iron out any online threat before it grows into a major crisis that could sink your business.
PR professionals are experts at using social listening tools. Their experiences also allow them to understand how social media users think and can even predict the future of their social interactions and where some of these trends are heading.
To Influence Journalists’ Stories
It’s easy to spot a PR professional on social media when they’re addressing a crisis. But most of the time, they’ll be working behind the scenes trying to shape the image of your brand.
When there’s a new trend, journalists always have their ears all over trying to find what social media users are saying. That’s when PR professionals jump in to seize the opportunity. They’ll join these discussion forums and try to influence journalists to view things from their angle.
PR professionals may not get to read the articles these journalists publish, but they do influence what’s on the ground and dictate the direction that journalists swing by. To them, social media is the tool they use to keep their viewpoints or sense of direction in the public domain.
To Neutralise Bad Press
Whenever something happens and a brand falls victim to bad press, the first-place people flock to for more information is social media. When this happens, it’s the role of PR professionals to try and give their own account of what’s happening. They may use the company’s page or direct social media users to another medium where there’ll be more information addressing the issue.
On the ground, they’ll also be trying to engage users directly and neutralising some of the effects. In other words, social media gives PR professionals access to a larger audience. It also allows them to address them directly without involving a middle party.
To Make Announcements
Words travel faster on social media, especially Twitter. With the platform, it’s easy to propagate your message to huge scores of users in a matter of minutes. You can use the platform to announce a new product, award, or company updates.
Using links and captivating snippets, you can easily reach a much wider audience compared to traditional forums.
The Singapore Marketplace
Singapore has a thriving PR industry. Over the years, distinguished PR agencies have designed core ideas that reverberate with diverse Singaporean businesses.
Given the competition in the business front, it’s clear that companies need a second opinion to help them distinguish strategies that give them an edge. Mostly, the role of PR agencies in Singapore is to help clients to build credibility stay ahead of the competition.
Today, PR firms in the country have shifted from the traditional PR platform, and they have embraced the digital perspective. In the process, these agencies leverage on link building and SEO. This, as a strategy, helps them to analyse industry metrics, and they can deliver measurable results.
Agency or In-house?
Given the option to set up your in-house PR team or hire an agency to help you out, which option should you settle for?
Well, the answer to this question doesn’t come in black and white, considering there are times when it makes more sense for your company or business to establish an in-house support team – a case in point when tasked with the role of offering day to day marketing support that your business needs to grow.
Works even better if your business has specific communication needs and is looking for someone with the experience and expertise to perfectly execute it.
For bigger companies with no financial issues, you can hire a number of PR specialists and create a team that will be working towards a common business goal you’ve set.
But since good communication is one of the most crucial segments of working on your network, you may want to look into the benefits of working with an agency that has invested a great deal in great minds. This is important as it significantly heightens the odds of you connecting with potential partners.
Companies can opt for in-house PR, or they can hire an agency to do the heavy lifting on their behalf. When a business decides to go in-house, it translates into having a team that operates around the company daily. If you choose a PR agency, you’re leveraging the skills of an external team to manage your relations.
In this context, communication and networking go together. It’s essential to hire an agency with exceptional networks. It can boost your chances of creating meaningful connections with established players, influencers and the media as well.
Digital PR is making waves in the Singaporean market. Today, PR practitioners have every chance to link up with bloggers, influencers and niche experts. Given that influencers have a hold over their followers, it gives an organisation the exposure it needs compared to what it gets from traditional PR channels.
Trends
There’s no denying that technology and social media has changed the face of PR in Singapore. Companies are no longer restricted to conventional PR practices. Indeed, it’s easy for businesses, including start-ups, to create their buzz despite the budget.
With the new trend, businesses can expand their reach and appeal to previously inaccessible customer clusters. Social media has made it possible for brands to create their own media channel without breaking their budgets. It’s easy to build and diversify audiences in a way that traditional PR cannot.
