How to choose the right PR partner

It's all about trust, timing and chemistry

By Reka Agopcsa

When B2B tech leaders consider appointing a PR agency, they are effectively making a long-term strategic choice. PR plays a central role in how a business is perceived by customers, partners, investors and the media – it influences reputation, revenue and risk, and for that reason, marketers must have confidence and conviction in their choice.

We have worked with some stellar B2B tech brands over the years and found that there are three early signs that determine if an agency relationship will succeed in the long run.

Trust

Trust builds fastest when an agency clearly understands your market and can demonstrate that understanding. It’s evident from the questions asked, the examples referenced and how ideas are framed early on. Nailing the industry context is especially vital for brands that have complex products, risk-aware buyers and nuanced audiences – these factors leave little room for generic thinking. So, expecting your potential agency partner to anticipate challenges and bring ideas to the table even before a full brief exists is not ‘asking for too much.’

Credentials still play a big role, but insight is what proves you will not spend the first six months bringing an agency up to speed. The strongest campaigns gain momentum quickly because both sides start from the same point of understanding.

Timing

PR delivers its greatest value when it has time to shape a narrative. Whether the trigger is a big funding round, market expansion or product shift, bringing PR in sooner creates space to understand context, assess how the story will be received and build a runway in the media before the big commercial moment arrives.

For example, when enterprise tech company Medallia appointed Eleven Hundred Agency, the time was ripe for the company to reconnect with UK audiences. Local customer momentum was building, and the business wanted to step up as an authority on experience management. Our campaign focused on making Medallia’s tech accessible from the start and highlighting real-world use cases. When a year later the company announced its sponsorship of British yachtswoman Pip Hare, our team was able to secure the BBC’s interest in the tech that would help ‘decode’ Hare’s mood during her solo race around the world. Having established a credible foundation, the message landed and the TV coverage made a big splash (pardon the pun!).

Another client, Fivetran, appointed Eleven Hundred Agency in the run-up to the opening of its European headquarters. As a new unicorn, Fivetran had dominated a small but significant segment of the data industry and its technical message needed ‘translating’ from US to UK audiences. The PR campaign understood that just because Fivetran’s tech is niche, its voice doesn’t have to be. Eleven Hundred Agency put the emphasis on thought leadership, which enabled Fivetran to become a respected voice on data and AI even before ChatGPT’s emergence put data quality concerns at the forefront of buyers’ minds. Five years on, the PR campaign continues to grow in lockstep with Fivetran’s evolving market position.

Chemistry

PR is collaborative by nature and often sits at the intersection of marketing, leadership and product teams, so the quality of the working relationship has a direct impact on outcomes. Chemistry in this context is not the superficial feel-good dynamic or agreeableness but rather the alignment on how decisions are made and conversations are handled.

The most effective partnerships are those where agency teams understand internal pressures, speak the same commercial language and are willing to challenge thinking when they know something will not land. Honest conversations about trade-offs, risk and focus are essential, particularly in B2B environments where credibility is hard-won.

Marketers should prioritise working relationships where constructive friction is possible and where candid, strategic dialogue is the norm rather than the exception. In practice, chemistry determines whether PR becomes a strategic extension of your team or an external supplier that executes reactive tasks on demand.

From first spark to lasting impact

Choosing the right PR partner is not always easy. After all, it is a decision about where you place trust and who you invite into your strategic conversations. But when trust is grounded in insight, timing aligns with commercial rhythm and chemistry supports honest collaboration, you’ve found something special.

If you share our vision and have not found your perfect match yet, let’s talk!

Reach out to contactus@elevenhundredagency.com and one of the team will be in touch.