:::::::NETWORK::::::: the ladue news business connection ::

by Stephen Lindsley

What’s better than an emergency image makeover for your organization by a successful public relations firm? Having the foresight to avoid the difficulty altogether, of course. And that, says Donna Vandiver, president and CEO of The Vandiver Group, is just a part of her company’s overall strategy for helping companies find their potential to succeed.

“When companies begin to examine their public image, as well as their internal one, they often realize that their reputation is one of their most valuable assets,” says Mack A. Bradley, TVG vice-president. “More often than not, we get called in after a crisis has already occurred, but we prefer to be proactive,” says Vandiver.

Celebrating 10 years in business, The Vandiver Group offers a scope of capabilities that extends beyond a traditional public relations role to include marketing, branding, market research and training. “We identify ourselves as a strategic communications firm,” says Vandiver. “We have since almost the beginning. It has been only recently that we’ve heard about other companies describing themselves in those terms.”

The group distills its philosophy into four terms: strategize, visualize, articulate and navigate. Crisis communications is a particular strength at TVG, as is marketing to women. This year, the group was nominated for a Gold Sabre award for its work with Nordyne and the new Maytag M series.

Years of experience have shown that often the problem TVG is asked to solve for a client is not the true cause of the situation. This, in part, is what has led the group to offer its Stratigem strategic communications seminars, which help companies with crucial internal matters such as team-building, crisis communications, creativity development and leadership training.

The strategy employed by The Vandiver Group also includes a global reach, thanks to participation in Pinnacle Worldwide. Member agencies with offices in locations around the world collaborate to give clients coverage extending f r o m Helsinki to Jakarta. “This essentially m e a n s that we have partners on t h e ground in cities around the world, and we can tap into their depth of experience about the markets they know from firsthand experience,” says Vandiver, who serves as an executive board member of the network.

Another benefit of Pinnacle Worldwide, both to member firms and their clients, is RoperASW, which performs market research on consumer trends. The information made available by RoperASW is not only valuable for decision-making about current customer affinities, but it helps companies make informed forecasts about future trends.

The success of TVG is due, in large part, to the work environment the group has created, and team approach to meeting clients’ needs. Voted one of the “Best Places to Work” in 2002 and 2003 by the St. Louis Business Journal, the group is careful to select new employees that will bring valuable assets to the organization. Teamwork is solidified and efficiencies realized using a mentoring program, in-house training dubbed TVG University, and a Koosh ball ceremony that encourages creativity in new group members.

In addition to the many successes achieved with high-profile clients, TVG also gives back to the community through charitable activities such as food drives and pro bono PR work for nonprofits and other worthy causes. While the group itself works to aid charity causes, it also advocates charity involvement for its clients. Working on company-sponsored charity drives not only helps make a difference in the community, but it builds stronger connections between co-workers and fosters loyalty to the company itself. It is this kind of positive experience that makes for happier employees – and higher productivity.

After 10 years in business, The Vandiver Group has built a talented team of 20 professionals and remained consistently profitable year after year. The group has made its mark with high employee satisfaction and a devotion to providing its clients with the very best service. TVG’s next decade promises to be even more successful than the last.

BACK TO NETWORK HOME