The Popularity of Niche and Specialised PR
Today, companies tend to be specific about the PR agency they want to engage. Businesses are more inclined to pick an agency that is conversant with their operations.
Companies are more willing to work with an agency that has immense industry-specific experience, a deep understanding of the local market, and company culture.
AS such, PR agencies need to keep abreast with the core needs of a given business if they expect to thrive. They need to show their prowess in crafting integrated PR campaigns that guarantee results and a better connection with the organisation’s target audience.
Emphasis on Micro-Influencers
Micro-influencers are popular in the modern PR arena, given that they are accessible. Today, brands cannot ignore the impact that these influencers hold. Indeed, micro-influencer have built trust, rapport and an intimate connection with their target audiences on a localised level.
The trust they enjoy with their audiences is an excellent opportunity for a business that needs to attract leads and turn them into sales. Fortunately, micro-influencers are always willing to stick with brands for the long term, and it can lead to productive outcomes.
Leveraging Big Data to Craft Killer PR Strategies
Big data has not always been linked to the PR platform. However, the tide has changed. Today, data is leading on the PR front. Once a PR team access critical industry data; in real-time, it becomes easy to craft practical strategies.
Big data seems to be the guiding light for PR practitioners in Singapore and beyond. Data will guide PR gurus to evaluate the efficacy of PR strategies before launching them. Successful PR campaigns are hinged on in-depth analysis and data accuracy.
Why is PR important?
Businesses need to hire a PR agency to protect their image, enhance the brand reach, and manage their reputation. PR experts in these agencies can focus on positive messages and turn them into captivating brand stories. In times of crisis, they can create responsive messages that help to mitigate any damage that could affect the organisation negatively. There are numerous reasons why PR is important. Some are listed below
Agencies Write Copy On Your Behalf
A competent PR agency should operate like a strategic partner who helps your business to capture the feelings and emotions of your audience. Your company may not have the skill to write copy that narrates in your brand’s voice. Instead of DIY-ing your brand messages, a PR agency can strategically formulate hypnotising messages with the right calls to action.
Attracts Funding for Start-ups
If yours is a start-up, you must raise enough funds right from the onset. Unfortunately, your start-up might not be visible in the eyes of the intended audience.
Also, investors will shun your business, given that you’re practically unknown. Enter PR, and it’s possible to turn the situation around.
Through write-ups and social media mentions, they can influence investors, and potential leads to open up to your new brand. With the right PR agency, it’s the perfect chance to get exposure and funding.
Builds Your Business Image
PR isn’t a one-off process. Business big and small need to engage PR firms to help them project their desired image out there. Image is everything in the business world.
If an organisation ignores its outlook towards its audience, it risks losing business to the competition. When you allocate a budget for PR, your company enjoys exceptional appeal, and your product/services are likely to be in the limelight at all times. The more you spend to feature on top media platforms and channels, the more productive it becomes.
Bolsters Your Credibility
Struggling businesses and start-ups have to contend with cutthroat competition in their niches. Whereas an advert might solve your visibility problems, it doesn’t guarantee credibility for your brand.
When your PR agent shares a compelling piece of information about your organisation on a top news channel, it’s the ultimate stamp of approval about your credibility and legitimacy.
Enhances Creativity
The skills of a reliable PR agency helps businesses to inch closer to their objectives. Alone, your company might flop when crafting out of the box pitches and approaches.
PR experts help such companies to create innovative ideas that conform to cutting edge market trends. Its makes it easy for the company to reach out, captivate and capture an elusive client or customer. The creativity of PR agents ensures that your small business is always getting coverage, albeit creatively and productively.
It’s The Best Damage Control Tool
One crucial role that PR plays is crisis mitigation. Unfortunately, not all ventures are armed to handle a crisis. Whether it’s a deluge of negative product feedback or a threatening cyberattack issue, a PR agency will assist in crafting the perfect response. Experienced PR agencies have all the tricks that help organisations to weather the consequences of product or service offering gone bad. Also, a good agency knows the speed to use to contain any damage before it goes out of hand.
