What better way to launch season 3 than on The Pollack Group’s 40th anniversary?! In today’s episode, Jenn and Kalli talk with TPG founder Noemi Pollack about the inspiration behind the launch of her successful agency. Noemi founded TPG with a vision for a new kind of PR firm – one that would embrace four decades of meaningful work and client relationships. Tune in to learn more about this women-founded company as we celebrate 40 years of the Pollack empire.
imPRessions Season 3 Episode #1 Transcript
Jenn: Kalli, it’s hard to believe that this is the season three opening episode.
Kalli: I know! And you, it’s funny, usually in the TV shows I watch, season three is the best season.
Jenn: Oh, well, I think we’re definitely starting out that way with our very first guest that we have. We are even starting our season a little early to celebrate 40 years at The Pollack Group with none other than the founder, Noemi Pollack.
Kalli: Yes, I’m so excited. I think it’ll be great to hear directly from our founder.
Jenn: Yeah. I mean, just the career she’s had and the vision is incredible. She has accomplished so much at the agency. And we’re really lucky, I guess, to just be part of this legacy of 40 years, four decades of just really innovative PR and marketing. We’ve worked with some incredible clients. And that was all because Noemi decided she wanted to do her own thing, her own way, which we love a girls girl. So ,we’re really excited to talk to her today.
Kalli: Yeah, she is definitely an inspiration to us all.
Jenn: All right, well, let’s get at it. We’ll start season three with none other than Noemi Pollack. 40 years ago, Noemi Pollack had a vision for a new kind of agency, one that would connect emotionally with people, stimulate meaningful relationships, and provide a straightforward and no-nonsense approach to communications. Since then, the Pollack Group has evolved into an integrated marketing firm that has worked with some of the most prolific names in business. Today, as we celebrate the first episode of season three and International Women’s Month, we’re joined by Noemi to talk about the inspiration behind starting a legacy PR and marketing agency, her proudest moments from the last four decades, and her hopes for the next 40. Hi Noemi, it’s such a pleasure to kick off the season with you.
Noemi: Hi, Jenn. Nice to be here.
Kalli: Thank you so much for joining us, Noemi. And thank you so much for starting the agency that we are so proud to be a part of.
Noemi: Delighted to hear that.
Kalli: Of course, of course. So obviously, Jenn and I know what’s going on now, but can you take us to the beginning and you know how you started the agency?
Noemi: Sure. Actually, how I fell into PR was happenstance. I would call it that because I was a graduate of the Juilliard School in piano, a strange background for considering a PR career. Still, after a very active 11 years in that field, I felt I needed to try something different. I got my inspiration from someone whom I met at Ran Institute. You know, the research organization is commonly known as the Think Tank. That brilliant person said to me that a smart person takes on three careers in a lifetime. Okay, that doesn’t always work, but I was on a trajectory to my second set. Well, I recognized I love to write and storytelling. So, it was back to school for me at NYU and UCLA. A few years later, I was in my second love after music, PR, and marketing, working at Steinway and combining both my loves. So, following that, I moved into a larger agency for a few years, but I still had that itch with a good dose of chutzpah and arrogance coupled with confidence that I and my then partner could do it better. We had an idea of how we could run a different kind of PR agency, one that would have the senior-level counselors talk to clients and advise them. So, we partnered with clients, and the story started from there with only two credit cards. And then we turned our dream into a reality in 1985. 40 years later, the agency has not deviated from that promise.
Jenn: I love that, and to echo Kalli, it really is such a pleasure to work here. I’ve been here for almost five years now, I think, and it’s just been a wonderful journey. And I’ve had experience in other agencies and other PR realms. And I agree that The Pollack Group is very different in its approach, and it is much more hands-on and very considerate of the time that it spends with its clients. And it is something that is very unique to us. Can you tell us a little bit about specific examples of what happened in the previous agency that made you think I could do it better?
