Reflections on the past 20 years
As we reached the end of our 20th anniversary year as a firm this past week, I wanted to reflect not only on the great achievements we have made but also on how our industry has changed –and the changes yet to come.
For a bit of history, after concluding 20 years of work in senior positions for global firms like Burson Marsteller, Fleishman Hilliard and Edelman, it was clear to me that the world did not need another competitor clawing at trying to take a piece of business from the top 100 corporations around the world. Instead, what I saw, and has been validated over the next two decades, was that classic mid-sized companies doing on average between $100 million and $1 billion in sales did not have many choices for firms that could offer a broad range of services. Yes, there have always been great niche firms in almost every industry, but they could only narrow assignments like product placement or media relations or in areas like public affairs or corporate communications. But when a crisis would hit, or a change event like an acquisition or bankruptcy filing happened, they would need to find another communications partner. Likewise on the other end of the spectrum were and remain good freelancers. But they were limited by time and experience.
The mid-sized corporation in America is generally led by the entrepreneur who started the company or increasingly, a multi-generation family member who has inherited the leadership mantle. They are passionate decision-makers who require a level of strategy, sophistication and service that many firms are unable to provide. These leaders have many ideas for which they want public relations support. They pivot, change direction and cancel products, services and initiatives, and require a public relations firm to move just as quickly. They start work before 9 am and end it well after 5 pm. They are direct and decisive, which requires a firm to be ready to support them.
That is what we built Steinreich Communications to support. We have been there for our clients when they were expanding showrooms at trade shows, when shootings occurred outside of their manufacturing facilities, when their CEOs unexpectedly passed away, when their companies were acquired or were acquiring others, when they opened a new embassy, when they opened a new exposition at a key world event, when they wanted their first website built, or first social media pages developed. We’ve helped countless not-for-profits tell their stories to the world and raise millions of dollars for their programs and services as a result. We have counseled chairmen, CEOs, CFOs, presidents, cabinet ministers and secretaries, members of congress and parliaments, ambassadors, mayors and countless government staffers.
Our success has not only been with the service we provide, but also with the alumni network of staff who have gone on to key positions in governments, corporations and even to other agencies.
As we mark this important milestone, we internally remind ourselves of the important mission and place our agency plays in the global public relations landscape. Moreover, the important role each of you plays as you carry the mantle of Steinreich Communications in servicing our clients.