4 Top Benefits of PR
Hiring the services of a top-notch PR agency can dent your overall budget considerably. However, the returns from such a budget can boost your business ROI significantly. Established ventures and start-ups tend to believe in PR services, and it comes with a myriad of benefits. Some are highlighted below:
Boosts Credibility and Sales
In business, customers want to associate with brands/organisations that are credible, reliable and honest. Boosting your brand’s trust is critical to its success. When a PR agency places a strategic brand message on renowned publications, journals or platforms, it creates a pull effect on targeted audiences.
Surprisingly, consumers tend to gravitate towards brand news more than adverts. Given that customers value content about your company more, it positions your business favourably in a way that it keeps generating hot leads progressively.
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Generates Brand Awareness
Public relations is a proven way of getting exposure for your products/services in front of potential consumers. When done creatively, more media channels will pick onto your brand, thus giving it more exposure. Customers who were previously unaware of your existence become familiar with your products. Your brand’s spokespeople can leverage links to your business articles on popular news channels. They can act as conversation starters to appeal to, hook and retain new prospects.
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PR Agencies Help You to Gain Traction
The digital revolution social media included has transformed the way brands interact internally and externally. An adept PR agency needs to display competency regarding content creation, tracking analytics and managing a client’s social media platforms. This helps your business to gain traction if not the competitive edge. If they have invested in cutting edge tools, big data and AI, they will help you build strong relationships.
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Augments Customer Relationships
Actionable PR strategies are designed with the core interests of your business in mind. For instance, customised PR campaigns enable businesses to realise their profit goals while strengthening its portfolio. When PR efforts reinforce your business and depict it as an authority, it attracts positive customer perception, and it fosters lasting relationships. Remember, PR helps to rejuvenate existing customer relationships while building new ones.
Does Your Business Need Public Relations?
Some people refer to public relations as some free advertising. But they couldn’t be any wrong. PR is neither advertising nor free.
And depending on how you’re planning to use it, it can also be very costly. It’s also labor-intensive and time-consuming.
And cliché as it sounds, it has one of the highest returns on investment if done right.
Here are some of the reasons any Singapore business should be thinking about hiring a PR manager or specialist:
To Compete Effectively with Other businesses in Singapore
The economy has shifted. Businesses no longer call the shot, but consumers. It’s consumers who decide on how business ought to be conducted. It’s a bigger maze than you’ve ever imagined, and social media sits at the centre of it all.
Plus, there’re so many digital outlets out there that are more than willing to write about your company and help spread the word. You just need someone who’ll influence them in the right direction.
Your competitors are also not sleeping. They’re working around the clock to appear in the news, blogs, and social media jobs. They’re doing a pretty impressive job, and the last thing you’d want is to be outshone in this.
When the press, blogs, and social media posts fails to mention you, that means you’re losing the spotlight to someone else. You’re letting your competitors shine and hang on the lips of your prospective customers. And the worst part is that you’re making yourself easily forgettable.
To Build Brand Recognition
Building a brand is not something you achieve overnight or within a day or two of trying. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a race that will wear you out along the way, but you have to keep on pushing.
Results don’t trickle in the next minute. You have to keep on working and be patient enough to wait for your online visibility to take effect. What brand recognition does is that it amplifies the other results, but it’s not going to happen any time soon, until later on when you least expected it.
PR also works in conjunction with other marketing elements, including social media, charity tie-ins, PPC, and events. It gives your brand the time it needs to grow, stacking different layers of conversation over many years, and preparing your business for exploding success.
When you finally sit back to look at the changes that have happened in your business after say, three years (the ideal time to evaluate your business for PR), you should be able to see a trajectory. Where the trend is projecting upwards, that means you did a pretty impressive job with PR.
