Stories by Rick Gould

•	Benchmarking Agency Performance Boosts Profitability (Leadership) Tue., May 23, 2023 Actionable data for tracking performance and managing your PR agency with operational efficiency.

•	Nine Reasons to Get a PR Agency Valuation (M&A) Fri., Jan. 27, 2023 Is hiring a qualified outside advisory professional to valuate your PR agency worth the investment?

•	How to Recession-Proof Your Firm (M&A) Thu., Sep. 1, 2022 A few insights for PR firms that may be affected this year in the unanticipated event that a recession impacts their bottom line.

•	Why 2021 Was a Comeback Year for the PR Industry (Financial PR & Investor Relations) Mon., Aug. 22, 2022 Three separate surveys conducted by Gould+Partners arrive at the same conclusion: 2021 was an incredible year for most PR firms.

•	Ten Reasons to Get a PR Agency Valuation (M&A) Mon., Jan. 11, 2021 There are a number of circumstances when it becomes beneficial for PR agency owners to have a valuation of their firms performed by a qualified outside advisory organization.

•	Public Relations’ Renewed Call for Diversity (DEI) Thu., Aug. 27, 2020 The PR field has an opportunity to build a diverse, inclusive workforce with multicultural staff and management. The question is: will the industry get the message this time?

•

Surviving the New Recession (M&A) Tue., Mar. 24, 2020 The PR industry has come to a sudden halt. Firms are losing clients as companies put a pause on their services and financial obligations. Here are some tips based on the experiences and lessons learned from the Great Recession of 2008 to assist agencies in surviving our “new” recession and, hopefully, thriving when it ends. (3 reader comments)

•	Looking Back 20 Years in 2020 (M&A) Mon., Feb. 24, 2020 A lot has changed in the past two decades, and activity in the M&A PR world is no exception.

•	Accenture’s Droga5 Acquisition: A Game Changer? (M&A) Mon., Apr. 22, 2019 Accenture’s acquisition of ad agency Droga5 may represent a new competitive threat for PR firms, but could also be a positive merger opportunity for agencies, particularly those with digital capabilities or aspirations.

•	Jack O’Dwyer’s Contributions to the PR M&A World (M&A) Tue., Jul. 17, 2018 Ten strategic steps that make it easier for sellers to engage potential buyers in the M&A process.

•

PR Industry Should Move Beyond Discussing Diversity and Take Action (PR Firms) Wed., Apr. 18, 2018 Efforts to bolster diversity throughout the PR industry have begun to accelerate, and companies that continue to debate the role diversity plays in their organization may ultimately find themselves playing catch up. (2 reader comments)

•	Is Cry for PR Diversity Different This Time? (Public Relations) Wed., Jan. 17, 2018 The latest groundswell for diversity in the U.S. marketing sector seems more genuine and ambitious than previous industry inclusivity efforts. (4 reader comments)

•

Millennial PR Firm Owners Destined to Shake Up Industry (PR Commentary) Mon., Sep. 11, 2017 As Millennial-run PR firms become mainstream, it’s important that older firm owners — and the industry at large — recognize the serious impact this demographic is having on the PR landscape. (1 reader comment)

•	How Should PR Firms Plan for the End Game? (M&A) Tue., May 16, 2017 PR M&As were a topic of discussion at the recent Counselors Academy Spring Conference 2017, which took place in Seattle and drew 180 PR firm owners and C-level executives.

•	What PR Firm Buyers Want to Know (M&A) Tue., Apr. 4, 2017 As the public relations M&A market continues to percolate with additional transactions, more potential suitors are now eyeing PR firms that can bolster their portfolio and deepen their bench. (1 reader comment)