The 25-Year History of Buchanan Public Relations
The idea of Buchanan Public Relations began several years before I opened the doors to my own firm.
At the time, I was leading the public relations department of a large Philadelphia advertising agency. Edelman, which maintained a network of affiliate firms in markets where it did not have its own office, was seeking a partner in Philadelphia. We pitched for this honor and beat out a number of other PR firms.
After several years, Edelman decided to disband the affiliate network. But the firms that had been affiliates wondered why we couldn’t stay connected by forming our own independent network. And that’s how the Public Relations Global Network was born.
Originally called The Phoenix Network – our first meeting was held in Phoenix and we liked the imagery of the reborn phoenix – we met regularly to share ideas, referrals, and best practices.
Encouragement From Other Entrepreneurs
Being surrounded by entrepreneurs who were all running their own firms began to rub off on me. I was constantly being encouraged to strike out on my own. It was becoming clear to me that I had probably gone as far as I could at the ad agency where I was working, and so early in 1998 I transitioned out of my role there to hang my own shingle.
At the time, I was a single mother who was the sole support for our family. This was not a decision I made lightly. But I felt very led to take this step, convinced that if it didn’t work out, I could make my way back to a corporate communications job.
I converted my primary bedroom to an office and invested in a cool IKEA desk, carpeting, a new computer, and a beautiful logo designed by a dear friend. My first logo was an oak leaf, symbol of the mighty oak and a nod to turning a new leaf and my love of nature.
Growing the Business
A number of clients at my former employer inquired about following me, but I urged them to stay put. I had no desire to hurt my former agency. One client, for whom I had done almost all of the work, did end up moving its business. But other than that, I had to start finding clients and growing business myself. Putting food on the table is a strong motivator to find new business!
My big break came when I got a call from Right Management Consultants, the global outplacement and consulting firm. Our work for them, which lasted for more than five years, included a global career confidence survey that we conducted in 16 countries around the world, resulting in global news coverage for the firm and a PRSA award for best media relations program.
Another significant early client was a crisis client that was involved in the third largest product recall in American history. A local manufacturer was sued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to replace millions of defective fire sprinklers. With plenty of crisis experience gained in my first corporate job, I relished the role of sensitively communicating a sense of urgency without causing undue panic, as we urged building owners to participate in a free replacement program.
When the CMO at Right moved to the law firm Pepper Hamilton, the beginning of another long and fruitful client relationship began. We worked with the firm for 20 years, an almost unheard-of tenure. Each of these clients intensified my love of B2B communications and the high-level, precise writing that it demanded.
The Challenges
The first truly significant obstacle I faced in my business was the financial meltdown of 2008. As a firm, we began to experience softness well before the tsunami hit our industry. One of our big clients at the time was GMAC Mortgage, who canceled their contract abruptly as they began to sense what was coming.
Over the course of the next few months, many of our clients asked to cancel or halt their contracts. I made the decision to allow them to pause their work without any financial penalty, a decision that proved to be a good one; most resumed their work when the worst of the downturn was behind them and remained grateful, loyal clients.
But it was a stressful time that required some layoffs and belt-tightening. I thought it would be the worst thing I would face as a small business owner. (Spoiler alert: It was not!) I certainly expected that it would “vaccinate” (heh heh) me against any further financial downturns. I was wrong on that count.
When Pennsylvania officially shut down in March 2020, I was confident that this would be a minor speed bump that we would weather because of our strong roster of large, corporate clients. In fact, just the opposite occurred: Our largest clients moved swiftly to halt their PR programs completely. That represented the second time in the firm’s history that I had to rebuild the company.
Our Homes
After starting in a bedroom of my first house, the second office for Buchanan PR was the third-floor attic of my second house. It worked very well until it didn’t. After a year in that space, I sometimes had four freelancers showing up to pick up work assignments. It reached a breaking point one night close to midnight when, lying in bed on the second floor, I heard my office phone ring on the third floor. That incident convinced me I needed more definition between my work and home lives.
After a search, I relocated the firm to “real” office space in south Ardmore. I was so naïve when I began looking for office space that I expected I would sign a one-year lease, similar to an apartment lease. Imagine my surprise when I learned that office leases are typically written for seven-year periods! You really have to feel confident about your future prospects to sign a lease like that.
We spent 11 years in that space, growing both our client roster and our staff. In 2015, we relocated to our current home, a 3,000 SF office building in Bryn Mawr that we renovated and decorated for our use. The highlight of our space is a large, custom-built conference room table made out of repurposed barnwood. The table represents so much of what we value – sustainability, legacy, shared meals and shared thinking.
The People
The one constant in 25 years of business has been the outstanding quality of the colleagues I’ve been so fortunate to work with. I have valued the professional partnerships we’ve built over the years and treasured the many friendships, as well.
In 2023, we began laying the foundation for the next 25 years of Buchanan PR when I named two Partners – Megan Yocum and Johnny Reynolds. Together, we look forward to growing the business.
In the meantime, it is fun to reflect on the highlights of 25 years of Buchanan PR. Since 1998, we have:
- Operated from 4 different office locations
- Been a dog-friendly office for more than 20 years
- Served more than 300 clients
- Written more than 2,700 press releases
- Been a founding member of The Public Relations Global Network
- Welcomed more than 40 new firms into PRGN
