I just returned to Fearey Group headquarters in Seattle from my fourth annual trip to the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy (CAPRSA). CAPRSA is a place for PR agency leaders and executives to get together, to share knowledge and to support each other.
A couple key takeaways that I’m writing down on our blog to remind myself that we must focus on these items in the next year:
- Focus on ourselves. Most agencies tend to neglect their own marketing program. Starting this week, I will assign an account team to manage our Fearey Group public relations and marketing program. We do it for many clients–time to focus on ourselves. First up, a new website launch with a brand design makeover. Stay tuned for that.
- Competitors can be friends. This was the first time in my four years that someone from Seattle actually attended this must-attend agency leadership conference. And I was eager to find these folks there. Our competitors at DUO PR are now our friends. We’re going to lookout for each other in the coming months–and often get together to discuss key learnings. The goal is to compete but do it on friendly terms. Our client at the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association calls it “Coopetition”.
- Focus on Product Lines. Fearey Group is a full service communications firm. We have some great advantages–but clients often don’t get to experience these until they get to know us. We now have a Podcast and Video Suite. We do design and branding work. We’re really good at social media engagement and offer up a monthly Social Media Lunch together. We’re strategic yet we’re really fun. We have content to share and we know how to deliver. We need to share these product lines in specialized ways in the coming ways.
- Specialize. Fearey Group has done this over the past decade. And we will continue to do this… while we’re still a generalist shop, we have quite a bit of health and life science clients. So are targets in the next year, will continue to focus on this category.