Peter and Christina have a lot to say about public relations strategy - gone are the days of one-off efforts. Your PR plan needs to think through your goals and how you are going to educate and empower your community to take the action that you need - whether that is supporting a cause or supporting you. This episode walks you through building a PR plan through examples the CIPR team has employed for key clients.

Public relations isn't just about a press release or media coverage. In 2021 public relations has evolved - Christina and Peter chat about the importance of relationship building, being a great neighbour and reaching out to all your stakeholders. It's about building ambassadors that aren't afraid to tell your brand story.

After over three years of working together, Alberta Ballet School and CIPR Communications have built a strong relationship that was built on a foundation of trust. The relationship has evolved as the School has. Leah, Marketing Director, at the School talks about her journey with CIPR and her in-house staff person and how her 'village' works together daily to help her focus on director-level tasks. Her best advice - trust your gut!

Christina and Peter reflect on the themes that stood out most for them in this series. No matter if you are hiring marketing staff, a marketing agency, or (the preferred) blend of both maturity, communications, process, and trust are key elements that will keep the relationships thriving and your business growing.

When your business is ready for growth an agency can ensure your staff stay focused on daily operations and that agency can bring exciting and innovative marketing approaches to the table that haven't been explored. Christina and Peter reflect on successful client relationships that have been upfront and honest with the agency about growth plans and staffing needs. These conversations help the agency deliver what you need - and can help your growth campaign be more successful.

Peter and Christina remind business owners and marketing directors and managers that your marketing team is not a 'set and forget' scenario. You should be checking in with your marketing teammates quarterly and asking 3 specific questions - and you should be prioritizing meeting with your agency to review time spent, deliverables, new actions, opportunities, and reports as often as monthly or as little as twice a year based on your business and industry.

Christina and Peter think about past and current client relationships and share what has worked about coming together to collaborate on marketing and communications. They have a few golden rules for you to apply as you think about hiring the right marketing agency.

The staff-agency relationship can be one that allows a staff person to truly flourish. Your team needs to know you've bought into the plan and they have the ability to execute it to their greatest ability. Make sure you have enough expertise and experience for your marketing team alongside that experience.

Christina and Peter focus on the maturity of business owners and marketing managers when tackling this topic. Maturity isn't about size or revenue - it is about process, attitude, and goals. Your agency is an extension of your team - when you trust them they help your business grow and your team look good.

Christina and Peter remind listeners about the costs you may not be thinking about when it comes to hiring your next marketing agency or marketing team members. Most agencies can ensure you get discounted rates on tools and have tools on hand to help you be innovative in your marketing approach - costs you would need to cover internally without using an agency.