APCO & StrawberryFrog Join Forces

Evan Kraus is a senior vice president and director of APCO Online^®, a service group that delivers powerful, results-focused online communication strategies for APCO Worldwide’s clients around the world.

The world is changing, and so are the needs of our clients. Today, stakeholders can be consumers, employees, suppliers, NGOs, policymakers or the financial markets. They’re interacting with brands in new and complex ways, wielding real power and measurable influence while significantly raising expectations for companies. This shift has left companies clamoring to earn and maintain the dissipating trust of their stakeholders.

To build trust companies must understand their stakeholders’ needs and desires at a deep, emotional level; and find ways to align values, offerings and initiatives with their beliefs and expectations. Successful communication campaigns will hone in on that sweet spot, building upon the intersection of stakeholder expectations and a company’s interests. Identifying those synergies paves the way for cultivating authentic relationships in which companies can empower their supporters instead of preaching to them.

This evolution mandates that we no longer approach marketing, advertising, public relations, corporate communications or public affairs as tight vertical disciplines. These very labels are by-products of the way things used to be. Instead of distinguishing between paid, earned and social media, we must be fully aligned, nimbly telling stories and moving ideas among channels, disciplines and audiences. 

So what will resonate with audiences? Movements. Movements that are created to poignantly deliver messages, share powerful tell stories, band together individuals with shared beliefs, and ultimately stir emotions and inspire.

Watch a video, read the press release and see what others are saying at leaptowhatsnext.com

To tackle this new world, APCO needed to do something bold–something that combined our legacy of engaging stakeholders with the kind of breakthrough creativity that builds movements. This mission led us straight to StrawberryFrog.

StrawberryFrog is a different breed of advertising and marketing firm –they’re a creative powerhouse that specializes in creating movements for some of the world’s most iconic brands. Like us, StrawberryFrog is committed to taking an innovative approach to communication based on deep insights. We share a vision for building the industry’s premiere agency at the convergence of movement marketing and corporate communication, backed by world-class creative, digital and social media.

Acquiring a majority interest in StrawberryFrog bolsters our commitment to understanding stakeholders’ motivations and enables us to harness the powerful momentum of creative movements for our clients. Together, we can launch campaigns that genuinely tap into the passions that companies and stakeholders share, and captivate audiences with creative that both inspires and moves. 

Learn more about the future of marketing at leaptowhatsnext.com.