To Stay Relevant
If not for anything else, you need a PR specialist to help you stay fresh on people’s lips. It’s the job of a PR specialist to constantly talk about your brand until other people learn to also echo about it.
The worst thing you can ever do for your business is hiring a PR and then fire them a few months in, simply because you haven’t realised your goals yet. The moment the PR manager decides to stop talking about your business, that means you’re on your way to getting forgotten.
A good PR will not just jump into talking about your brand without laying a solid multi-tiered strategy on how they’ll be doing that. They might organise thought leadership opportunities where your company’s executives get to talk about subjects that they’re well conversant with to give your company more credibility.
Another approach would be to create podcasts and videos on relevant subjects to garner attention around your company or leadership.
To Bridge Journalists Verbiage
Most start-ups fail because they take serious stuff a little bit too lightly. While conceptualising a market plan, they simply assume that everything would be as easy as whipping up a pitch and picking up the phone to talk to an editor, and expecting things to work.
It’s not rocket science, but journalists also have their industry-speak or verbiage that may push them to want to dig through your email and read it. Most of the time, they’ll be looking for a reason to delete your mail or brush it aside.
You have to start by evaluating your writing style. Is your writing good enough to appeal to a journalist with years of experience? How good is your command of the English language?
Journalists approach grammar with all the fussiness they can gather. A slight misspelling or misuse of word is enough to put them off completely.
It’s the job of a PR to sell your story and make your business a familiar territory to the journalists that you’d want to reach out to with your pitch.
To Increase ROI
The bottom line isn’t the same with every company out there. For some companies, good returns mean nothing more than making more sales. However, sales aren’t the only measure of ROI.
Your returns could come in the form of more traffic, more engagement, or more referral business. There’s also the issue of one-hit-wonder to contend with. You win a big show on TV, and your sales go over the roof. You walk out of the room feeling like you’ve finally made it. But a few days in and you’re back to where you started. You had your less-than-15 minutes of fame that faded faster than you had the time to bat your eyelids.
With ROI, things operate a little differently. Results don’t spike up; they accumulate gradually until you’re finally able to hit your goals.
Most of the time, companies convince themselves that since their sales are up, they do not need to hire a PR firm.
As a matter of fact, there’s no one major brand in Singapore that isn’t working with a PR manager. You can’t be the first and expect to succeed. The reasons for this are pretty clear and self-explanatory.
First, big companies understand that things could take a nasty turn – and when they do, they’d want someone to work on it with the swiftness it deserves.
Secondly, these companies know that removing a PR manager from the equation equates to making yourself irrelevant. It means that you’re not doing anything to build brand recognition, and therefore losing your influence to competitors.
Important things to keep in Mind before Hiring a PR Firm
Hiring a PR firm has never been easy. A simple search should bring you dozens of options, but it takes a lot more than just that to find that one agency that will snugly address your PR needs.
So before you get too excited and settle on any random company, you might want to consider the following while choosing an agency you can trustfully entrust with your company’s future:
Results
As someone looking to grow your business and in the end pump in more sales, your concerns should stretch far beyond what the company does to the results it generates at the end of the day.
While sharing your story in the various media outlets, your primary concern is NOT with the number of people that get to hear it, but with the mentions and interviews, the story is able to attract. In which case, the strategy the agency employs shouldn’t be one that exposes you to the largest audience, but the one that exposes you to your target audience.
The first thing you do is ensuring the stories the agency tells don’t veer off completely from what you represent as a company. For instance, if you happen to operate a restaurant, don’t let the company woe people in by selling to them dating stories.
This is important because you want to win customers from the majority of the people you attract. So instead of attracting thousands of non-converting customers, focus on a hundred of them instead so you’ll be able to at least get 10 of them to take action.
