March 13, 2007
PRstore: Target or WalMart?
I just saw that we had a PRstore franchise open in Portland, Oregon. (Tigard, to be more exact. No, not like the Pooh character, more like "regard." Although I don't know that Tigard and regard have ever been used that closely together. But, I digress.)For those of you not familiar with the concept (I wasn't), the PRstore claims to offer all of your marketing communications needs for a price far below your usual, run-of-the-mill designer or PR agency. (UPDATE: Some folks from the PRstore have been kind enough to stop by and comment.)
Now, why you would ask for full service marketing and "branding" from a company that calls themselves the "PRstore" is beyond me. But we'll let that one slide. I mean, the shoemaker's children and whatnot.
And, nevermind the fact that they claim to do branding. I'm going to completely ignore that. (If you don't want me to ignore that, please feel free to read my previous ranting.)
There are other things about which I'm curious. (And I'd encourage anyone considering the PRstore to ask similar questions.) My questions are things like:
- They position themselves as an alternative to big agencies that small companies can afford. Hunh? What small company in their right mind is walking into a Wieden + Kennedy or Waggener Edstrom asking for help?
- They've moved into a town (Portland, Oregon) that may, arguably, have more agencies per capita than any other town in the United States. And a vast diversity of agencies, at that. I mean, there is every flavor of agency here. Every size. Why here? Why are they needed?
- Who is running the joint? Seasoned marketing professionals or someone who had the franchisee money to invest?
- Where are they getting their talent? Who is doing the work? Seasoned designers and PR professionals or recent grads? Are they full-time or temp? (UPDATE: Apparently, they don't use local talent for the creative. Unless, of course, local for you is Charlotte, North Carolina.)
- What level of quality do they churn out at such cheap prices?
- What level of creativity do they churn out at such cheap prices?
- What kind of coverage are they getting from their PR services?
- How personal and targeted can a service like this be?
- Is price the real problem? Or is it really availability and promotion?
I guess what I'm wondering--at its most basic--is this: Is the PRstore Target? Or is the PRstore WalMart? Target being a place to get unusual and creative solutions at a low price. WalMart being a place where you get the same old crap, only cheaper.
For most agencies here in town, I don't see this even showing up on the radar. It's a whole different realm. But it will be interesting to see what happens to the little guy, in the short term.
Using a car analogy, this is like a "pre-owned" car dealership moving into the neighborhood. The BMW and Lexus dealers couldn't care less. The Toyota and VW dealers might cock an eyebrow. But the other used car dealerships start getting a little nervous.
Labels: prstore, target, walmart
PRstore: Target or WalMart?
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