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When PR firm makes a pitch, it's a hit

By Beth Dalbey

West Des Moines-based Hanser and Associates has developed a solid relationship with media outlets across the country

"Breaking news," Amanda Carstens Steward, an account manager at Hanser and Associates, announced as she rushed into the conference room of the West Des Moines public relations firm Tuesday afternoon. U.S. Olympic athlete Jean Racine had recovered from a bout with the flu and would be able to compete that evening in the first-ever women's Olympic bobsled competition.

Steward's job at Hanser is to turn everyday events like the flu into news events. One of the PR firm's biggest clients, Roche Pharmaceuticals, makes Tamiflu, the antiviral flu medication that put the bobsled driver on the road to recovery 24 hours after taking it. Racine didn't medal, but placed fifth in the competition.

Steward found the angle, just as she did when the flu threatened Kurt Warner's appearance in the Super Bowl, and pitched the story. It flew.

That Roche Pharmaceuticals, the U.S. operating unit of the giant Germany-based Hoffmann-La Roche, chose the relatively young, 10-person public relations firm from Iowa to represent it is a success story in itself. The firm, founded by Ron and Bonnie Hanser six years ago, was just two years old when Roche signed on as a client. That Hanser and Associates serves a number of national and global clients, as well as a who's who of the Greater Des Moines business community, comes as a surprise to many people, Ron Hanser said.

"Quite frankly, what you look for in any agency, regardless of size, are the level and quality of service," said Charles Alfaro, director of public affairs for New Jersey-based Roche. Larger agencies may offer a greater depth of services, but Hanser and Associates is tough to beat when it comes to establishing media relationships, he said.

"Part of it is, they may come to you with an old story, but it's how it's presented, how it's pitched, how it's offered up," Alfaro said. "They have expertise in knowing what reporters are interested in, and provide news in a format that is interesting, exciting and that reporters want to report on. They do an excellent job in helping us shape our news stories to help them become newsworthy."

For example, the agency organized a media event when Des Moines-based EMCO Enterprises revealed its plans to open a door-production plant in Virginia, focusing on the above-average wages the factory would pay. A job fair held in tandem with the announcement secured the 400 needed workers in a weekend, with applications to spare.

"We know how to find a newsworthy angle and to whom to pitch it," said senior vice president Annette Hacker, one of several Hanser employees who holds a journalism degree. "We understand what's news."

But, she said, the agency's reputation is "only as good as our ongoing relationship with the media."

An A-to-Z listing shows the media outlets that have accepted Hanser and Associates pitches. The standardized measuring system used throughout the public relations industry indicates the agency's clients receive a 26-to-1 return on investment, Ron Hanser said.

That's one of the reasons Iowa Health System turned to the agency for help when it wanted to build a national reputation. "We wanted someone that had a good process for tracking national stories and a good record of placement," said Jim Zahnd, a hospital spokesman. "Ron and his firm carry a lot of expertise with national media placement and are very aggressive at making placements."

The firm is able to expand its reach through its equity partnership in Pinnacle Worldwide, an international corporation of independent public relations firms with more than 60 offices in major markets throughout the United States and world. And though it doesn't plan to move beyond its core business strength, providing public relations, Hanser has formed an alliance with Omaha-based Redstone Communications Inc. to provide advertising resources to clients who desire them.

Redstone president Phillip Webb recognized that many of his agency's advertising clients had a need for public relations services, "but in our market, there aren't many deep and wide PR firms," he said. He had been considering acquiring a PR firm when a mutual acquaintance introduced him to Ron Hanser.

"They're good problem solvers. They're good listeners and good planners," Webb said. "Listening and being customer-oriented are things they do well from a service standpoint. From an executional perspective, they have a strong capability across all PR disciplines."

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