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I recently read an interesting piece about what the PR industry will look like in 20 years. I sense that PR agencies of the future will likely look nothing like firms do today.  As I was reading it, I couldn’t help thinking about this blog post I write every month in celebration of PAN’s own 20^th anniversary and how much PAN has changed in 20 years.

As we celebrate our 20^th anniversary at PAN this year, I am proud to write these blog posts every month that take a look back at where we have come from and where we are going. Over the past three months, I decided it would be fun to focus each post on one of the three pillars of a PR firm: talent, new business and clients.

I like to think that I saved the best for last with this three-part blog series. Not to say that clients outweigh my appreciation for the other two pillars discussed in my previous two posts: talent and new business. But, the conversation around clients is an interesting one. Clients are one area that really demonstrates just how much PAN has grown over the years.

Clients are what keep us in business, keep us motivated and keep us fresh. Over the years, our clients, past, present and future, have played and will continue to play a role in shaping PAN. For me, something that sets PAN apart when it comes to clients, and has attributed to an average client tenure of three-and-a-half years, is our VPs’ level of involvement. From the minute Mark or Tim identifies a prospect, we assign a VP; that VP has a vested interest in winning the business and stays on the account adding value throughout its tenure in the firm. That VP knows every aspect of the client’s business!

As we celebrate our 20^th anniversary at PAN this year, I am proud to write these blog posts every month that take a look back at where we have come from and where we are going. Over the next three months, I decided it would be fun to focus each post on one of the three pillars of a PR firm: talent, clients and new business.

Image from Flazingo Photos used under CC license.

Knowing that this post, a second of three, was going to focus on the new business pillar of PR agencies, I spent some time talking with EVP Mark Nardone and his team about just how new business has changed. Mark is truly one of the best business development people I've ever met.  He faces each prospect with a passion like no other. Just as the PR industry itself has transformed and grown, he has had to alter the way we’ve approached and pitched new business.

When I started PAN Communications 20 years ago, I had a vision. My vision was to create a firm that not only did exceptional work and helped clients meet their goals, but an agency where people were as passionate for their craft as I am, a place where people could grow their careers, without fear of office politics, and a place where company culture and employee opinions matter. I built PAN on the premise that the ingredients for a successful PR program are building relationships, earning trust and delivering key information to influencers who matter. 
Since day one in Andover, it has always been my goal that no matter how big PAN gets or how many offices we have, we never abandon that vision.

5 Ways We Made PAN the Best Place to Work

Posted by Phil Nardone on May 20, 2015 4:04:00 PM

It has been an exciting month for PAN. Spring has finally arrived in Boston and the mountains of snow from February are like a distant memory. As those of you that follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn may already know, PAN was named as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” and was named a finalist in the Holmes Report as "Best PR Agencies to Work” for in the small agency category. To say that I am proud is an understatement. These two recognitions are truly a testament to the hard working individuals at PAN who not only strive for excellence in their day-to-day client work, but also in helping make PAN a great place to come to work every day.

When I started PAN 20 years ago, my vision was to create a firm that not only did exceptional work and helped clients meet their goals, but I wanted an agency where people were accepted for who they are, were as passionate for their craft as I was, a place where people could grow their careers, was free of office politics, and a place where company culture and employee opinions matter. Here are just a few things that I personally think make PAN a best place to work and keep smiles on my staff’s faces.