Why would a PR company buy an ad agency? Isn’t that backwards? This is a question I’ve been asked a lot in the weeks since my firm, APCO Worldwide, announced it had purchased a majority share in creative powerhouse StrawberryFrog. StrawberryFrog is a great agency with innovative leaders, a winning philosophy, iconic clients and a…
Posts by Margery Kraus
Margery Kraus is founder and chief executive officer of APCO Worldwide, and the 2010 Council of Public Relations Firms Chair. Ms. Kraus founded APCO in 1984 and transformed it from a company with one small Washington office to a multinational consulting firm in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In September 2004 Ms. Kraus led a management buy-out of her firm, making APCO one of the largest privately owned communication and public affairs firms in the world.
PR’s Adaptation to the New Normal—A Message from Departing Council Chair Margery Kraus
I’ve enjoyed an exciting and enriching year as Chairwoman of the Council. As a professional who came of age outside the industry, serving as Chair was a wonderful opportunity to develop new relationships with numerous colleagues in other firms. I was amazed not merely by the quality of the people I encountered, but by the…
PR in the Boardroom
Today, as recent news coverage has confirmed, we communications professionals find ourselves not merely in the trenches, but in the boardroom acting as valuable strategic counsel to corporate leadership. While our industry will continue to provide clients with the tactical help they need to execute communications programs, a real opportunity exists to add value by…
Four Keys for Our Industry’s Success
I spoke at the PR Agency Management Summit last week, where the focus of my speech was a roadmap for our industry. This post is a distilled version of that speech. I spoke on seeing the future with clearer vision through four “eyes”— interaction, integrity, integration and innovation. Our industry continues to strengthen its position…