HOUSTON, TX, July 1, 2007 – Houston public relations firm Bayou City Public Relations was cited in an article published last month in a national PR trade paper as a small firm that provides services that are “better and cheaper than big PR firms.”
The article, by New York publisher Jack O’Dwyer, appeared in his watchdog newsletter, “O’Dyer’s PR Report,” and focuses on PR veteran Leonard Saffir whose recently-published book cautions companies in need of public relations services to “go with a small or medium-sized firm and stay away from the giants.”
“PR On a Budget,” is a 242-page book ($18.95) published by Kaplan in New York.
“I was honored several months ago when I first learned that Bayou City Public Relations was featured so prominently in Leonard Saffir’s latest book,” said Sharon Dotson owner of the boutique-sized Houston PR firm. “Now, with Jack O’Dwyer’s article about Leonard, I’m twice-honored. Both men are leaders in our field,” she said. “What a compliment to small firm owners like me that two of the biggest names in public relations are so publicly recognizing the expanded role of boutique public relations firms in our industry.”
In his article, O’Dwyer quotes Saffir as saying, “If you hire a big firm, the most important thing is the person who will be captain – one person with brains, common sense, guts and know-how is better than 10 Ivy League drones.”
O’Dwyer’s article outlines Saffir’s career from his early days as a U.S. Marine public information officer, a foreign correspondent for Hearst newspapers, founder of daily newspaper, “New York Standard,” and later as executive vice president of PR giant Porter Novelli. Today, Saffir is a Florida-based journalist and public relations consultant.
It was Saffir’s days at Porter Novelli, O’Dwyer writes, that changed his philosophy about the value big PR firms offer clients. Saffir quit Porter Novelli, writes O’Dwyer, because holding company Omnicon imposed a 25% profit quota on the firm. “I found myself spending too much time on new business rather than working for clients,” O’Dwyer quotes Saffir.
“PR On a Budget,” is available through bookstores and Amazon.com. “O’Dwyer PR Report” is available at www.odwyerpr.com. For more information about Houston public relations firm, Bayou City Public Relations, and owner Sharon Dotson, visit www.bayoucitypr.com.
