South Africa, July 16 -- Many brands spend months searching for the perfect PR partner, looking for an agency with creative, out-of-the-box ideas and strong media relationships. Yet the moment the contract is signed, they fall into what I call the "supplier trap". They isolate the agency, gatekeep critical business information and expect magic to happen from a one-page brief sent over the digital wall.

For me, the solution is simple, although it requires a fundamental shift in mindset. If brands want exceptional, business-changing PR results, they need to stop treating their agency like a transactional supplier and start equipping them to succeed.

The brief is just the starting line

One of the biggest mistakes I see is the assumption t...