Lastly, you might want to make sure the PR firm is in a position to secure meaningful PR for your company. Not all media hits are of any importance to your business. You want to make sure the media attention you’re able to garner through the PR firm will, in the end, create an impact by bringing in more business. Otherwise, you’re better off cutting yours loses while it’s still early.
The People in the Team
PR agencies usually operate with small groups of PR specialists that they’ll be assigned to each of the clients they get. Meaning, you’ll be working with a dedicated team of various PR players.
For follow-ups and everything, you want to make sure that you’re properly introduced to the people you’ll be working with. Focus on the person in charge, because at the end of the day he or she is the person you reach out should you feel like things are rolling according to plan.
It’s also important that you’re at least assigned one industry expert, with close ties to the influencers and journalists on your target list.
Lastly, you might want to look at what the agency is able to do in terms of leveraging social media and the other resources within your reach. What about SEO and most importantly, link building?
This is one part you can’t afford to ignore, considering the success of your PR campaign to a greater extent depends on it. The agency has to assure you that they’ll be making press releases, offering tweeting support and messaging documents in addition to introducing you to various media outlets.
Result Tracking
You want to make sure that the effort the agency is pumping in is actually generating tangible results, and that there’s evidence for it.
Go ahead and ask the agency about how they measure success. More often than NOT, the answer they give will be Google analytics.
If the agency is good enough, they should be able to offer a daily, weekly or monthly rundown of the analytics report, broken down in digestible chunks that are easy to both understand and work around.
In addition to all that, the agency should provide a detailed overview of how the various media outlets covered your brand. What exactly did they do and what were they able to help you achieve at the end of it all?
Payment
A good number of PR agencies charge on a monthly retainer for the number of hours pumped in. That’s the industry standard.
But before you get down to any mode of payment, it’s important that the agency walks you through what they’ll be doing in those exact hours, and how the results generated through that hour’s work can actually be tracked.
There’s no harm in also inquiring about what the charges are actually for. It’s also important that you get it from the horse’s mouth about how long they’ll be charging you.
Whatever you decide on, you want to make sure the agency puts everything regarding charges in the clear before you can go ahead and hire them.
Lastly, once the company gets to work, ask the company to provide you a program of their week’s work. This will allow you to plan for the week ahead and set your expectations right.
Sample Costs of Hiring a PR Agency in Singapore
Businesses on different growth levels struggle to identify the amount it should cost to hire a PR agency in Singapore. It can cost anywhere from the lower end to as much as a company can afford. While start-ups struggle to pay less than $4000, there are ventures with a PR budget that runs into millions of dollars monthly.
In Singapore and other parts of the world, PR services come at a fraction of the entire advertising budget. According to a study, PR agencies that invoice per project tend to be costlier than those on a retainer. Such firms charge anywhere between $400 and $500 for press releases.
Agencies on a retainer basis will charge a retainer starting from $250, $500 for monthly print or radio coverage, and a further $500for TV slots. If the coverage is on a national level, these fees are likely to double. Overall, a business can expect to pay anything between $2000 and $5000 monthly apart from the agreed contingency fees.
The Financial Cost Of Hiring A PR Agency
Although confusing, the formula for calculating PR costs depends on several factors. A PR agency will bill a client every month, according to the project in hand, and any other fees stipulated on a contract. The monthly and project-based fees are hinged on various aspects, including:
Services offered
PR agents present a bouquet of services. They can provide writing services, copy editing, media interviews, and workshops or outreach campaigns. These services carry different price tags. However, you need to identify the core number of services /deliverables before you sign a contract.
Time
Hiring a PR agency in Singapore means that you’re paying for their time. After you agree on a bundled service package, the agency appoints its experts to handle your account. They estimate the time it will take to execute the tasks agreed. Here, the agency will bill you according to the number of days it will take to handle your PR campaign.
Monthly fee vs. project-based costs
PR agencies that prefer monthly payments will charge a retainer. For project-based contracts with a set timeline, an agency will try to make the most they can. Compared to monthly formats with a retainer, project-based contracts can be expensive.