Noemi: I’ll give you an example. I hired an account executive at that time. We call them account managers. I had an account executive. She was about 22 years old. And age is not the issue, but the experience is. And she was given all sorts of responsibilities to talk to a client and frankly, she made a mess of it. So I kind of stormed into the high-up, and I said, how did you give her the responsibility to talk to my client? Oh, well, she was available, was the answer. I figured, that’s not going to work for me. Uh, it’s certainly not going to work for a long-term client relationship. So, I decided that it’s time to move on and do something different and get it right and get it better.
Kalli: You know, that makes so much sense. And, you know, I, too, worked for a couple of different agencies before, uh, coming here to Palo Group. And, you know, here we really do focus on the person and their skills and growing those skills, whereas in some other agencies, it’s okay. Well, that’s your title. That’s your availability, you know, there’s not real value put to those things to make sure that you’re actually providing this, the service and the connections that we need to have, you know, so that’s a really interesting moment that you shared.
And just wondering, you know, as we celebrate 40 years and you’re looking back, you know, at The Pollack Group and all the things that you’ve done, you know, and all of the things that you were able to do, what are some of the most defining moments in the agency’s history?
Noemi: Well, I kind of want to start with the mundane one. When we finally moved out of a windowless office, six years it took. We finally saw daylight. We thought we had arrived. We finally had windows. But more seriously, when I looked back at our early creativity, I do marvel that we pulled off a large first campaign and event for our first client, a real estate developer. The directive was simple: send out a single news release, and we decided it could be much more than that. So the property that had been acquired, we found out, was much maligned by the Beverly Hills people who hated the neighbors for having lewd statues on their lawn. Yes, all naked statues. So we keyed into that sentiment, and then the same budget built a neighborhood event involving a hardhat that witnessed the property’s demolition in front of the very eyes. And the national media came to join the party and covered it. They loved it. Beverly Hills loved it. We loved it. The client loved it. It was our first success.
Jenn: I love that, and Stefan has told me that story, a few different times, and it’s always just that iconic, iconic milestone. And that was kind of like your first place sort of as your own agency, you know, to do something like that.
Noemi: Yeah. It was it was a sense that we could more with what was given to us. Right. And I think maybe that trend has kept us going for 40 years.
Jenn: Absolutely. I want to go back to what you said about leaving sort of the previous agency and starting your own agency. I guess, like, what personal values do you have ingrained in you as a leader that kind of made you feel, I can start my own agency, I’m going to lead my agency. I’m going to hire people. I’m going to mentor them. What type of personal values does somebody have to have to be able to accomplish that?
Noemi: Well, first of all, confidence. Confidence in what you are doing is the right thing, and then to continue to think in terms of ethical integrity, which is a driver in making decisions on behalf of clients. All those questions will kind of agonize the times. What road to take? So what possible outcomes would follow? So that is one thing. I also felt that it was up to me to inspire the people around me. So, I always felt a strong responsibility for others and, in our care, our professionals, their hopes and dreams, and that that had to be intertwined in the agency. And finally, I have taken to that old adage nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I acted upon it. I am a risk taker, but I would say more of a calculating risk taker. I believe in pushing the boundaries always within reason.
Jenn: I think it’s starting your own business, especially in PR. You have to have that balance of “I want to take risks, but I’m also going to be smart about it.”
Noemi: Right.
Kalli: Yeah. And you also definitely need risks if you want to grow and continue doing what you’re doing and make it better. So, Noemi, what do you believe has contributed to TPG’s longevity and continued success? Because 40 years, you know, it’s nothing to sneeze at. That’s a long time for an agency.
Noemi: The word that comes to mind is adaptability, staying current as to various industry trends, and very important as being sensitive to changes in attitudes and preferences, remaining ahead of the curve as to new technologies, becoming change agents along the way, offering disruptive solutions that benefit more than the client, but also the world around them, such as conservation, the environment of the planet, but also having the courage to recommend ideas with real cut through concepts to seize market share. I think we should add finding paths to outsmart the competition and then having the audacity to counsel clients to reinvent themselves or having a fresh bank of ideas from which to draw upon. I think those are the most important ones. I can probably go on and on, but that’s about the main ones.
