Public Relations

Many companies have a great story to tell. They’re just not sure how to tell it.

Idea Grove can help. Led by Scott Baradell — whose resume includes experience as a Fortune 1000 media company executive, celebrated blogger and award-winning journalist — we understand the challenges companies face today in communicating to diverse, distracted and time-deprived audiences. We help translate your business objectives into brand messages; then, we develop creatively inspired platforms for getting the word out – to customers, investors, employees, and others.

The Four PR Rules We Live By

We don’t believe in throwing stones at our competitors. Many PR firms do a wonderful job for their clients. But we are well aware of the common problems in client-agency relationships, and we are careful to avoid them. Idea Grove observes the following axioms in serving our clients:

1. We always give you senior-level counsel.

In a Harris poll on the topic of PR, 1,700 clients were asked to rank the most important characteristics in a public relations agency. The overwhelming winner: the quality of the person working on the account every day.

Large public relations firms often win new clients through the sales efforts of senior executives, but then delegate the day-to-day work to junior staffers. While agencies promise to provide senior-level oversight of these staffers, sometimes true oversight only comes as a result of client complaints.

At Idea Grove, every member of our team is a senior-level counselor. We are small, and selective in building our clientele. We only take jobs that we believe we can do exceptionally well. We assemble teams of senior public relations, marketing and design consultants based on a client’s specific requirements. This enables us to offer superior project teams at reasonable hourly rates.

2. We always know your business.

We believe the key to doing our job well is to understand your industry, your company and/or product, and your objectives in working with us. We don’t settle for a superficial, “just tell me enough to write the press release” level of knowledge. We know we can’t truly help you until your passion becomes our passion. We have experience in industries as wide ranging as media and entertainment, financial services, technology, telecommunications, and healthcare. Here’s a promise: If we don’t have a handle on your industry, we won’t handle your business.

3. We always deliver quality work, the first time.

Because we’ve worked for corporations large and small, we know what it’s like to make that crucial presentation to the CEO. We know what it’s like to approve a six-figure print run and be responsible for any errors in the finished product. These responsibilities are stressful enough, without having to worry about your public relations agency doing its job. So when you hire us, you can rest assured that we will not send you a press release with careless errors, brochure copy that misses the point, or other work that wastes our time and yours. We treat every job with the proper gravity and attention to detail.

4. We never embarrass you.
    In a recent survey of more than 130 trade and technology reporters, journalists expressed the following top complaints about PR people:

  • They don’t understand how the media works or what constitutes a story.
  • They don’t understand their client’s business well enough to answer basic questions.
  • They don’t have adequate work experience to do their jobs in a professional manner.

How is this possible? For many agencies, media calling is a bulk activity. They make many calls to reporters, and many follow-up calls, to increase their chances of placing your story. For cost-efficiency, a very junior staffer who knows very little about your account might be assigned the job of calling the news media to pitch your story.

The staffer might make 100 media calls on your behalf to get your company mentioned in, say, three publications. And the agency might present that to you as a success.

At Idea Grove, we worry about the 97 other calls. Did the caller, because of his or her inexperience or lack of knowledge, have embarrassing interactions with reporters that will cause them to never write about your company? We don’t take a “bulk” approach at Idea Grove – in media relations or anything we do.

We Can Help You Stand Apart

Experts in corporate public relations, Idea Grove believes every successful PR strategy is comprised of a sound communications plan that is brought to life through relevant industry-specific content. At Idea Grove, we not only embrace new media and traditional media, we know how to integrate all media sources to maximum effect.

Idea Grove knows what it takes to set you apart from your competitors. We do it creatively, we do it efficiently, and we do it consistently. That’s ultimately what sets us apart.