As the recession deepens, many companies are being tempted by the concept of results-based PR, prompting concern in the public relations industry about the true value of payment by results services.
The attraction is clear. Instead of charging a fixed monthly fee, results-based agencies charge only for the media coverage they generate.
But traditional PR agencies are warning clients of the potential pitfalls of results-based PR and that, while the solution may well be cost-effective for some, it suffers from similar shortcomings to those of target-driven services such as the NHS and the education system.
Reports in the industry are rife of spats between clients and agencies about what constitutes good publicity, where a piece of coverage originated from or whether the so-called results genuinely meet the client's actual PR objectives.
Several leading industry figures have even gone as far as saying that result-based PR undermines the very essence of public relations.
Good public relations seeks to bring lasting benefits to clients by establishing a stronger long-term association with the client and by building a rewarding longstanding relationship with the media.
By contrast, the very nature of pay-by-results service is that of a series of short-term, quick-fix solutions.
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