Jenn: Absolutely. And we’ve had clients tell us previously that they respect that will tell them the truth, you know, and really counsel them, because their success is our success. And we’re not just going to say, yes, that’s a great idea, when in fact, we know that it’s not going to succeed.
Noemi: I think it takes courage to do that. And without that, you become a yes man. And, of course, that doesn’t work at all.
Jenn: Right, right. I want to quickly ask your views on starting the agency, we kind of talked about the “why,” and now we’re publishing this episode not only on the anniversary date, but it’s also International Women’s Month. And we, you know, really love to celebrate the successes of strong women. How was it starting a company of this stature 40 years ago as an empowered female?
Noemi: Well, I have to admit that when I first started, it was not very… back in 1985…was not that popular to be a woman-owned business. That kind of evolved. So, I took a long [illegible] the first year and a half of our agency. Then he dropped out, and that’s when I took over in 1986. And I don’t really think of it as a woman-owned business, which it is or was. Now Stefan Pollack is in charge. I see it more as anybody, man or woman, who has the willingness and the competitive edge. You know, the thirst for learning. I mean, why is it different between women and men? I think that one difference is that women should feel as strong as men, which I think they do. I have to tell you from my own, from my own experience, there’s nothing one cannot achieve, woman or man if the willingness and the skill set and the stamina are there. Combined, as I mentioned before, audacity, common sense, imagination, and the confidence that barriers are meant to be broken.
Jenn: Absolutely, absolutely. Well said. And I completely agree. It’s not a one over the other. It’s anyone can do this. Anyone should do this.
Noemi: Exactly.
Jenn: So back to the first, first kind of ever campaign that The Pollack Group successfully initiated, which you shed some light on before, was that your favorite campaign? If not, tell us a little bit about your favorite thing that the agency did, or maybe your favorite client partnership over the years.
Noemi: Yeah, that’s a hard question to answer. There have been so many favorites. I guess I should describe what constitutes favorite as in media success, company impact success, or just the most fun to work on. I think one of the most fun to work on was early on in our agency, the Brita water filter system, which was a portable water filter system from Clorox. Today, it is a household name, but back when it first entered the market in the early 90s, public confidence in tap water was at an all-time low, and Brita used tap water to filter it into clean filtered water.
Clorox retained our agency just to pilot-test the product, with the goal of changing the behavior of bottled water-obsessed consumers. We decided on an experiential sampling program and a specially designed Brita water cart managed by our Brita Water Patrol that showed up with bottled water. Then, like at sporting events, marathons, home shows, etc. coupled with our national media campaign, it also focused on health and wellness. And after this campaign, which was only nine months, sales increased by 26%, and the product was launched. Basically, I feel from using the word-of-mouth tool. It was a fun one, and a major success.
Kalli: I’m so glad that you actually mentioned that, because I currently work on a client that is also in the, you know, in the hydration space and, geared toward people that are obsessed with their now it’s, you know, the reusable water bottles and breaking through that noise. And I have to tell you, we’ve used so many of the case studies and learnings from the Brita campaign. So it’s really for me personally, nice to hear that was one of your favorite campaigns because I’m learning so much from it, and it’s really helping, you know, our team now find success with a different client who is taking a similar path and trying to break through and be a disruptor in this space. And that’s actually like the work that you did with Brita. I know there are case studies on the website, and they are one of the reasons that I was attracted to The Pollack Group, to begin with.
Noemi: How nice to hear!
Kalli: Yeah, it’s been really nice, and I’m very close to it.
Noemi: I’m very proud of that. First of all, it was a lot of fun. Just imagine taking an actual push cart, like maybe an ice cream cart, and putting it on the beach where the volleyball players are there, you know, and serving water instead of ice cream. And we did that in so many public events. And so Brita became just a word of mouth. And it was a fun campaign to work on. And it was an imaginative campaign to work on. Happily, Clorox thought as well.
Kalli: It definitely was. And, you know, it takes those moments to really breakthrough. And also, like you said, it’s fun and creative and something different. And to have the, like you said before, the courage and confidence to do that, to go stand on that beach and, you know, have people pick water over ice cream, especially at that time.
