O'Dwyer PR's New Business Council has been opened to help PR firms market themselves to prospective clients and also to cope with the many issues and opportunities facing PR firms in today’s fast-changing environment.

"We will help PR firms gain visibility through listings on our website and directory and will also provide the latest thinking on a host of topics including client/firm relationships and soaring health insurance costs, to name some of them," said publisher Jack O'Dwyer.

"A great deal of the PR industry has migrated to the agencies, particularly in the area of media relations," he said.

Clients of all sizes are looking not only for PR generalist agencies but also those that have expertise in certain well-defined areas such as healthcare, tech, financial, food, environmental, travel and beauty/fashion PR, he said.

O'Dwyer rankings of such specialties score high on Google since O'Dwyer's is the only company doing such rankings, he added.

PR firm principals of both large and small firms will be brought together to share ideas on how to handle the leading issues of the day. [Download PDF of offer details]

Advice will be provided on such nuts-and-bolts topics as crafting contracts with clients; safeguarding secrets when employees leave; non-compete contracts; staying within the law when employing outside contractors, and obtaining letters of confirmation.

Variety, Creativity Characterize PR Firms


PR has shifted more to firms in recent years just like corporate ad departments shifted their work to ad agencies many years ago, said O'Dwyer.

The variety of assignments available in agencies is attractive to the most creative PR pros, he said.

"Today's PR firm has a wide range of capabilities and techniques that can be applied to any issue that comes up and can quickly add more hands if that is what is needed," he said.

Those who join O'Dwyer PR's New Business Council at the charter rate of $300 yearly will be able to post a description of their firm's services, executives and accounts on odwyerpr.com and will receive the following informational products: access to the daily news site odwyerpr.com; the 2010 O'Dwyer's Directory of PR Firms listing 1,700 firms; subscription to O'Dwyer's monthly magazine, and access to the running database of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that has published 87 RFPs this year.

The RFPs are obtained from companies, local, state and federal government bodies; trade associations, professional groups and other sources.

Contact Jack O'Dwyer at [email protected]. Details are available in this PDF brochure.