Why did you name the firm Relevance and what does it mean to be relevant in 2022 as opposed to ten years ago?
The name Relevance came to me because it encapsulates what we do in one word. I once read a formula that says Relevance = Value + Attention. That is precisely our job, to show our client’s value to its prospective audience and garner the attention the company deserves. Our creative strategies help propel our clients’ relevance in their key markets and industries to drive business goals forward.
Achieving relevance has evolved rapidly since 2012 and we’ve stayed ahead of the curve—as well as helped drive the trends. A few things that really stand out are the rise of digital marketing and the growth of thought leadership across new communications tools. No one says “omnichannel” anymore because this is just assumed in an effective comms strategy. You need to be strategic still, but your communication channels also need to be more varied and consistent because people aren’t just going to the same few publications to see what’s relevant anymore.
Thought leadership is a big part of growing relevance as well. People want to see that business leaders are intellectually engaged in the big conversations. With the increasing importance of ESG and more global capital competition, everyone from luxury residential brands to consumer packaged goods needs to demonstrate that they’re leading larger conversations that affect society. Thought leadership is not new, but the ways in which we achieve it and where we can achieve it has made a huge shift over the last decade.
There is an ever-changing landscape of media, but we are still simply arbiters of great content. Relevance starts with a great story and we are the strategic and creative storytellers.
Why did you choose to go global and why London and LA?
New York always made sense as a starting point for this business, since we launched as a built environment-focused firm and one rooted in luxury lifestyle. What city in the world is more about real estate and luxury than New York?
Global relevance is the ultimate stage we can offer our clientele. We knew that to be truly relevant, we needed to ensure we could represent our clients’ interests in any target market where they need a presence. London was a natural second office choice, since it is a global center of investment and luxury activity, as well as a gateway to Europe.
LA subsequently ensures that the sun never sets on our workday, as we can work with our clients and our own handpicked affiliates around the clock, from Kuala Lumpur to London. LA is also arguably the creative capital of world and it was a natural location to expand our footprint as we expanded our services as well. My personal passion for all things International also really helps to fuel our vision around dotting the planet.
What drove the expansion of to a full-service suite from a more strictly PR one?
I have to be honest—I struggled with the decision. I once told PR News how much I believed in the division of “church and state” between earned and paid media, which is what I learned at the Scripps School of Journalism. Ethics and integrity still are center stage for Relevance, but the media world isn’t playing by the same old rules, so just like any belief that you cling to for too long, you need to evolve with the world or become a dinosaur. I chose evolution.
Media management, public affairs, and messaging are only part of the game, as social media, thought leadership, digital marketing, media buying and a host of other avenues have become more holistic. For our clients to be as competitive as possible, we offer a full range of in-house creative and digital services that align with the broader narratives and campaigns we conceive and execute. Earned and sponsored content, digital ads, branding, and web development, just to name a few, are necessarily aligned with public relations campaigns.
How has the growth of Relevance surprised you?
Relevance International has exceeded the growth goals I set when I started it 10 years ago. I am proud to be a 100% woman-owned independent PR business with no investors and no debt. I knew the first few years would mean sacrifice and have chosen to reinvest in the business rather than taking on capital or investment from outside sources. As a result, we’re a true rarity in the PR world—a sizable firm that is truly woman-owned; not just one female partner. With the growth of ESG as a must for companies, we have been able to tell clients that we practice what we preach and have been able to show what it means to have that kind of inclusive environment. I am proud to say private equity doesn’t make my decisions for our firm.
I am in awe of the supporters and champions who have rallied to get Relevance to where it is today. I have had both men and women equally cheering us on and that has been a true surprise and delight.
I’m also continuously surprised and impressed by the drive and creativity of the staff who manage to stay hungry and tenacious on behalf of our clients. As we’ve grown and brought in more people with diverse experience, cultures and ideas—and feel the buzz they bring to the workplace—it keeps me inspired every day.
What’s evolved about making a great place to work?
The pandemic put a stress test on all the ideas people have had about what makes a productive office and, importantly, what makes people want to come to work every day. We’ve permanently adopted a hybrid model and this is working really well for us. We’re staying flexible with Work From Anywhere weeks and making sure people have work-life balances that keep them healthy and happy, but we’ve also put a lot of effort into making sure the office is a place where people feel inspired and like being. From Wine Wednesdays, social outings, and company visionings to more quotidian things like common areas for collaboration and having plenty of snacks and Diet Coke on hand, we’re helping to maintain a cohesive culture that prioritizes wellness and everyone’s shared ideas. We ultimately believe this serves our clients best.
We also have a strong teamwork culture. We are definitely stronger together and support each team member’s growth and learning. We foster a culture of “may the best idea win” and that could come from anyone. Leadership in any great organization should remain open to new ideas and not have to be the great idea generator all the time. The result is better ideas, better empowerment, a better culture, and ultimately a better place to work.
What’s next for the growth of the company?
One of the most important things we bring to the table for our clients is creating and executing our big ideas—and doing this for ourselves is no exception. We are progressing a number of content, thought leadership, and experiential ideas, but one goal I am open about sharing now is opening an Asia Pacific office within the coming years. Asia is where I began my career, and having worked there, you see how the world doesn’t function around the US only. Asia is the fastest-growing market on the planet, so why wouldn’t we want to harness the power of that engine?
We’ve accomplished a truly 24-hour operation with our current offices and our own global affiliate network, but the APAC market is a place where we’d love to have feet on the ground to bring our global scope on behalf of brands and companies looking to amplify their own reach from the region. I can’t wait to see what our next 10 years bring!
