Razorfish Selects Concept Communications as Agency of Record

Senior Team to Execute Strategic PR Program for Top Digital Agency

SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2009 – Razorfish, one of the world’s largest digital agencies, has hired Concept Communications as agency of record to implement a public relations program that enhances Razorfish’s market leadership position. Concept will support the Razorfish brand through the promotion of significant activities, such as the launch of new services and thought leadership, across both traditional and social media.

Razorfish has emerged as a power agency in the digital arena, responsible for campaigns and applications that create new standards in marketing. The agency, which employs over 2,000 people across 19 offices worldwide, helps its Fortune 500 clients harness the power of technology and digital media to drive business results.

Concept’s strategy is to assemble custom teams from a stable of accomplished professionals in marketing, media and technology. Tailored for Razorfish, the Concept team has deep experience in vertical industries such as automotive, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, retail, technology and travel, and will focus on Razorfish operations in the United States, adding international markets as needed.

The hiring of a new PR agency comes after an extensive RFP process, which involved an in-depth look at the capabilities of several firms.

David Deal, vice president of marketing at Razorfish, said, “The Concept team impressed us with their depth of understanding of our business and client industries, a precise focus on how we need to tell our story, and an impressive senior team that handles both strategy and execution. We’re very excited that Concept Communications will help Razorfish strengthen our market leadership and brand.”

“Razorfish is a visionary agency with a compelling story of leadership and innovation, and this is a great time for them to tell it,” said Samantha Steinwinder, co-founder and managing director of Concept Communications. “We handpicked our team to align strategically with their objectives and are proud to have been selected as the partner who can best package and promote Razorfish’s inherent strengths as a digital marketing agency.”

About Concept Communications
Concept Communications is a unique public relations firm with a modern business model, employing a virtual network of senior communications professionals from across the country. The Concept team holds deep experience in marketing, traditional and social media, consumer goods, Web-based and small business services, mobile, enterprise software and various vertical industries. Concept has managed global and domestic communications programs for leading brands and emerging start-ups, and has delivered effective communications campaigns that impact sales, partnerships and perception since the early ‘90s. For more information on Concept Communications visit http://www.conceptpr.net.

About Razorfish
Razorfish is one of the largest interactive marketing and technology companies in the world. With a demonstrated commitment to innovation, Razorfish counsels its clients on how to leverage digital channels such as the Web, mobile devices, in-store technologies and other emerging media to engage people, build brand loyalty and provide excellent customer service. The company is increasingly advising marketers on Social Influence Marketing, its approach for employing social media and social influencers to achieve the marketing and business needs of an organization. Its award-winning client teams provide solutions through their strategic counsel, digital advertising and content creation, media buying, analytics, technology and user experience. Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States, and in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom. Clients include Carnival Cruise Lines, MillerCoors, Levi Strauss & Co., McDonald’s and Starwood Hotels. Visit www.razorfish.com for more information. Follow Razorfish on Twitter at @razorfish.

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Contacts: 
Samantha Steinwinder, Concept Communications, samantha@conceptpr.net, 206-760-9809  
David Deal, Razorfish, david.deal@razorfish.com, 312-696-5056

Your Online Voice Drives your Offline Reputation

Dana Wollman, an editor at LAPTOP Magazine—a super sharp gal and all-around good person—and I had lunch a few months back when I shared my dismay at searching for an account coordinator to help the agency with research and social networking support. I was lamenting that the Internet is a double-edged sword for our candidates, because they’re in the field of online communications, yet seem to fall down a bit in, well, online communications. Our conversation worked its way into a story on how job hunters in particular need to manage their online reputations, which ran last month and is a great read if you haven’t yet seen it.

My expectation for sound writing and interesting points of view was (as many expectations are) perhaps higher than it should have been. I was basing the candidates’ qualifications for the position on the writing style in their personal blogs and the content of their social Web posts. Was that fair?

I began to beat myself up a bit, but couldn’t move away from the fact that the personal anecdotes I learned about these candidates left me a bit curious about their fit with Concept. I didn’t fret for long because I asked the question that serves me well when faced with ethical quandaries: “What would I do?” Sure, not the largest sample size, but I’m a decent judge of character, have managed my reputation well over the years, and am in the business of reputation management after all.

What I would do (and, in fact, do), is write for everyone. I assume that my clients are reading my Facebook updates (sorry, you must be bored out of your minds), that their customers are reading my Twitter posts (since I’m identified as the manager of their Twitter profiles), and that potential clients type “Samantha Steinwinder” into Google before calling to discuss a partnership. And that’s exactly what they’re doing.

As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time online, reading, writing and generally participating—for personal, business and even my clients’ business—my reputation is my lifeblood. And my reputation is also tied to that of my clients’. We’re interchangeable, with my voice representing their business, and vice versa. I love the book Trust Agentsby Chris Brogan and Julien Smith for the thoughtful tips on this client/customer reputation entanglement and how it should and can best be managed.

But that doesn’t mean I’m all business. I reveal openly that I am ridiculously in love with baseball and football, that my musical tastes can’t break out of the 70s, and that my children are my stars and moon but I still love my day job. I share what my friends, family, clients and even their customers might like to know or, at a minimum, won’t find objectionable or grammatically flawed.

I hope my “audiences” learn simply that I’m a decent writer, share my passions openly, love a good debate—and even more so, competition—and that I don’t offend my keyboard. All things that serve me well, yet tell you a bit more about my personal style. And, thankfully, what you won’t learn about me is what I had for lunch. Unless it’s dim sum. Sometimes I can’t help but talk about dim sum.

Truth in Public Relations

A couple of weeks ago I attended a cocktail party in downtown San Francisco, hosted by one of our newer clients, real estate search engine Roost.  The party featured fabulous wine from Peay Vinyards, poured by vineyard co-founder Andy Peay himself.  Before the party started Andy and I were chatting about the fact that they’ve focused on Pinots from the very beginning, even when they weren’t trendy.  When I remarked how interesting it is that all industries go through their trends and people scamper to take advantage of them – be it wine, fashion, publishing, technology – Andy simply said, “That’s why it’s so important to be true to yourself.  Then, you build an audience based on your core beliefs.”

And then, you never need to waver from them.

My partner Samantha and I have been reflecting on our core beliefs as we celebrate a milestone anniversary for Concept. It was this week five years ago that she and I had a summit at her house in Seattle, out of which came the agency as we know it today. And in the past five years, many PR tactics and agency philosophies have come in and out of fashion. Yet despite working in an industry renowned for taking liberties with the truth, we’ve always remained true to our clients, to the media, to each other, to our employees, and to ourselves – as people and as a company. Our reporter friends appreciate it, and so do our clients.

We believe our principles have guided us to do our best work – isn’t that what your principles should do? —  and why we appeal most to clients who subscribe to our core principles of Integration, Integrity, and Imagination.  It’s also why we’ve had a continuously strong business that has thrived during boom years and is weathering the current economic downturn, and why great clients like Gracenote and ARCHOS have been working with us for years. 

To everyone who has supported us over the past five years, we thank you for believing in us.

Veronica Skelton
Co-Founder and Managing Director – San Francisco Office
Concept Communications