In a changing media environment, what do public relations agencies do for firms that the firms cannot do for themselves?

Magna Carta MD Michele Anderson says: "PR is well positioned to deliver communication that works because it is fast, responsive and has enormous effect almost immediately."

At the head of Magna Carta, Anderson is well-placed to share these insights. Magna Carta is the largest PR agency in SA and is a full-service consultancy specialising in corporate, brand and financial communications. The agency won PR Agency of the Year in 2006 and 2007, and boasts a strong blue-chip client base. Magna Carta increased new business income by 64% and overall income by 59%.

The Eskom account is a feather in its cap, albeit lots of work. "It is the largest PR account in SA history, with a three-year tender. Eskom presents a huge PR challenge with the electricity supply crisis," says Anderson.

Another big player is Meropa Communications, which also offers its clients a full house of PR services. Its staff comprise many former journalists, an important part of its arsenal.

Director Max Gebhardt says: "Our media relations business in 2007 generated more than R154m in proactive advertising value equivalency. Every day of the week, an average of 30 Meropa-generated releases are published by the media. It also offers clients assistance in the rest of Africa, where it has a growing footprint."

Some clients have been with Meropa for more than 20 years, and include big and diverse organisations such as mobile phone network operator Vodacom; food company Tiger Brands; IT group Dimension Data; FNB's online banking and rewards arm, eBucks; cement giant PPC; the Coega Development Corporation; paint company Plascon; liquor company KWV; the City of Johannesburg; and the World Wildlife Fund.

Added to this, the firm also has good empowerment credentials. "Meropa is a majority black-owned firm with a level four BBBEE rating - 45% of our staff are black, 74% are female," says Gebhardt.

A smaller but mighty PR player is Corporate Communication Consultants (CCC). Director Roz Thomas says: "We consider ourselves a specialist communications agency, focused on reputation management." CCC was established in 1989, with three directors - Sue Brewitt, Rosemary Renton and Roz Thomas - who are all experienced PR practitioners. Its clients include some big-hitters such as listed investment company Conduit Capital; international business risk consultancy Control Risks; insurance group Credit Guarantee; global financial services and accounting firm Deloitte; business and management school the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs); and the JSE.

And as information overload overwhelms audiences everywhere, Thomas has also seen an increasing focus on strategic input and on online and social media for younger target audiences. CCC used online social networking site Facebook for the JSE showcases and JSE Week Expo.

PR company Brunswick is a local business with global reach. The firm is in its 13th year of operation in SA, led by five partners. Managing partner Rob Pinker says: "It is a level-three BBBEE contributor, with a team of 26 professionals with backgrounds as diverse as investment banking, law, politics and media. We have advised on the country's most significant M&A deals, IPOs, BEE transactions, corporate crises and reputation turnaround stories."

FD Beachhead, part of global group Financial Dynamics, has enjoyed exponential growth over the past year.

The company's Jennifer Cohen attributes this to "long-term retainer clients and expertise in litigation support and advocacy". The agency's forte is financial PR. Major clients include Alexander Forbes, Investec, Edcon, Discovery and the competition commission.

Advocating the importance of appointing a PR, Pinker quotes Warren Buffett: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."

Historically, communications was regarded by many companies as a low-level activity in SA. "But the industry is rapidly maturing," says Brunswick managing partner Itumeleng Mahabane.

Magna Carta's Anderson adds: "Transparency and governance are key to business survival." But this does not just extend to putting out the fires of corporate scandal. It involves preventing them to begin with. Reputation management is becoming increasingly sophisticated and requires constant and consistent attention.