I moved from in-house to a PR Agency: here’s what I’ve learnt

Having spent my communications career to date within large in-house teams as part of corporate organisations, I was intrigued to see how life at a PR agency would differ.

There’s a long-standing debate about which is better: agency or in-house communications? Four months into my career at Fortitude, I would say that is the wrong question. Both environments offer unique opportunities, challenges and rewards.

I recently made the switch from in-house comms at Heathrow Airport and prior to that at Thames Valley Police, not because I didn’t relish the challenges my previous roles brought, but to face new ones, whilst enhancing my skillset in a new area of the industry.

Even in a short space of time, it is clear to see that while the principles that underpin communications remain the same, there are differences between the two areas of the industry.

What have I noticed so far?

In a PR agency you are overseeing the communications output for multiple clients in various sectors, whereas in-house it is always on behalf of the same organisation.

This requires us to have broad knowledge of multiple industries and to be switched on, smart and nimble to adapt to trends as they spring up.

Each working day looks very different, as you switch between different clients and projects.

It creates a fast-paced environment that demands creativity, quick thinking and the ability to turn ideas into impactful multi-channel content.

Strategic advisory

A strategic focus is essential, remaining objective and audience led, with a central focus on the results and outcomes that we live and die by.

In addition to being great storytellers and content creators, it is also key to be astute communications advisors, providing insight to clients on how to be successful and avoid the pitfalls.

The in-house teams I have worked in have both been large in size, meaning they have had dedicated specialists in each role, graphics, internal and external communicators, social media experts, for example.

At Fortitude, I have been really impressed by the adaptability of the team, to take on a wide range of different communications activities and deliver them to an extremely high level. 

In my first few months here, I have really been enjoying adding more strings to my bow as a comms professional and learning from the wide-ranging backgrounds and experience of the team spanning from former journalists to social media managers.

There have been new methods, platforms and processes to learn. I am quickly getting up to speed creating social media graphics for clients on Canva, managing my workload through Asana and producing content plans using Google Sheets. 

Identifying appropriate trade press to pitch client stories to has also been something new that I have embraced, landing a profile piece in Law Gazette for Natalie Murray, founder of Lawbox in my first couple of months at Fortitude.

Client service

Clients or in-house stakeholders are critical to success, but they require different relationship management approaches.

In an agency, you are often dealing directly with business owners, which requires a different approach to in-house, where predominantly you are working with colleagues throughout the organisation at different levels.

The clients trust you to deliver a return on their investment and understand their business and communications goals. 

It is key to appreciate how important their time is and to use it efficiently, gathering all the details and then taking the plan away to execute, to enable them to focus on running their business.

Clients expect us to stay ahead of the curve, to be on top of trends digitally and in their field and identify PR opportunities to deliver consistent results.

As we are not based in the same office as our clients, a challenge that is less common in-house, we dedicate a considerable amount of time to understanding our clients and building relationships as part of their team. Earning their trust and demonstrating we have their backs, both as communicators but also as problem solvers, is a big part of our agency approach.

Another difference is that the service we deliver for each client is bespoke, and each requires a slightly different process. Some require regular meetings – in person or online, some prefer to be called, for some a WhatsApp is more optimal – we opt for whatever works for them and adapt our approach.

In my experience of working at both Heathrow Airport and Thames Valley Police, generally it would be the press offices dictating the methods and timing of communication to stakeholders.

Building on strong foundations

Despite the differences, many of the core competencies remain the same, maintaining relationships, developing strategies, content creation, meeting deadlines and achieving positive outcomes.

Knowing how an in-house press office thinks and operates while working at an agency puts me in a useful position to provide advice and guidance to colleagues when considering how to approach various situations. 

For me, making the move to an agency has provided an opportunity to build on the strong foundations I developed working in-house, while continuing to learn, grow and stretch myself in new ways.

The new role still gives me what has always mattered to me throughout my career — taking pride in delivering meaningful results through communications. I am also enjoying a strong sense of community at Fortitude, both via the team spirit but also through the agency’s clients and partnerships. 

I’m only a few months into my Fortitude journey, but already it’s clear to me that both sides of the industry possess immense value and share core communications principles alongside some subtle differences in approach. 

And there is a great deal that communications professionals can learn from experiencing both.