At PRN Towers we’ve noticed how our fifth summer in business has been marked by the number of international briefs that we’re receiving from contacts and colleagues overseas. We’ve spent a good couple of years building up a really robust network of high calibre associates in most key business centres. This was initially at the request of a couple of blue chip clients who’d been disappointed by the lack of choice open to them (one large, expensive agency network or another?) but needing a really cohesive and consistent approach. As we’ve all run international campaigns in previous lives, usually from the “hub” agency, we have lots of experience of what does and doesn’t work. Combined with our growing associate network we’re well placed to service clients looking to move into a new territory or operate a full scale global comms programme. The consultant market is well developed in some geographies and still taking shape in others, and we’re able to advise clients on how this looks so they feel liberated from traditional ways of building agency networks and can consider viable alternative routes.

We’ve already tested the water with some large clients including Clearswift (four continents), Ashridge Business School (five countries) and our longest standing client LogLogic for whom we handle PR and marketing in a number of European markets. We now have a blueprint for success and are happy to be talking to lots of companies, large and small, about how to challenge traditional ways of running multi-country PR campaigns and create some great long term partnerships. We hope to announce another new international client soon in the “green” space – another growing market for PRN, but that’s another post.

Vodafone has not only had the foresight to understand that - above all else - what really counts in PR is having the best people, not the best known agency brand or the shiniest office. But it’s also had enough courage in its convictions to follow through with a decision that could well give other big brands the confidence to explore the possibilities beyond the traditional agency model.

Paratus’ model is similar to that of The PR Network - blending a core team of full time PRs complemented by a large group of freelance specialists. This gives clients access to a much wider and more flexible skill set and the guarantee of senior ‘hands on’ experts. We are able to bring this solution to clients at a more competitive rate than a “traditional” agency, weighed down by fixed costs, could ever hope to offer.

Vodafone has obviously found this a compelling proposition. Doubtless, the PR industry will be following this one with interest.

http://www.profile-extra.co.uk/articledetail.aspx?page=4E592225-D771-43B9-9826-0D4AD7A0AE32&article=772E66A0-B3D9-435A-8C35-2821507E8488

We’ll be working with blue chip clients and growing companies to help them with their corp comms requirements, whether that’s advising on a CSR strategy or providing counsel on how to avoid a Dominos-like social media reputation disaster. We can also provide crisis management support at short notice through our panel of crisis comms experts. We’ll be working directly with clients but also with some agencies who need to bolt senior specialist support onto their existing teams.

We are already talking to some big companies about helping with change management projects scheduled for this year.

Check out the Pods page on our main site to read more.

If you haven’t already heard Buxter is a Facebook application developed by ClickandBuy that enables people to send or recieve money within the world’s most popular social network.

Coverage highlights secured by our team include The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, CNN Online, BBC Online and BBC Click.

Buxter is set to turn Facebook into an ecommerce marketplace as online businesses now have the chance to sell products or services to any of Facebook’s 400 million members.

But it’s not just limited to businesses. Remember that fiver you borrowed off your friend? Or the pizza you shelled out on last week when your boyfriend had no money? Well now you and your pals can settle every outstanding debt through Facebook ! You can even use it for altruistic purposes, such as collecting money for a charity run. The possibilities are limitless. To sign up for Buxter click the link http://apps.facebook.com/mybuxter

Apps really get our blood racing here at The PR Network so if you’re wondering how to launch a new app we would love to hear from you at directors@theprnetwork.co.uk

The Guardian’s Sandra Haurant has penned an excellent article in Saturday’s Work section, uncovering  how more and more companies are looking for services like ours. Services that offer clients a far greater degree of flexibility and agility compared to conventional business models.

The article also features our lovely client at Adobe, who says of us…

“We were looking for skilled, knowledgeable and motivated individuals… who could work directly with senior management within Adobe in the UK on a number of projects.”

Read the full article here http://tinyurl.com/yzswpe3

Of course we can perhaps afford to be more optimistic than most, as alongside a truck load of interest in our freelance services, we’ve also been set loose on a number of exciting briefs for permanent PR positions.  Both in house and agency, all at the senior end of the market in line with our senior consultant focus.

So if you’re agency side looking to climb the ladder, in house and up for a fresh challenge or a freelancer that fancies a perm,  let us know by sending your CV and what you’re looking for to directors@theprnetwork.co.uk