What to Expect in Your First 90 Days With a PR Agency
The first 90 days usually move from discovery and strategy, to preparation and first outreach, to a steady rhythm with the first meaningful results and a review of what to adjust.
In the first 90 days with a PR agency, expect three phases: discovery and strategy in the first month, preparation and first outreach in the second, and a steady working rhythm with early results and a formal review in the third. Lasting reputation builds over a longer period, but by day 90 you should be able to see whether the partnership is working.
For organisations in Ghana starting with a new agency, knowing what to expect helps you plan, support the work and judge progress fairly.
Days 1 to 30: discovery and strategy
The agency should spend time understanding the organisation:
- Interviews with leadership and key staff
- Review of past communication, coverage and reputation
- Audience and competitor review
- Agreement on objectives, measures and reporting
- Positioning and key messages
By the end of the month, you should have a written plan you understand and agree with. See what a PR strategy in Ghana should include.
Days 31 to 60: preparation and first outreach
- Materials prepared: boilerplate, fact sheet, biographies, approved images
- Spokespeople briefed and rehearsed
- Media list built
- First stories pitched and announcements supported
- Monitoring set up
Days 61 to 90: rhythm and review
- A regular monthly cycle of planning, outreach, content and reporting
- First coverage, interviews or stakeholder results
- A 90-day review comparing progress with objectives, with recommendations for the next quarter
What you should provide
The agency's results depend partly on you: timely facts, access to spokespeople, quick approvals and honest information about issues. See how to get the most from your communications agency.
Signs things are on track
- You understand the plan and the reasons behind it
- Communication with the agency is regular and clear
- Activity is connected to the objectives
- Reports explain what happened and what will change
Signs to discuss early
- No written plan after the first month
- Activity that does not connect to your objectives
- Reports that list outputs without explanation
- Promises of guaranteed coverage; see why guaranteed media coverage is a warning sign
Raise concerns early and openly. Most problems in the first months come from unclear expectations and can be fixed.
Related reading: how to tell whether your agency is working and what a PR agency in Ghana does month by month.
PR369's Strategic Communications and PR service begins every engagement with a strategy conversation. Email info@pr369.com with your objective, timeline and current challenge.
