Recognition turns 30

Recognition turned 30 this year. In human years, that’s still relatively young. In business years, turning 30 means we are one of the most experienced PR firms operating in the technology and corporate services sector.

We’ve come a long way

We were founded in 1985, when Marty McFly first went back to the future. Some of the technology and gadgets companies were spruiking in 1985 felt pretty futuristic back then:

• car phones and pagers were all the rage with corporate types
• the compact disc player was beginning to take off
• Nintendo launched its first gaming system
• Windows 1.0 was released and the IBM PC was only four years old
• AM radio started broadcasting in Australia.

In 1985, we sent press releases to journalists via snail mail and, if they wanted a picture to go with the story, we sent them a bromide, or they sent out a photographer. We spent a lot of time on the phone with journalists and clients alike: a personal touch that remains core to our ethos even today in an era of instant electronic communication.

The secret to our longevity

We’ve developed strong skills in leveraging new communication tools like social media to be more efficient and effective. We’ve embraced flexibility and a significant proportion of our team works remotely, seamlessly integrated with colleagues in the office. We also believe that talking to colleagues, journalists, and clients, on the phone or face-to-face, is still the best way to build strong relationships and deliver meaningful results.

30 years ago, our focus was primarily on media and analyst relations. Today, that focus has broadened. As a strategic business partner we take the lead on holistic, integrated marketing campaigns. We understand our clients’ business and marketing challenges and help use all of the communications channels at their disposal to solve them, from social media and advertising to editorials and websites.

It may sound like a cliché, but …

Our ongoing success is based on listening. We listen to what our clients need and we listen to what journalists need from us so they can do their jobs well. The only way to remain relevant over the decades is to constantly listen and learn from every possible opportunity.

Because we keep our fingers on the pulse (sorry; another cliché) we know how to innovate in ways that will actually add value for our clients. In the past two years we’ve added an in-house graphic design and web development service, and media buying capabilities.

Recognition PR remains, at its core, a communications agency. We thrive on the challenge of helping our clients manage their reputations and communicate with key audiences, using all the tools and channels that are available.

The first 30 years passed by in the blink of an eye. We can’t wait to see what the next 30 years brings!