PR Agency Experience Matters: How to Evaluate Industry-Specific Expertise

The Risk of Going Generic with PR

Imagine you’re a tech startup. You’re pumped about growth and hire a PR agency to spread the word. But six months later, your $150,000 campaign lands in obscure trade publications your customers don’t read. Media tours fizzle. Your budget’s gone, and you’re left wondering if PR even works. Sound familiar? That’s what happened to a SaaS company that chose a generalist agency over a tech-savvy one.

Why did it flop? Generalist agencies often miss the mark because they don’t know your industry. They pitch broad stories, lack reporter contacts, and misunderstand your audience.

Here’s what goes wrong when you skip industry expertise:

• Weak audience insight: Generic agencies don’t grasp your customers’ pain points or jargon, leading to off-target pitches. For example, a healthcare startup’s agency pitched “innovative tech” to general outlets instead of medical journals, missing key decision-makers.
• Misaligned story angles: Without industry context, pitches feel forced. A fintech founder shared how their agency pitched “blockchain buzz” to retail media, ignoring trade publications like American Banker where their B2B clients lived.
• Poor media connections: Specialist agencies have relationships with reporters in your niche. Generalists scramble, often pitching cold to editors who ignore them.

PR Agency Review helps you avoid these pitfalls. Its database lets you filter agencies by industry experience, showing you firms with proven track records in your vertical. For instance, a biotech client used PR Agency Review to find an agency with MedTech contacts, landing coverage in Fierce Biotech within three months.

Question to ask yourself: What’s your industry’s unique story, and does your agency know how to tell it?

2: Measure PR Success with Real Metrics

You wouldn’t invest in marketing without tracking ROI, so why settle for vague PR results? One in five marketers report their agencies fail to show clear ROI, according to a Relevance Digital survey. If your agency leans on fluffy metrics like impressions or ad value equivalency (AVE), you’re not getting the full picture.

The Barcelona Principles, a global PR standard, demand outcome-based metrics over vanity numbers. Impressions don’t tell you if your campaign moved the needle. Instead, focus on data that ties PR to your business goals.

Here’s what to demand from your agency:

• Share of voice: How much media coverage do you get compared to competitors? A B2B software client tracked share of voice and saw their agency boost their mentions by 30% over rivals in six months.
• Readership numbers: Impressions count eyeballs, but readership shows who actually saw your story. Tools like Sprout Social or Prowly help agencies report precise audience data.
• Website traffic and leads: Ask how coverage drives visitors or conversions. A consumer brand tied a Forbes feature to a 15% spike in site traffic and 200 new leads, proving PR’s impact.

Lucia Marlow, a PR veteran, puts it bluntly: “If your agency can’t measure outcomes, they’re guessing.” PR Agency Review compares how top firms track success, letting you see who delivers hard data. For example, W2O Group specializes in life sciences and provides detailed KPI scorecards, showing clients exactly how campaigns drive brand authority.

Action step: Ask agencies for case studies with specific metrics. If they dodge, move on.

Question to ask: How will your agency prove their work grows your business?

3: Why Industry Verticals Matter for PR Wins

Your industry isn’t just a category — it’s a language. What lands in fintech won’t work in consumer goods. Specialist agencies speak that language fluently, building trust with reporters and crafting pitches that stick.

Take BCW Pr Agency. They dominate in fintech, using deep market knowledge to secure placements in outlets like The Financial Times. Their pitches cite trends like open banking or ESG investing, resonating with editors. Compare that to a consumer goods campaign, where lifestyle angles and influencer tie-ins matter more. A generalist agency might pitch the same story to both, missing the mark entirely.

Here’s why vertical expertise boosts PR success:

• Tailored pitches: Specialists know your industry’s hot topics. A healthcare agency might pitch AI diagnostics to STAT News, while a CPG firm targets Food & Wine with sustainability trends
• Trusted relationships: Beat reporters trust agencies with a track record. Edelman PR, with eight verticals like tech and healthcare, has long-standing ties to editors at Wired or Modern Healthcare.
• Higher success rates: Industry data shows specialist PR campaigns succeed 50–70% more often than generic ones, thanks to precise targeting.