Noemi: Yeah, I mean, now water is ubiquitous. But at that time, it wasn’t like that. So, it worked. It was fun, too. And I believe that finally, something that wherever you can should be inserted in all campaigns. It allows for a certain exuberance in the work we do.
Kalli: 100%. And that’s actually a great piece of advice. Which actually brings me to my next question. You know, what advice would you give to young professionals, especially young women who are looking to build a career in PR today? You know, of course, fun is a big part of it, and bringing fun into what you’re doing so it excites you. But you know, what other pieces of advice would you give to someone who’s looking to have a career as successful and lasting as yours?
Noemi: I think imagination is a centerpiece to that. You have to come to a position, a PR position, whatever level you’re at, with exuberance and ownership. And I would advise young women to take that risk. Step into it and move forward. And don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do, but think it through first and then come up with it. That’s the fun of PR. There are so many possibilities for any campaign. I think I touched on it before, where I think I would advise all PR positions to keep that exuberance and stay current on trends. If you’re not on the cutting edge of trends, you really can’t be in PR.
Kalli: Yeah, that’s definitely true. And I feel like especially today, there are a lot of people or, you know, the cutting edge trends are also there’s also a nostalgia factor in there. So, always knowing what the trends are and when they are, because you never know what’s going to come back into style. Especially now that with social media and the news being readily available, like past news being readily available, you really do need to have a keen eye and ear on what’s going on, what’s happening, you know, how to measure those things.
Noemi: Yeah, you have to stay ahead of the curve, which, by the way, has moved at lightning speed since we started. And yeah, as I mentioned, social media and all the other media outlets that are outside of the mainstream media, you have to stay ahead of everything, and it’s really very time-consuming. I have to tell you, PR is not a 9 to 5 job. Period.
Jenn: Absolutely not. And also shout out to Worldcom for our listeners. And we’ve had plenty of Worldcom partners on the show. It’s a such a wonderful community. And for our listeners, Noemi is the reason that our agency has been part of Worldcom for many, many years. Do you know, Amy, do you want to talk a little bit about what made you want to be part of the Worldcom group?
Noemi: Absolutely. I was approached by a Worldcom member, a PR colleague here in Los Angeles, and he was sort of telling me what Worldcom is and why I would benefit from it, and why Worldcom would benefit from our agency being a partner. And I listen closely. I came back to the agency and said, you know what, guys? We’re going to become members of Worldcom Public Relations. And they looked at us. “What is that? What exactly is that?” Well, we became members. Uh, speaking of arrogance and chutzpah, we became members in December of 1999. And in 2000, there was a general meeting in Tokyo. And I don’t really understand, looking back, how I had the audacity to say, “You know what? I’m going to be a presenter”. Now. I had no friends in there. I didn’t know anyone except for this one colleague who introduced me, and I had the gall to stand up on a stage filled with more than 100 professionals in the audience and tell them how I see marketing and PR. I mean, at that time, if you can imagine, I had leave-behinds, right? Printed leave-behinds. behind. And I schlepped about 150 of those booklets in a suitcase, handed them out, and I could not believe how thirsty these people were for new ideas. And I’m so grateful for that moment that I really got my foot in the door in Worldcom. Well, it’s 25 years later, and we find tremendous power in the shared goals that we have with Worldcom and our partners.
Kalli: That’s so true. And I’ve experienced it firsthand in the agency, in both. You know, the proposal stage, there was one client that we were pitching to gain their business. And, you know, we’re based in New York and L.A. This client was based in Ohio, and the Ohio culture was very important to them, and we were able to connect with a Worldcom partner that was in the area that helped us identify some, like you said before, some of the key trends. And you know, what was important to that culture and, and trending there and how the people were engaging with- it was a sports client-so, engaging with sports. There were other agencies that were, you know, closer in proximity, some local agencies. And we ended up winning the business because and I think a large part of that had to do with the fact that one, we did the research. But two, having people on the ground there who were really able to advise us and be a partner to us, and that was through the Worldcom group. And, you know, not only that, but we also had instances, you know, now we’re, you know, starting new programs and offering affiliate marketing. And when we first started that, the first step we had was reaching out to Worldcom and asking, like, has anybody else working on this, what is the process? How are PR people joining in on this and managing it? And I was able to be connected with someone who not only was just such a delight to talk to, but was so insightful and just so willing to help. That’s not something that you find in every agency and definitely not in PR. I know a lot of agencies don’t really like to work together. You know, it’s very territorial. But the Worldcom group, you know, anyone we’ve interacted with, it’s almost like having a big agency where everyone is so happy to support each other and really empowering to be connected with people all over the world.
