External vs Internal PR Resources for Music Festivals.

The Public Relations (PR) function is a key element of the music festival's overall marketing mix. Timely and impactful announcements can influence ticket sales, engagement and where necessary, damage limitation. What are the considerations for festival organisers when deciding if their PR resource should be internal or external.

Music festival organisers can choose to appoint an external specialist PR agency or hire someone as a full-time employee. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options and the decision can often be determined by budget availability, the level of expertise required along with potential workload. 

Target Audience Reach. 
The media coverage for the music festival sector can be noisy and overcrowded across all channels making it difficult for a music festival to make its voice heard. The ideal PR resource should have an extensive network with target media outlets and journalists, and this is where an external agency may have the edge, especially if they have industry expertise too. External agencies may also have access to unique tools and technology that enables them to distribute content to relevant individuals quickly. However, an external agency is only as good as the brief they receive from the organising entity. An internal resource should have an intimate knowledge and understanding of the festival's brand and values which means that messages and announcements are always on point. There will likely be a limit to an internal PR specialists' network and certainly not as widespread as an external agency. An internal resource will have the advantage when it comes to speed of delivery for time critical announcements. They have immediate access to other internal departments to obtain crucial information or data, so they are able to quickly turnaround any urgent announcements. 

Cost and Control. 
Appointing an external PR agency can be a costly and time-consuming process and still needs to be managed by someone employed by the festival entity. Typically, an agency will ask for a monthly retainer fee which can be expensive, or they can work on a project basis but if a dedicated agency resource is required it may cost significantly more than hiring a full time PR expert. There is flexibility with an external agency as an arrangement could be for a limited period or terminated when not required. Obviously, this is not possible with an internal full time PR resource who must be paid every month. Appointing an external agency could mean a loss of some control over content and timing. They need to be briefed, and a release may need a number of iterations before being approved leading to delays and potential misunderstandings. 

Balancing Resources. 
Whilst a relatively small festival entity may not have the budget availability to employ a PR specialist full time or appoint an external agency, they may use a PR contractor to work on a project basis for several hours a month. Any medium or large-scale music festival entity will be more likely to hire an internal PR specialist or team and consider appointing an external PR agency in addition. This hybrid model is a popular route where they can maximise delivery of quality content to the right audience in a timely manner. With a larger internal PR resource supplemented with an external agency different types of PR activity can be assigned to resource as appropriate. Artist headline announcements can be given to the external agency where their wider reach may generate considerably more coverage. Other announcements and messages about festival logistics would typically be handled in-house. Festival entities need to find the right balance that suits their objectives and available budget. 

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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