Why Boutique PR Agencies Deliver Outsized Results for Big Brands

Bigger may be better when it comes to our favorite food, a backyard for the kids, a hotel room, or when stocking up on paper towels, but it doesn’t always apply to public relations (PR) and communications agencies.

Over the last decade, I have worked at two Fortune 500 companies in the energy and consumer packaged goods sectors in several corporate communications and PR roles. Both companies have thousands of employees around the globe and generate billions of dollars in revenue. During that time, I partnered with numerous communications and PR agencies of varying sizes, and I experienced firsthand that bigger isn’t always better when working to generate long-term impact. 

Here are five reasons why large companies should consider hiring specialized, boutique PR and communications agencies that prioritize quality and expertise over scale:

1. Go small to go fast 
Boutique agencies, which are typically smaller and more specialized, have a huge advantage over large firms – they are incredibly nimble, can make decisions and get started on projects quickly without getting bogged down in paperwork, the contracts and procurement department, or an infinite number of internal processes, and they have the ability to support unexpected tasks with minimal backgrounding. 

They are also less likely to participate in lengthy RFP processes that delay project timelines since many boutique agencies don’t have the time or people resources to respond, so companies that only hire vendors via RFPs often miss out on significant talent and ROI. When I was juggling far too many projects at once and needed quality support very quickly, I always turned to my boutique agencies.

2. Stronger relationships and greater efficiency
Employee turnover in the PR agency sector overall can hover around 20%, but I found that it was significantly lower at the boutique agencies I worked alongside. At one point, my entire team of five people at a large agency left for jobs at other employers within the span of three months, meaning I had to start from scratch with a brand new team and bring them completely up to speed on what we had already done, current priorities, and my expectations after investing time and resources into another team for nearly a year.

That’s a huge lift for everyone, and it’s frustrating if you have to do this on a regular basis since it creates significant inefficiencies and lower quality work. Not surprisingly, continuity and close relationships with outside agencies lead to higher levels of trust and a better final product, and it’s hard to cultivate these types of relationships if the team makeup is constantly changing.

3. Strategic thought partner vs. tactical executor
While many companies view PR agencies as extra arms and legs for tactical execution, the most valuable agencies provide that offering AND have the ability to serve as a strategic thought partner. In many of my roles at Fortune 500 companies, I often led a very small team of junior employees or operated as a team of one, meaning I desperately needed and desired a solid sounding board of professionals who spoke my PR language and could provide expert counsel and guidance.

Boutique agencies can easily fill that void, and their third-party perspective was invaluable in breaking through my corporate lens, providing a reality check when needed, and sharing innovative ideas. These agencies also often anticipated my needs before I voiced them, which increased efficiency and effectiveness and helped me secure critical buy-in from other stakeholders to help drive projects forward. 

4. Extension of a high-performing team
I had high expectations for my agency partners and needed them to be embedded in the work and operate as a true extension of my team to deliver on all of our priorities. My agency partners were integral members of my team alongside my in-house direct reports – and when your agency partners and direct reports are in sync, you reap the many benefits of a cohesive and high-performing team.

I didn’t have time to micromanage, review documents multiple times, follow up repeatedly, provide extensive background materials, etc., so I needed agency partners who were proactive self-starters, multi-skilled, confident, experienced and strategic. I also needed to feel comfortable connecting them directly with senior-level colleagues for interview and speaking engagement prep sessions, key message development, fact checking, and more, when I couldn’t be in two places at once.

It was much easier to utilize employees from boutique agencies in this way since employee turnover was lower, they had the ability to take a more customized, hands-on approach without needing to stop work and develop a new scope every time my needs evolved, they ensured that senior-level talent played key roles in all of the work (not just interns and junior employees), quality control was never an issue, and they proved time and time again that they could deliver what I needed in an efficient and professional way.

5. Follow the ROI
I repeatedly found that boutique agencies produced high-quality work – often at a lower price than large agencies with less overhead. This resulted in greater ROI, meaning I could leverage these agencies for more projects and tap into their expertise in a variety of situations vs. a one-off deliverable. I also felt comfortable trusting them with complex, higher stakes issues and with sensitive stakeholders I typically would not ask an agency to support. This all drastically reduced my stress levels, improved my work-life balance and positively impacted the business. 

In addition, the client service I received from boutique agencies was exceptional and always felt very tailored to my unique needs, which made me feel appreciated, valued, supported and understood. I received timely responses to all of my questions and requests, never felt like a number, and experienced a level of teamwork and genuine care that is quite challenging for large agencies to deliver consistently. 

Ultimately, smaller agencies like ours don’t deliver small results. We’re focused, intentional, and committed to helping our clients exceed their objectives and achieve big results through personalized service, strategic expertise and a relentless focus on quality.

Brenna Clairr Moore is the director of operations at Pierce PR and brings extensive communications and PR leadership expertise from Fortune 500 companies and global PR and consulting firms. She leverages her experience and lessons learned from managing high-profile clients to spearhead new strategies and processes that maximize operational efficiencies at Pierce PR, enable its talented team to drive even greater value for its clients, and accelerate the firm’s overall growth.