Finding a PR Agency
What does a PR agency do, what does it cost and how do you recognise the right one? Here we answer the questions hotels, restaurants and brands ask us most often before working with us for the first time. Short, honest and drawn from the practice of BISS PR & Communications, based in Berlin since 2009.
In short
THE ESSENTIALS IN FOUR POINTS
- A PR agency secures coverage that cannot be bought: in newspapers, magazines, online media, podcasts and with creators.
- The right agency knows your sector and has references and contacts with the newsrooms your audience reads.
- Costs depend on the scope, from a single project to ongoing support. A serious proposal follows a conversation about your goals.
- BISS PR is a boutique agency in Berlin, founded in 2009 by Julia Biss, with ten employees and a focus on hospitality, tourism, food and beverage and lifestyle.
A PR agency is a service provider for public relations. It helps companies, brands and organisations become visible in the media and to their target audiences, mainly through editorial coverage rather than paid advertising.
Typical tasks include finding topics and stories, writing press releases and press material, maintaining contacts with journalists, arranging interviews and editorial visits, organising press and influencer trips, supporting events and openings, planning partnerships with creators, communicating in a crisis and documenting the results.
Advertising is paid space: you decide on content and timing. PR aims at editorial coverage, which a newsroom decides on independently. That is why it is seen as more credible. Coverage cannot be guaranteed, but it often has a longer effect and is more likely to be shared and quoted.
At many agencies, including BISS PR, yes. PR addresses newsrooms, influencer marketing addresses creators on social networks. Together they make sure a story appears in the media and in feeds at the same time. Partnerships with creators must be labelled as advertising when something is given in return.
Look at the sector first: an agency that already works for similar clients knows the right media and editors. Check references and coverage, ask who will actually handle your project and have a personal conversation. The chemistry has to be right, because PR is a close collaboration.
Experience in your sector and references, contacts with the media your audience reads, a clear proposal with services and duration, regular reports on results, and an agency that does not work for your direct competitors. It is also a good sign when an agency is honest about what PR can and cannot achieve.
Large agencies offer many disciplines under one roof. Small agencies stand out for their closeness: you work directly with the people who do the work, often including the owner. For hotels, restaurants and brands that want personal support, a boutique agency is often the better choice.
Yes. Especially at the beginning, editorial coverage helps to make a brand known and credible. What matters are clear goals, a budget that fits a realistic timeframe and occasions that are new to newsrooms, such as a product launch, an opening or a remarkable founding story.
No. Press relations work across regions, and many meetings can take place by video. An agency in Berlin, however, is close to the many newsrooms, publishers and creators based here.
Usually like this: a first conversation about goals and target groups, a proposal, then a concept with topics, media and timeline. This is followed by implementation with press material, conversations with newsrooms, trips or events. Regular reports show which coverage has been achieved.
That depends on the scope. A fee for a single project, such as an opening or a product launch, or a monthly retainer for ongoing support are common. Depending on the project, costs for travel, events or photos may be added. A serious proposal can only be made once goals and tasks are clear. At BISS PR, you receive it after the first conversation.
Individual articles can appear within a few weeks. Monthly magazines, however, often plan their issues several months in advance, and trust with newsrooms grows over time. For lasting visibility, it is better to think in months rather than weeks.
By the number and quality of articles, the reach of the media, the tone of the coverage and whether the right target groups are reached. In addition, visits to the website, enquiries or bookings can be tracked.
No. Editorial coverage is decided by the newsrooms. A serious agency therefore does not promise specific articles, but good stories, the right contacts and professional media relations.
Branded storytelling brings a brand to life through emotional and authentic stories. Instead of presenting dry facts about generic products or services, we tell stories that are truly unique and stay with people. They create an emotional connection and strong recognition.
BISS PR has more than 16 years of experience in PR. Thanks to Julia Biss’s background in journalism and advertising and her expertise, the agency tells stories that stick and attract attention. This is a real USP in the PR industry, and BISS PR makes a point of starting exactly here to lay the foundation for successful media coverage.
For hotels and destinations, restaurants and food and drinks brands and lifestyle brands, from family businesses to international corporations. You will find examples under clients & references.
BISS PR & Communications is based at Kronprinzendamm 20 in Berlin. Julia Biss founded the agency in 2009 and still runs it today. The team has ten employees.
Yes. BISS PR also works for hotels and brands outside Germany, for example in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and the Maldives, and makes them known in the German-speaking markets.