Matt Browne

Audio Interview Henry Grey PR by Matt Browne Save MP3

Tell me about Henry Grey PR and why you decided to start the firm?

Henry Grey PR is a consumer public relations boutique I founded in 2008. We’re based here in San Diego and have a team of specialists in New York, LA and Boston, as well. We are really proud to be working with some very smart companies – from start-ups to major CPG and consumer service brands – that are looking for an agency partner who can help with public relations both through traditional and social media.

I grew up in the big agency world and spent nearly 8 years in New York, LA and DC at global PR firms like Ketchum and Burson-Marsteller. The experience of working closely on communications strategies with global brands like Best Buy, Mattel, and Dyson was invaluable in terms of touching all of the aspects of marketing communications – from media relations to social media programs to product placement and events. I had always dreamed of opening an agency at some point to be able to work with smaller companies looking for a team with strong brand marketing background but who might not necessarily be able or willing to invest in a partnership with a big PR firm. Henry Grey PR connects a senior, experienced team with brands who are looking for that level of thinking from a boutique.

Who do you work with?

We work with some very fun brands in the consumer technology, Internet and CPG/services space. We’re actually in the process of adding our client roster to our web site this month, so check for that soon with updates on some of the client work we have underway. We just wrapped up a busy month for our client Blurb, the creative book publishing service that allows you to design and publish your own bookstore quality book. From meetings with media at SXSWi (check out GigaOm’s post about Blurb’s incredible growth), to working on a segment with the Today Show, to helping Blurb announce Photography.Book.Now, March was a pretty incredible month.

What is unique about your approach?

While every client assignment is unique, there are some common elements that we bring to the table for every program.

We look closely at our client’s target audience to understand the media and social networking channels where they gather information. We look at the credible messengers – that could be a journalist or a citizen blogger – in that space. We look for signs of what’s worked well and what hasn’t so that we can use others’ key learnings to our advantage. We believe, and I think our clients agree, that this audience research is critical to ensure that we’re reaching out to the right people and the right channels to not just disseminate information that’s well-received, but truly start a conversation among that target audience.

I also cannot stress how important relationships are for effective public relations. You have to earn positive word-of-mouth. Whether it’s a placement on the Today Show or a good discussion on a blog, it’s the relationships we maintain with journalists and those in the social media space that are critical to managing brand reputation.

And of course, ROI. Measurement – and there’s a custom-approach for every client that fits with their existing measurement tools and metrics – is really important to show the impact that PR has on your business.

And finally, our value proposition is a big draw for clients. Everyone on the Henry Grey PR account team has at least eight years of experience in this field. And we offer significantly lower hourly rates than even mid-size agencies are able to extend.

What’s one of the more challenging scenarios you’ve encountered with a client?

Fortunately, most of the work we do is part of a thought-out, proactive strategy we’re implementing to tell a very positive story for a client. But our team has counseled a number of clients through plenty of challenging situations, ranging from relatively tame news like product price increases to major events like bankruptcy. The best piece of advice I can give any brand is to cultivate your community before you need them. Get to know your evangelists and invest in building a sense of community around your company. When a brand experiences a crisis of some kind, it’s too late to reach out and try to build those relationships.

How can you help San Diego businesses?

Henry Grey PR offers San Diego companies a locally-based team with national resources. I’m always available to meet up or chat about what your company is working on or bounce around ideas for how to utilize earned media exposure to help grow your business. Email me, find me on Facebook, or give me a call.

Audio Interview Henry Grey PR by Matt Browne Save MP3

Mixergy is a web service that helps you collaborate with other hosts to organize events and manage reservations. Mixergy was founded by Andrew Warner, a serial entrepreneur with experience in launching, selling, and running a successful businesses. During my call today, Andrew stood out as a leader that makes a point to take initiative and create opportunities for his business.

Mixergy was created out of the desire to bring together like minded communities for networking locally. Though most of the initial ‘mixing’ or networking happens before the actual event, Andrew emphasizes the importance of connecting in-person too. “After I looked at the landscape of event reservation software, I found a unique opportunity to build something very different,” Andrew stated.

Mixergy is different because it pulls multiple organizers together to host the same event (without them sharing each other’s contacts), which allows for maximum impact and exposure for companies co-hosting the same event.

What started as a side hobby for Andrew, has now grown into an emerging brand that has taken a life of its own.

Hosting an event of your own couldn’t be easier- just head over to mixergy.com and signup today. If you’d like to cohost an event with Andrew (similar to what we did with Happy Hour 2.0), please connect with him via his blog and he’d be happy to organize something.

This was the first published interview in a series of posts I am conducting with web leaders, locally and nationally. My goal is to connect with accomplished entrepreneurs in the web industry and share their winning formula with my readers. Hearing the stories behind the emerging brands directly from the leaders, I hope, will give an added dimension to understanding what makes them (and hopefully you) successful.

Audio Interview of Andrew Warner using Utterz.