Independent PR Collaborative - A Growing Trend Benefiting the PR Profession and its Clients

IPs - Independent Practitioners (IP) are becoming a growing trend in public relations. Once upon a time, some individuals would hang out their shingle while they were in between jobs and only the truly adventurous practiced PR solo. Today, with voice mail, e-mail, fax machines, and cell phones more practitioners are venturing outon their own. Reasons for becoming an IP may vary but recent estimates indicate that approximately 10 percent of the Maryland Chapter of PRSA's membership are IPs.

In 2001, a number of IPs in the Baltimore metropolitan area began to meet informally and share information and offer each other advice on common issues. These meetings led to the formation of the Independent Public Relations Collaborative (IPRC).

Members of the IPRC know that one person can't do it all. It's why members of the collaborative have formed strategic alliances with each other. This enables IPs to function as a "virtual agency" when they decide it's in the best interest of the client.

As a part of a "collaborative" IPs can offer their clients many assets such as:

• Experience - Some members of the IPRC chose to leave the top of the corporate or agency ladder to venture out on their own. They possess proven track records in public relations and/or related fields.
• Personal Attention and Service - IPs understand as well as anyone the importance of developing relationships with their clients and providing personal attention and service. As a individuals who run a small business themselves, IPs know clients want reliability from their public relations representative.
• Flexibility - IPs are accustomed to working with businesses and organizations of all sizes and needs. They understand their service to a client may be in providing a specialized service for a limited time saving the client the expense of having to hire a full-time employee.
• Specialization - As the ranks of IPs continue to grow, the inventory of personnel with specialized backgrounds is expanding. This increases the pool of IPs who help each other as well as other businesses.

IPRC is not competing with PR firms and advertising agencies but providing a complement to them.

IPs offer small and medium sized businesses an affordable, viable alternative to large firms. PR firms and advertising agencies encounter many prospective clients that are not appropriate for a variety of reasons. If may be because the business can't afford the agency's fees where monthly retainers typically average a minimum of $5,000 a month, or the project is too small for them. IPs provide a reasonable alternative to these situations.

Support for IPs

IPs created the Independent Public Relations Collaborative (IPRC) to create a professional support network. The group meets monthly at different locations in the Baltimore area (see schedule). IPs discuss common concerns such as insurance, billing, writing proposals, etc. Additionally, IPs share business leads and information to help each other grow their practices. IPs also participate in joint ventures such as advertisements promoting the benefits of IPs to the business community.

If you are an IP and would like to join the IPRC, go to www.independentpr.com for more information.

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