Contingency fees
Other than the monthly/project fees, hiring an agency can pile up additional costs. However, these need to be in line with industry best practices, and they can be paid at the beginning or the end of the month or contract.
5 Crucial Interview Questions for Hiring PR Agencies
One of the reasons to hire a PR agency in Singapore is to boost brand visibility, image and reputation. Before you hire a given firm, you need to ensure that they can help you craft a PR plan that resonates with your objective. There are too many PR agencies out there. Here are some interview questions to ask a PR firm representative when hiring.
Do You Specialize In A Specific Industry?
No two PR firms are the same. Some specialize while others operate on a generalised basis. Before you hire a potential agency, verify whether they specialise in your niche. Agencies that specialise in your niche are more likely to help you achieve your communicating goals on a company-wide basis.
How Do You Provide Media Coverage?
Experienced PR agencies in Singapore cannot be compared to new entrants in the sector. With experience comes nifty ideas on how to get excellent media coverage. A seasoned PR agency boasts of a superior network within the media. If they have an impressive media list and they can get you slots in popular media channels, they are probably a good bet. Always ask them to demonstrate their familiarity with cutting edge trends and tactics that will get you in front of everybody else.
How Do You Track Success?
A PR agency worth its salt needs to know how to analyse metrics and track results. Ask prospective firms to display their proficiency when it comes to tracking analytics from every campaign they run. Always ask to see how they tracked and consolidated results for their past clients.
Can You Integrate Our Marketing Team?
Even though you’re intending to hire an agency instead of having an in-house PR team, they must demonstrate their readiness to work harmoniously with your marketing department. The questions you ask should aim to verify whether the agency will conform to internal company culture. Ask the agency to show how they intend to integrate your marketing team and the roles they are likely to play independently.
What Do We Expect In The First Month?
Hiring a PR agency in Singapore doesn’t guarantee you overnight success. When interviewing an agency, you’ll need to know how they intend to roll out their campaigns. Ask them to disclose their priorities-whether they’ll start with market research or crafting new strategies. Importantly, ask them to demonstrate how their preferred approach will work for your organisation.
Other crucial interview questions should touch on their pricing structure, portfolio, terms and conditions and their disengagement policy.
5 Best Examples of Different PR Agencies in Singapore
In Singapore, public relations can translate into a blanket communication approach between an organisation and its publics. However, there’s a thin line between PR agencies and what they do. Here’s a list of PR firm and their areas of specialisation.
General Strategic Communication Agency
A general public relations agency is charged with handling every aspect of your PR Plan. This type of agency works around your reputation and brand visibility using different approaches including international relations, social media outreach and media relations.
Press Communication Agency
Any agency that specialises in Press communication handles aspects including media outreach, procuring media coverage, writing client pitches, and reaching out to influencer and journalists. Such an agency is ideal if you want to bolster your organisations’ connections with the media
Crisis Management Agency
Crisis management agencies concern themselves in crafting and implementing crisis communication strategies. They are instrumental when your business is facing a reputation crisis.
Community Management Agency
A PR firm specialising in community management handles issues pertaining to the organisation’s relations and interactions with its immediate community. They manage and interact with the community in platforms such as Facebook and other social media hubs.
Public Affairs Public Relations Agency
Public affairs PR agency primarily works in tandem with the government as its mouthpiece.
Final Thoughts
We tried listing the best PR agencies in Singapore. But it bears mentioning that this list is in no way exhaustive. We’re sure there exist hungrier PR firms out there that are equally innovative or even more. You’re at this moment invited to submit your recommendation, and we’ll review it in detail, and if it’s good enough as you claim, we’ll secure a slot for it on the list.
What’s more? Well, talk to us. Or give us a call to talk to our PR specialists at MediaOne, and let’s help you publicise your business or brand with the enthusiasm it deserves.