Noemi: Well, what I see as the real benefit to clients is that there’s access to an international creative capability of 2000 professionals. Imagine in 105 cities in 39 countries on six continents. So, the client should come to us and say, you know, we need something in, uh, Berlin, and we need some attention in France. We need some attention in Thailand. We can just simply say, sure, not a problem. And then, we go about talking to our partners, and we get their input and offer to the client. It’s really a tremendous benefit. I feel that it doesn’t even compare to some of these very multi-office agencies that have all these different offices everywhere, but you’re paying for a company that has all these offices. A client doesn’t pay for all the offices unless they’re tapped. And it’s a real benefit to clients. And I think it made a big difference in our agency.
Jenn: Absolutely, absolutely. We’ve talked through so much. There is so much that this agency has accomplished. There is so much for Kalli and I and Stefan and everybody who works here to be proud of. But what are you most proud of, Noemi, as we celebrate this incredible milestone?
Well, since I’m the founder of the agency, I’m most proud that the agency has a brand personality that has remained consistent throughout dramatic societal, geopolitical, and technological changes. We have never veered to our starting point that senior advisors or the most seasoned folks in the business, that every business where they start applying, national or international, deserves the same quality of attention from the most experienced advisors to plan strategies for campaigns with a focus on potential scenarios or results. I’m also very, very proud of our professionals. They’re the backbone of the agency. We feel that our professionals are a family of like-minded, talented people who have the same core values and, most importantly, have remained ahead of the curve on adaptability and offering our brand of creative and digital solutions. And then I have to say, on a personal side, I’m proud of our agency’s president, Stefan Pollack, who was now leading the charge for my agency’s future and not going back to the same old, same old, but in charting new territories, navigating new waters, and he’s doing so with intelligence, empathy, and grace. I believe he had a good mentor.
Jenn: Yeah. I wonder I wonder where he learned that from?
Noemi: Yeah!
Kalli: That’s so nice. And personally speaking, we think he’s a great leader, you know, for all those reasons. So thank you for mentoring him and, you know, instilling those values. And you know, as you said, he’s leading us into the next phase and the next 40 years. You know, of course, you’re still involved. So, what are your hopes for the next 40 years?
Noemi: I mean, mostly, and this is a strange thing to say, coming from a founder, that we retain our exuberance for what we do. A certain joie de vivre for our work, that we remain trailblazers within our industry, that we retain our heightened level of curiosity as to what is new in our industry. I think growth is always good, but we need to expand judiciously only when it makes sense. And in keeping with our mission of fostering a deep understanding of the scope of possibilities in Klein’s communications efforts.
Jenn: Well said. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Kalli and I are really excited to be part of that next wave, and we really are just so thrilled to be a part of it. So thank you, Noemi, for starting the agency.
Noemi: I thank you, and I thank all the professionals and colleagues that I work with us because, without them, none of this would be possible.
Yeah. We have an amazing team here at The Pollack Group, and as the agency celebrates this special milestone, we are all reminded about the power of influential women and what we can do together in this world. And I think our conversation today and this episode is a reminder of just that. Noemi, thank you so much for your time today. Like we mentioned, for building The Pollack empire. One that makes Kalli and myself and everybody who works at the agency very proud to be a part of every day.
Noemi: Oh, wow. Thank you, thank you. I’m so delighted. It warms my heart.
Jenn: For our listeners, thank you for the continued support and excitement as we embark on a new season. We would love to hear from you. Reach out with questions, comments, or guest suggestions at imPRessions@pollackgroup.com. We can’t wait to hear from you.
