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A press relations agency (or PR agency) is a service provider specialized in managing your relationships with the media. She develops your external communication strategy, writes your press content (press releases, press kits), identifies and contacts relevant journalists, organizes interviews and measures the impact obtained. Unlike an advertising agency, the objective is to obtain editorial coverage (not paid), perceived as more credible by the public.

An effective PR strategy is based on three fundamental pillars: 1) A clear positioning with differentiating messages that meet the expectations of journalists (the angle of contact). 2) Precise targeting of media and journalists relevant to your sector, with personalized contacts. 3) A regular approach to actions with an editorial calendar aligned with news and media channels. To these three pillars, a fourth is now added: SEO integration to capitalize on the backlinks generated.

To choose your PR agency, evaluate several criteria:
1) Its sectoral expertise: does it know your market and its reference media?
2) Its network of journalists: can it put you in contact with key editorial offices?
3) Its methodology: does it offer an audit, a personalized strategy and clear reporting?
4) His references: ask for customer cases similar to yours.
5) Its price transparency: beware of promises of guaranteed results, PR also depends on current events.

Competent press officers work in PR agencies or as freelancers. In Paris, the market is dense with agencies specialized by sector (tech, fashion, food, corporate...). In the regions (Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille...), choose an agency that masters both national and regional media. At 425PPM, we operate throughout the country with a network of PQR (Regional Daily Press) contacts and local media in addition to the national media.

The budget of a PR campaign varies according to several factors: the duration (one-time or long-term support), the extent of the objectives (product launch vs continuous visibility), and the services included (writing, media training, events...). On average, monthly support starts at around €3,000 excluding tax for a startup and can reach 5,000 to €10,000 excluding tax for a large-scale campaign. AVE (return in advertising equivalent) makes it possible to measure the ROI of this investment.

The fundamental difference is the control of the message. In advertising, you pay for a space (print, TV, digital) and control 100% of the content. In PR, you don't pay for media space: it's the journalist who decides whether to talk about you (or not) and who writes the article from his angle. This editorial character gives PR greater credibility: an article in Le Monde or a passage on BFM Business is perceived as a third-party validation, more reliable than an advertisement. On the other hand, the results are less predictable.