When I started RoseComm (then called “Rose Communications”) 20 years ago, people would ask me, “How’s it going running your own public relations firm?” For the first few years, I’d say, “So far, so good!” I think I was nervous about how long we would be able to keep it going. Then, about three years in, when I realized I’d been out on my own longer than I held my last position, I came up with a new response: “It’s going well, thanks!”
Now, here we are celebrating 20 years, a milestone only a small percentage of businesses cross. In fact, 20% of new businesses fail within two years, while just 25% make it to 15 years or more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only 6% of woman-owned businesses are more than 20 years old!
Public relations before there was social media
Incorporated on August 19, 2003, RoseComm was founded just after the dot-com downturn and has survived and thrived through several historical events, including the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis and the more recent global COVID-19 pandemic. We started in my studio apartment in Hoboken before we’d even heard of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram. Our early days were primarily focused on traditional public relations, but we quickly realized the way people consume media was rapidly changing and we needed to evolve how we work.
We experimented with social media early on and it paid off in helping us find new ways to communicate our clients’ stories. RoseComm handled the launch of the first book on “word of mouth marketing,” complete with a video trailer made for Facebook, attended the second-ever BlogHer event on behalf of Weight Watchers, and ran social media activations with the Rockettes to promote the Radio City Christmas Spectacular when Twitter was just a couple of years old. A giveaway we ran on Facebook to capture lead information for a major tool manufacturer led to a 100% conversion rate. We were busy mailing miniature wrench keychains to the brand’s first 750 followers (now they have 881K!).
What’s in a name? A lot!
We officially changed our name on our 10th anniversary after learning several other public relations companies were using our original choice. RoseComm was always in our URL and a nickname people already used. It also felt more modern and current, so we went with it and updated our logo, too.
RoseComm occupied two different office spaces before going fully remote in December 2021. Our current team works from home offices in New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut. We are beyond grateful to have a mix of people who joined us in the early days and more recent additions. Senior Vice President Lisa Trapani was our first hire! And Jennifer Leckstrom, also an SVP, was one of our first clients before becoming a member of our team. We’ve had the pleasure of helping several young professionals develop their careers right out of college and their contributions to our culture and our clients are invaluable.
RoseComm is also lucky to have a longer-than-average client tenure with several contracts lasting a decade or longer. In fact, we’ve worked with Cigna Healthcare for 15 of our 20 years! We asked one of our long-standing clients, Vicki Schmidt, director of marketing, outdoor play, for PlayPower, the world’s largest commercial playground and recreational equipment manufacturer, to share her thoughts on our anniversary and she had this to say: “Our relationship with RoseComm dates back to 2010. Over that time, the firm has worked with us on several important brand initiatives across our company. When it comes to selling the benefits of play, stories are fundamental. For more than half of its 20 years, RoseComm has been helping us tell ours.”
Using our voices to lift up others’
Earlier today we announced we will commemorate our 20th anniversary by hosting a donation drive on behalf of our client I Support The Girls, a global nonprofit that collects and distributes bras, underwear and menstrual hygiene products for women and girls facing distressful circumstances. We chose to recognize and celebrate the significance of this occasion by lifting the voices of those whose basic needs are generally invisible in everyday society.
RoseComm invites the public to join our collection of gently used bras and sealed menstrual hygiene products. Collected items will be delivered to I Support The Girls’ warehouse in Rockville, Maryland. From there, the nonprofit organizes and distributes the items through its network of national and international affiliates and social service agencies. Ultimately, these items will be donated to people who need them the most, including those experiencing homelessness, victims of natural disasters, survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking, and refugees and immigrants.
The donation drive is open now through Monday, September 18, 2023. To find out where to send or drop off products, please contact isupportthegirls@rosecomm.com. For other donation options, please visit I Support The Girls’ website.
Thank you to the countless people who have been part of our two-decade journey. Reaching this point simply would not be possible without our clients and partners. It is with immense gratitude that we look back on all the meaningful collaborations and shared successes. You’ve inspired us, you’ve challenged us and you’ve trusted us to tell your stories.
Cheers to 20 years and beyond!