Being a successful agency requires a healthy combination of ‘dollars and sense’ as part of our core advertising agency values. Obviously, being ranked as the largest San Antonio advertising and marketing agency year-after-year (by annual dollar revenue) has a lot to do with each specific client’s business goals and financial success. To achieve positive outcomes however, it really comes down to our own sensibilities as an organization to maintain our ongoing successful business operations year after year.
Over our 33-year history, both our founder and CEO, Bob Wills, and agency President and Chief Operating Officer, Fran Yanity, have operated The PM Group with core values that have provided us with the foundational support to succeed at the highest level:
- People Values- When you hire people with these three important attributes you will likely succeed: integrity, intelligence, and initiative/energy. Our agency staff exhibit these core traits, and these traits are the only ones that matter in the long run. But first and foremost, our staff must demonstrate the highest level of personal integrity as the clear prerequisite to run our various departments and teams. Creativity, intelligence, and energy will only take you so far on their own!
- Focus- Most ad agencies are attracted to the ‘shiny new penny’ (aka ‘the pursuit of new clients) and that’s what gets them in trouble. Historic track records indicate that most ad agencies retain their existing clients for only 4-5 years at best. Why? Because rather than focus solely on the success of their existing clients, they are constantly in pursuit of new clients to replace their existing clients that they inevitably believe they will lose within a couple of years. They demonstrate no faith in themselves or their ability to keep them as agency clients long term. Not here! The PM Group has a long history of keeping clients for 15-25 years or more! How do we do that? Solutions based decisions. Positive outcomes. That’s how!
- Compensation & Opportunity– Staff turnover is the death of great customer service and for many businesses financially. All clients detest agency staff turnover too! They like continuity and knowing that their agency account service staff can anticipate their business needs in a timely fashion. Plus, the cost of replacing agency staff truly costs tens of thousands of dollars per person. That’s why we reward our teams with excellent compensation, benefits, and unique perks. For example, we close the agency down every year just before Christmas until the day after New Year’s Day, so our staff has time with their family during the holidays……at their full pay! Add in a very generous 401k plan, flex schedules, unlimited dental benefits and free breakfast every morning and you understand what makes The PM Group different and a San Antonio marketing leader. And……there are no gold watches given out here—just recently when our receptionist reached 25 years of service, she was given a brand new Lexus sedan! That’s how we roll!
- Community Caring– Being successful requires our business to also maintain specific uniqueness that clearly separates us amongst our competitors. Something that makes us uniquely special. One key difference at The PM Group is our ‘Volunteerism Matters’ All of our team members share in our mission to ‘give back’ to the communities in which we operate in. In 2020 alone, despite COVID, we raised and donated over $1,050,000 for area nonprofits that provide pet rescue, childhood education, family services, and assistance for our military veterans and their families.
Our agency leaders share the vision of being generous and caring. It defines us and often aligns with the same vision that clients like Generations Federal Credit Union and Thomas J Henry possess. When vision and values come together, that’s a recipe for success.
Do you like what you’ve read and are you looking for a great organization to join?
If so, we are always looking for great people to join our team—even when we are fully staffed. If you’d like to join the market leader, please send us a note about you and your interest.