Why Hiring Boutique-Sized PR Firms Yields Better ROI than Big Agencies
The age-old adage “Bigger is Better” has proven time and again to be false. Yet there is still the belief that spending more money, or bringing in a big name will yield better results. You have seen it before. I know I have. A small startup spends $25,000 a month on a big name New York PR firm that gets them the same exact results that I could have done solo for $5k. Their lack of experience didn’t tell them this in advance, but maybe an educated blog like this could have helped them before they hit insolvency (which they did).
Of course, if you have money to burn, then I suppose associating with the big wigs might look better to your reputation. Then why has Louis Vuitton visited my website 12 times in the last 4 days? Who knows who’s really behind that IP address, but it is clear that an association with the company is interested in a smaller, boutique style PR firm. And I ask myself why? When you have all the money in the world, why still try and keep it small and nimble? Some of these answers I already know from experience, but I still wish I could directly ask the person who keeps coming back.
As someone who has been on both sides of the track, my professional take is not just personal, but founded in actual experience. So, I get to share them with you, my readers. Here is why hiring a boutique-sized PR firm can yield better ROI than with a big agency.
1. We are nimble, faster moving, and have less hands to go through to get things done
Let’s face it, large organizations aren’t built to move quickly. That goes for nearly any company of size and scale. There are simply too many people with their hands in the cookie jar. When I used to work for the federal government, especially at the DC level, any work I produced almost always took days to release. This would irk me, and not just because I am a fast-moving individual (I blame the ADHD), but because my work was so good, no one ever needed to make changes. They just wanted to have their say and approval. The same goes for large PR firms. They just cant produce with the same speed and flexibility that the smaller firms can provide. Speaking for my own firm, Evolved PR, we also don’t believe in “Work hours” which means we put more time and effort into high-needs clients, often turning around important projects in hours, not days.
2. We are more affordable
I don’t like to use the word “Cheap” because that sends entirely the wrong message. But just as the example I used above, we can be a hell of a lot more affordable. And shouldn’t every company be concerned about their bottom line? Even if you could afford to spend three or four times the amount, why would you still want to if you knew you could get equal talent at a fraction of the price?
3. You get direct access to senior level talent
This is probably one of the biggest perks, because you always have the brains of the operation in the room. You are not sold from the CEO and handed off to a lesser crew to strategize and execute. You always have direct access to the owner, and in our case, I am in every meeting and have my hands in every campaign. Alongside the team, we strategize together and then divide and conquer for quicker and more impactful results.
4. We take a bulk of the load off the client
Ever hire a contractor just to have them come back to you and put the work on you directly? I did recently with a sales team, that kept putting technical integrations back on me. What the hell do I know about technical integrations!? I do PR! And so, I got to see the client side of it when PR firms ask “Can you write this press release?” or “Can you come up with angles?” “Can you write me up an op-ed or statement” or anything of the sort. Unless it is a subject matter expert question that only the client can provide, we don’t put that work back on them. We write the quotes and the press releases and even the op-eds and send them over for approval and final edits. Since we know our industry and jobs the best, why would we ask the client to do our work for us?
5. We are equally well connected
Don’t be fooled into thinking that only the big firms have all the connections. Our small, resourceful crew has many relationships in top-tier publications and broadcast news sources. But, in an industry where nothing is guaranteed unless you pay for it, don’t think this is the end all be all. Sure, we could reach out to our pal over at Entrepreneur but maybe he’s too busy with other projects right now, or our contact at Forbes might think the story is too weak. Connections are helpful but they guarantee nothing. At the end of the day most firms have to do the same thing – cold email outreach to a dedicated list of potential journalists.
6. The knowledge and skillset is mostly equivalent
PR is nuanced, skillful, and at times surgical, but it isn’t rocket science. I have been doing this for 15 years, and I can hold an equally intelligent conversation about the industry as someone with 45 years’ experience. In fact, there have been a few instances where I gave a couple tips on how us younger generation efficiently do things (Using the word ‘younger’ loosely as a 42-year-old). Just because you choose a larger organization doesn’t mean you get greater brain capacity or skillset.
The real question is what your PR investment is doing for you
A bigger agency may be the right fit for some companies. But a bigger invoice, a larger team, and a recognizable name do not automatically mean better results. What matters is whether the people doing the work understand your business, move quickly when it counts, and pursue opportunities that support your goals.
Before you hire any PR firm, ask who will actually work on your account. Ask what they will need from you, how they define success, and how the stories they pitch will help you build credibility, reach the right audience, and grow. If the answers are vague, the size of the agency won’t fix that.
At Evolved PR, we believe you should know the people behind your campaign and see the thinking behind the work. We bring senior-level attention, strong writing, and the flexibility to act when an opportunity opens up. That is the value of staying boutique by design.
If you’re weighing your options, let’s talk about what you want PR to accomplish—and what it should take to get there.
