We offer a broad array of services, each designed to meet the specific needs and objectives of agency clients. Following is an overview of our services and capabilities in each area.

A Vocal Strategic Partner

At the heart of our services is our role as your strategic business partner and a firm that provides our senior leadership, expertise and counsel to bear on your efforts to grow your business. We’re your partner, not a vendor. We provide you with our insight rather than being “yes people”. We provide superb counsel and creative platforms to help you achieve your objectives. And most importantly, we work seamlessly as part of your marketing communications team.

Strategic Brand Building

Our focus as a strategic partner is on helping our clients grow their business. Very often this goes beyond traditional media relations work and begins with the process of creating a brand proposition and executing a campaign that helps to effectively build a strong and definable brand positioning with internal and external audiences. We begin with a communications audit that allows us to understand our clients strengths and weaknesses and determine the competitive environment. We then do a realistic, unbiased review of what their core strengths are in the marketplace. This allows us to create a branding initiative that ranges from logo development and brand messages to web site design and advertising. Time and again, we’ve helped companies, large and small, build their brand in an effective and meaningful manner and in a way that has a direct impact on the bottom line.

Media Relations

At the center of our services is the ability to deliver a strategic, comprehensive and highly targeted media relations campaign. Unlike many firms that rely strictly on their media contacts, at Southard we believe the key to success is having an in-depth understanding of our clients’ business and a unique ability to package this in a way that media will be interested. At the same time, our most experienced senior executives are our media specialists – no juniors or interns pitching media. We’ve built a reputation as being one of the most respected and successful media relations firms due to our ability to have our most seasoned, experienced staffers work daily with print, broadcast and online media outlets.

Online Marketing Communications

Plain and simple we understand the online world of blogs, social networking and media outlets.  Long before online communications and blogging became the sensation it is today, we were working with the online community as a means of reaching external audiences and influencing them to take action. Today, an online marketing communications campaign is a part of every single strategic marketing communications program and in some cases even more important that traditional media relations work. Beware of those who speak the talk, but don’t walk the walk. At Southard, are experience and understanding of the online world allows us to develop strategic online marketing communications programs that deliver results.

Special Events

Another cornerstone of the services that are routinely provided to clients comes in the form of special events. In today’s cluttered world it is imperative to find ways to break through this clutter and create opportunities to generate awareness around a client product or service. With a reputation as being “creative specialists” we provide clients with practical creative programs and campaigns that will allow each to stand out in the marketplace and break through this increasing clutter.

Influencer Outreach

For many clients our programs extend beyond traditional media as a means of reaching  our targeted audiences and extend into this area of influencing the influencers. We help clients identify these individuals and groups and create meaningful relationships on their behalf, establishing a group of brand ambassadors that can help spread the word and build credibility for client products or services.

Corporate Reputation Management

Managing the reputation of our clients with all external audiences is at the heart of many of our client campaigns. Developing well-rounded strategic initiatives, preparing executives to adequately communicate consistent messages to external audiences and reacting quickly to opportunities are the cornerstone of our efforts in helping to manage the corporate reputation of all of our clients. Additionally, our expertise in crisis communications and management (and insistence on developing a crisis plan at the beginning of a relationship) prepares clients to effectively manage their reputation during a crisis situation.

Strategic Partnership Development

The development of a strategic partnership that could add value to a clients business and create additional media opportunities is another important aspect of the services provided to all clients. Creating opportunities and pursuing collaborative partnerships that deliver real value is a critically important service provided to our full range of clients. In many cases we are able to partner existing clients with shared goals and audiences together in a partnership that pays dividends to both parties while maximizing their investment in marketing communications.

Crisis Management and Communications

Through our two senior partners and staff of crisis specialists, we provide clients with top level strategic thinking and execution in times of crises. From tainted toys and groundwater contamination, our crisis background is broad and well documented. And, our campaigns are twofold: preparing clients for potential crisis through the development of a crisis management and communications manual; and strategic counsel and guidance during an individual crisis. Our counsel provides means by which clients can mitigate negative situations, act quickly and decisively to head off a potential crisis and effectively protect their corporate image or brand presence with internal and external audiences.

Product Launches

The agency has considerable experience in launching new products into the U.S. and international marketplaces. Beginning with a strategic plan and including a creative platform and an aggressive, comprehensive media approach, we have successfully launched hundreds of products for clients since our founding in 1994.

Media Training

Preparing executives to effectively communicate key messages is an essential part of all marketing communications programs. We provide turnkey service in providing clients with intensive, customized media training to ready all company officials to act as the corporate spokesperson with the press.

Media Monitoring

All clients are supported with an ongoing system by which we monitor key media outlets on a daily basis. Through an online report delivered in some cases daily, clients are kept apprised of the latest industry and competitive developments while also aware of the results generated specifically on their behalf.

Program Measurement

Clients should only engage in a public relations campaign if it in fact delivers value and an excellent return-on-investment. We make this a seamless process and use a variety of measurement tools to track and analyze results on an ongoing basis.

In addition to these services we do provide the following through established relationships with partner companies:

• Market research
• Collateral
• Advertising
• Financial/Investor Relations
• Web Site Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Sales Management & Distribution