PR Agency Review lets you filter for agencies with vertical expertise. A retail client used it to find a CPG-focused firm, boosting their pitch-to-placement ratio by 40% compared to their previous generalist agency.

Real-world example: A medtech startup hired a specialist agency through PR Agency Review. Within two months, they landed a feature in BioPharma Dive, driving investor interest. Their old generalist agency? Zero healthcare placements in a year.

Question to ask: Does your agency know your industry’s reporters and trends?

4: Demand Pricing Transparency to Protect Your Budget

Nothing stings like a surprise invoice. PR pricing varies widely — $5,000 to $50,000 monthly, per Clicta Digital. Hidden fees or vague retainers can spiral, eating your budget without clear results.

Transparent pricing builds trust and keeps your spend in check. Here’s what to look for:

• Clear fee breakdowns: Know what’s retainer, project, or media spend. A tech client avoided a $10,000 overrun by demanding upfront cost clarity.
• Industry benchmarks: Compare pricing to similar firms. PR Agency Review shows typical retainers by vertical, like $8,000–$15,000 for mid-size fintech campaigns.
• Earned media value: Ask for APRs (advertising-to-PR ratios) to see how much coverage you get per dollar. A healthcare campaign might deliver $5 in media value for every $1 spent.

Tools like Prowly offer transparent pricing, starting at $258 monthly for basic plans. PR Agency Review goes further, listing real cost benchmarks and flagging red flags like unexplained fees or missing ROI clauses.

Sponsor benefit: Transparent agencies align with PR Agency Review’s mission, appealing to sponsors who value integrity and data-driven partnerships.

Action step: Request a detailed pricing proposal before committing. If it’s vague, walk away.

Question to ask: Can your agency justify every dollar you spend?

5: Use PR Agency Review to Win at PR

Remember that tech startup from earlier? After their $150,000 flop, they turned to PR Agency Review. They found a fintech-focused agency with strong Silicon Valley ties and clear KPIs. Now, they land monthly coverage in Forbes and TechCrunch, cementing their thought-leader status.

Here’s how you can do the same:

• Define your goals: Want leads, awareness, or crisis prep? A B2B client used PR Agency Review to find an agency that tied PR to lead gen, boosting conversions by 25%.
• Filter for expertise: Use PR Agency Review’s tools to shortlist firms with your vertical’s track record. A healthcare client found an agency with FDA approval expertise, avoiding regulatory PR pitfalls.
• Demand proof: Ask for third-party case studies and KPI scorecards. A retail brand vetted agencies through PR Agency Review, picking one with a 90% pitch success rate.
• Track results monthly: Monitor share of voice, readership, traffic, and leads. Adjust if numbers lag.

PR Agency Review’s strength lies in its unbiased, data-driven insights. It cuts through agency hype, giving you practical guidance to pick a firm that delivers. Sponsors benefit by aligning with a platform that empowers entrepreneurs with clear, actionable tools.

Real-world win: A SaaS founder used PR Agency Review to hire an agency with cybersecurity expertise. Their campaign landed a Wall Street Journal feature, driving a 20% stock bump.

Action step: Run PR Agency Review’s filters today. Shortlist three agencies and request proposals with KPIs.

Question to ask: Are you ready to transform your PR into a strategic asset?

FAQ

Do big agencies like Edelman cover niche verticals well?
Yes, if they have dedicated teams. Edelman’s eight verticals, like tech and healthcare, ensure specialized pitches and reporter ties.

Can a generalist agency ever beat a specialist?
Only for broad consumer brands. For niche markets, specialists’ relationships and expertise win every time.

Next Steps for Smarter PR

That startup’s PR flop could’ve been avoided with the right tools. PR Agency Review helps you find agencies that match your industry, budget, and goals.

Here’s your plan:

• Audit your PR brief. What industry-specific angles matter to your audience?
• Use PR Agency Review to filter for expertise and transparent pricing.
• Track KPIs monthly — share of voice, readership, traffic, leads — and tweak your strategy.

With the right agency, your PR spend becomes a growth engine. Start with PR Agency Review and make your next campaign count.