Public relations is one of the best tools offered to modern businesses to address both internal and external audiences and is a crucial tool to success. 5WPR is an independently-owned PR agency built for now, adopting current and modern methods of reaching out to and connecting with a wider range of audiences.
In an ever-evolving industry, it is equally important to have an agency ready to grow and evolve alongside you. 5W is proudly committed to developing prosperous partnerships between brands and consumers. CEOS of 5WPR, Dara Busch and Matt Caiola were with the CEOViews team to share insights into their business story.
The Unwavering Journey of Success
5WPR was founded in 2003 in a single room with only a handful of interns. Twenty years later, the agency has grown tremendously and continues to flourish, with more than 300 professional employees, and hundreds of clients spanning various consumer industries, B2B businesses, technology startups, and disruptors.
Embracing its continued growth, recently the agency has announced the launch of a new digital agency, HOW, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the firm.
The agency is consistently recognized for its outstanding work and decades of monumental success, receiving accolades including PR Agency of the Year from the American Business Awards, Top Agencies of the Year by PR Daily, and Best Workplaces by Inc.
Serving Clients Across the Consumer Space
As an agency, 5W does not restrict itself by focusing on one particular industry or limiting its services. “We know that public relations is beneficial to all industries, and with a workforce of more than 300 professionals, our experience and areas of expertise are extremely diverse” share CEOs Dara Busch and Matt Caiola. As a full-service agency, 5WPR serves clients across the consumer space including beauty and fashion, entertainment, food and beverage, health and wellness, travel and hospitality, technology, and nonprofits, and within the B2B Space in areas like corporate communications, reputation management, public affairs, and crisis communications.
Keeping Up with Industry Trends
Marketing is a dynamic world where trends keep on changing every now and then. Keeping up with the evolving world and staying ahead is the goal of 5W.
“Our motto is ‘Built for Now’ because we anticipate how the industry will change and we know we must evolve alongside it” Dara Busch and Matt Caiola elaborate. “We’re consistently among the first agencies to integrate new technologies and platforms into our strategies, as well as work alongside new and emerging industries.”
Additionally, the company is named after the five principles of journalism: who, what, where, when and why. This central vision allows them to build and execute campaigns and strategies unique to every client and their needs, resulting in work that exceeds expectations.
Building Campaign Strategies
SWPR leverages well-researched and well-thought-out strategies designed keeping in mind the unique needs of clients to build effective marketing campaigns. “Having a clear under standing of your client’s goals as well as your target audience are the most important details in building your strategy. From there, you can build a campaign strategy around where you want to meet the audience on their journey alongside your client. Are you looing to build awareness or drive a sale? These are key questions you also need to answer for your strategy” explained Busch and Caiolat.
“Our motto is ‘Built for Now’ because we anticipate how the industry will change and we know we must evolve alongside it.”
Proactive Approach Towards Technology
Public relations is all about staying up to date on what’s happening across all industries, including new technology, platforms, and outlets.
The technological space is constantly evolving. To keep up with the advancements, SWPR keeps a close eye on the integration of artificial intelligence to make better, data-driven decisions on behalf of clients. “There is still a lot unknown about Al and how we’ll use and rely on it in years to come, so it’s a technology we’ll be following very closely as it continues to advance” says Busch.
Driving Innovation
Innovation is a necessity to stay ahead of competition and SWPR encourages the teams to strive for innovation every day. Caiola shares, “A benefit of our ability to innovate is our diverse range of professionals. Each team member brings their own experience and viewpoints, allowing us to collaborate within and across teams. Additionally, as an agency we work across so many different industries and areas of business that we can discuss what strategies and tactics are working across the board,often bringing insights from one industry into a different area of business”
Stacking Up Against Competitors
Staying current with new market trends has been the mission statement of 5WPR since its inception. The organization seeks to expand and transform its current offerings and products keeping in mind the evolving needs of the industry, particularly the ones that are expanding quickly and steadily.
“Our knowledge that we must adapt is central to our mission-we don’t fight it, and this gives us a competitive edge over other agencies” the CEOS assert.
Navigating Challenges
Every client hasunique needs and expectations. Exceeding those expectations by setting realistic goals is the biggest challenge. Often, clients want to see themselves in a specific outlet or use a particular social media platform, which may not always be the right move for them. Just because it’s a trend and timely doesn’t mean it will be a successful move for everyone. So, there’s a lot of discussion about why something may or may not be appropriate for a specific program. 5WPR always enters these conversations with well-researched justification.
Building A Culture of Trust
The CEOs are extremely proud of their agency culture. “It’s all to do with the outstanding professionals who make up our teams. They not only care about their clients and the work they execute on their behalf, but also about each other and are always ready to help where they can. This culture flows through the agency from the top down. We value individuals who express an interest in growing in their careersthe leadership team at 5W has an average employee tenure of more than seven years, with several of them having started and or/advanced their careers at the firm. They’ve played a huge role in shaping our agency into what it is today.”
Future Vision
Every industry, including those that don’t even yet exist, benefits from PR. Today, the company is working with clients within the space exploration industry, which is something unimaginable as recently as five years ago. As we move forward and beyond, the world of business is constantly evolving and drastically changing. In the future, 5WPR aims to continue to grow and engage with the emerging areas of business, as it is their ethos to do so, while also growing alongside the current and more traditional areas of business.
