The Personalized Power of Boutique PR Agencies

Published on Nov. 20, 2024 at 7:28 p.m.

By Megan Renzi.

It is often said that there is no single approach to public relations, as the definition of PR is constantly evolving with the world. In the current market, agencies have the capability to do work beyond crisis communication and press releases. With this kind of fluidity comes the challenge of picking which agency is right for your communication goals.

When shopping for a PR agency, why not browse the boutique options?

A boutique PR agency is a small and compact team of specialized professionals who can offer full service public relations with a focus on achieving optimal client results. If you’re looking for a personalized approach, working with a small boutique agency makes it easy for you to be a part of the PR process.

Small Girls PR is one of the most successful boutique PR firms according to Buzzfeed. The full-service creative communication agency coined the term influencer marketing before it was trendy and continues to keep up with the fast-paced PR landscape.

When Sydney Donovan, director at SGPR, first found out about the agency in 2014, she didn’t believe it was real. “There’s no way there’s a PR agency called this, founded by women doing really cool stuff that feels a little different than what I’d been taught or was doing at other jobs and internships,” Donovan said. She found joining an agency filled with other eager young women looking to make a big impact to be exciting.

From the very early stages, CEO and cofounder Mallory Blair wasn’t afraid to take creative risks that grabbed the media’s attention. “We were attracting big brands at a very early stage, and that was because we were thinking creatively and not necessarily feeling stifled by the rules or what you can and can’t do,” Donovan said. “It was kind of like, let’s, let’s invent what we can and can’t do.”

Donovan explained that working with a more boutique style firm or smaller agency like SGPR “gives brands the opportunity to have just an extension of their own team, very ingrained in their mission and their goals.” With this agency structure, SGPR makes “small brands feel big and big brand brands feel personal,” leaving an impact that goes beyond a successful campaign.

As new services like digital influencer marketing and experiential production rise to popularity, there is a lot of different ways to think about PR. “There’s no structure or cut and paste way to do public relations across all these different types of industries,” Donovan said. “You have to get creative. And that’s part of the reason I still love working here because I’m always challenged with new ways of thinking.”

KC Projects Public Relations is Alabama’s leading full service communications firm, and in 2023 it was recognized as the Top PR Agency of the Year in the United States for the boutique size category.

Through the agency’s commitment to creativity, collaboration and integrity, KC Projects builds lasting relationships and creates compelling campaigns that resonate powerfully across industries and platforms.

For Mia Oliveria, the idea that no two days are ever the same led her to her current role at KC Projects. “Working at an agency has always appealed to me because of its fast-paced environment, the opportunity to collaborate with diverse clients across various industries, and the excitement of tackling new challenges each day,” Oliveria said.

She explained that the core values at KC Projects are centered around storytelling, collaboration and excellence. The agency’s motto — to “tell our clients’ stories and move their brands forward” — drives everything the staff does at KC Projects.

“Whether we’re planning a campaign, designing a social media graphic or crafting a press pitch, our goal is to position our clients in the best possible light while effectively communicating their message,” Oliveria said. “Collaboration is at the heart of our agency culture — working closely with each other, our clients and the media to create amazing results.”

Working at a boutique PR agency offers the unique advantage of building close collaborative relationships with clients while tackling various projects. Oliveria shared that the smaller team environment at KC Projects allows for more hands-on involvement in all aspects of campaigns, from strategy development to execution, giving employees the opportunity to see their ideas come to life.

“We believe in the power of partnership, combining our PR expertise with our clients’ deep knowledge of their industry to form an unbeatable team,” Oliveria said.

PR is not one size fits all. As different strategies and trends emerge in the ever-changing realm of public relations, it is important that an agency can not only keep up but also keep clients actively involved in the process.

Boutique agencies like Small Girls PR and KC Projects Public Relations demonstrate the unique benefits that smaller teams valuing creativity and close communication have to offer.

If you’re looking for a more personal approach to public relations, a boutique agency may be the perfect fit.