Bigger Isn’t Better. Better Is Better

Twenty years ago, one of our firms wrote a piece for this very publication, and closed with the line, “And that’s how a boutique firm like ours can get results and make the news across the world.”

Two decades later, we are no longer a boutique. ‘Around the world’ is a given.

As you may have read in the last few months, Infinite has expanded its footprint significantly. We’re now a top 40 national agency and growing globally. We acquired Dukas Linden Public Relations, a top ten financial agency, and in the last few weeks we announced the acquisition of Green Target UK.

With these combinations, we are one of the top professional and financial services firms in North America, the UK and continental Europe.

We’re mindful of the phrase learned by one of us years ago, “Bigger isn’t better. Better is better.”

We’re not expanding for the sake of size.

We’re being deliberate – albeit at a slightly faster pace than we expected – about the type of firm we are and want to be. We believe there is a room for a strategic communications firm that does what we do – by offering precise domain expertise, senior level service and a well-matched culture.

Our model is a harbinger – and at the very least – a current symbol of what’s happening both in professional and financial services. In law, asset management, wealth management, accounting and consulting, M&A activity is robust. Bigger is better because scale and resources are essential.

We’ll have more to report on this in the months and years to come – but a few lessons for readers of this publication who are considering expansion:

1) Global capabilities are no longer a “nice to have” – they’re a “need to have.” We believe the loose affiliate, association model is less effective now. A truly shared culture, approach to client service and a responsibility for a balance sheet– is essential to keeping and winning clients. Client contacts and spokespeople want to feel a symbiotic relationship between teams, and they want to see PR professionals in their global offices – in person again.

2) Yes, AI, AI, AI, as well as access to best-in-class technology. It’s a lot easier to spend on resources when there’s a stronger collective revenue stream. This also means a greater and quicker ability to spend on investments in digital, broadcast, video, content creation, design and crisis communications.

3) Expertise and EQ still matter. Prior to our merger, we received many respective emails and calls expressing interest in acquiring us. We still get those calls. But it’s not all just about an acquisition strategy or reward. Hardly. PR is a people business. There has to be a shared vision of how goals should be accomplished and what will serve clients best. This means – at least in our case – maintaining a senior level of expertise, a kind approach to leadership and reading the room in the same way. We turned down previous offers, because the “acquirees” didn’t understand our business – they didn’t understand us.

4) Change is necessary. At DLPR, we loved our boutique culture – we enjoyed true independence. Working for someone or something larger means more efficient processes and a more numeric approach to running a business than we did as former journalists and communications people who learned on the job how to run a company. But here’s the kicker: the professional services world has moved in this direction. KPI’s, metrics and instant data are often more reliable than a “gut view” (although that still matters as well). Being larger allowed us to get more technologically- and data-driven quicker than we could have done on our own.

We wanted to become one of the most respected global agencies in professional and financial services. We now have that opportunity.

By Jamie Diaferia and Seth Linden

Jamie Diaferia is Founder/CEO of Infinite, while Seth Linden is President of its Dukas Linden Public Relations unit.