Info

Roop & Co. is best described as a marketing communication boutique. We approach our clients' needs with strategic creativity. In doing so, we cut through the clutter of the communication landscape to influence attitudes and actions in support of their organizational objectives. The result: our clients get their messages across to their primary stakeholders - whether it's to sell product to customers, stock to investors, stories to the media or benefits to employees. What capabilities does Roop & Co. have? Our platform capabilities include public relations, investor relations and graphic design. And behind the collective experience of our staff, Roop & Co.'s services span the communication spectrum to include:Strategic communication counsel Marketing, employee, financial and crisis communication Media relations Advertising Graphic design Online communication including internet sites and blogs Fundraising support Community relations Public affairs How do you charge for your services? Like most public relations and graphic design firms, our compensation is predicated on an hourly rate. Our average rate is $145 per hour, with a range of $90-$220 per hour. We typically provide program or project estimates in advance, and will alert you if these budgets are in jeopardy as a result of changing circumstances. We will work with clients in structuring compensation to meet their needs - e.g., a retainer relationship to smooth out monthly peaks and valleys if a client so desires. We also charge an industry-standard 20 percent service fee for managing certain types of production work, such as printing. We usually bill on a monthly progress basis, with charges for the prior month invoiced between the first and tenth of the following month. How do you differentiate your firm from others? In most public relations firms, senior people are salespersons and managers, not doers. New business and firm administration take up a significant portion of the public relations executive's time. Senior people may pitch the business, only to disappear shortly after the account is won. At Roop & Co., our goal is to remain a hands-on business, with senior practitioners serving all of the firm's clients. We aim for the highest quality standards in both the work we perform and in the relationships we enjoy with our clients. In the public relations industry today, most firms receive a substantial portion of their annual revenues from project work. As a result, replacing concluded project work with new projects takes a substantial new business investment. While we welcome project work, our main focus is on building lasting relationships with our clients. As a result of our philosophy and the differentiated approach to the public relations market, we feel our firm will outperform an account team that a client is assigned from another firm. Does the firm specialize strictly in financial public relations? It's true that the firm's original roots are in financial communication. And we continue to bring our clients valued counsel and service in reaching the financial community. But since our founding in 1996, the depth and breadth of our experience has vastly expanded beyond this niche. Can you share communication responsibility with other partners who we have previously selected, such as an ad agency? Our attitude is that if such a firm is part of your team, then we will partner with them as well. We will work to assure there are no turf battles and that your other partners are fully informed as to what we are doing. Can you handle global work? Yes. We are affiliated with Manning, Selvage & Lee, which has 40 offices, 950 employees and nearly 100 affiliate firms worldwide. Additionally, through our association with PRSA's Counselors Academy and prior associations with a worldwide network of independent PR firms, we can assemble a highly focused team of firms to meet any client need. Typically, we handle all work inside the U.S. ourselves, with the possible exception of nuts-and-bolts logistics that are more cost effectively handled by a local firm we would pick. What happens if we have a crisis requiring more manpower than you have on staff? In addition to the Manning, Selvage & Lee affiliation, we have identified a number of individuals who could serve on a crisis team if the need warrants. Whether you are using a 250 person public relations firm or a small one, only your account team will be intimately familiar with your business. This is the group that will direct your work, as is the case with Roop & Co. What is the central attribute that makes for a good client? We are looking for partners - clients with whom we can share a relationship for many years to come. The nature of the work is less important than the quality of the relationship.