We believe so. PR has changed from ‘guys that speak to journalists’ to people that create content that can be used across many media channels. We now have community managers, creative directors and web developers working at GolinHarris. The old generalist model is dead.
You’re right! We’re shocked by how agencies still try and operate in a pre-digital world. It is very hard for organizations that have been around for so long to change. The PR business is booming, which has probably meant people feeling comfortable with the status quo.
Both. Al Golin has a saying: “Fix it before it breaks”. GolinHarris is growing faster than ever before and our reputation is at a high – that’s the time to change; when you’re strong.
You’ll forgive me if my main concern isn’t how other agencies can steal our staff! You raise a good point though – we want our people to be comfortable that their career will be more rewarding with GH. Our message is simple: if you specialize in something that you love, countless studies show you’ll succeed and have a more enjoyable and rewarding career.
We did a lot of pre-testing with clients before the launch so hopefully we’ve ironed out any major changes. That said we can only move at a pace that is right for our clients. Some countries will move faster than others.
Media relations will always be the bedrock of our business, whether that’s Romania, America or China. We want to build from this base. Clients tell us that they want to work with fewer agencies and there is a real opportunity for PR people to move from earned media into shared, owned and paid.
Actually our smaller offices like Romania we see as more agile than some of our bigger offices. We’re connecting our Romanian colleagues to the rest of our network in real ways that clients can benefit from. Take “The Bright Collective” our online ideas creation platform: If you’re sat in Bucharest working on a brief for Orange – you can develop ideas online with creative directors, film makers, artists and bloggers from around the world. That’s pretty cool.
Matt Neale, President International GolinHarris, spent 6 years at GolinHarris and 14 with the parent company IPG. He joined as a graduate after sailing across the Indian Ocean. He loves trying to talent-spot bright, straight-talking and driven grads and give them some of the incredible opportunities he’s had.
He often annoys his friends recounting the founder Al Golin’s favourite saying: “you have to look forward to Monday morning as well as Friday night.” He considers he is incredibly lucky to have fallen into a career that he loves. His ambition in Europe is to be the “most loved PR Agency.”
Over the past three years Matt and his co-managing director Jon Hughes have built a team of people that they’re incredibly proud to represent. Some of their major achievements are winning PRCA 2008 International Agency of the Year and being named one of the best places to work in Britain.
Interview by Dana Oancea, PR Romania.