Business Services
Give and take
How to make the most of community involvement
By Patrick Mayock
Smart Business Los Angeles | March 2008
Renee White Fraser
CEO, Fraser Communications
Give and what shall you
receive? Ask Renee White
Fraser and the answer would undoubtedly be success.
As founder, president and
CEO of Fraser Communications,
the advertising psychologist has
sparked colossal growth —
from 2003 revenue of $5.7 million to 2007 revenue of $42 million — at her advertising,
market research and media-planning agency by turning
her attention outward.
“Fraser Communications has
really taken off in the last three
years because I’ve started to
focus on community involvement and socially responsible
work,” she says.
In the process, Fraser has gotten buy-in from her 30 employees
by leading the charge on projects,
such as a walk for the homeless
and a holiday party spent serving
food at a homeless shelter.
Smart Business spoke with
Fraser about how getting
involved in the community can
bolster both your employees
and your company.
Q. Where should executives
look to get involved in the
community?
A good place to start is the
United Way in your community.
They’re a good guide, and very
often, they’re building relationships between businesses and
the public sector, so they have
opportunities for businesses to
step right into where you can
be effective.
It’s one thing to go to the
local school and meet with the
principal and try to establish a
program, but that takes a lot
of effort and a learning curve. I
think it’s better to always learn
on somebody else’s time.
Q. How do you get employees
to buy in to community
outreach programs?
You have to share this spirit
and the enthusiasm with your
employees. You have to roll up
your sleeves and be part of it. It
certainly can’t just be a speech
you give once a year, and
you’re not out there with them.
I’ve also incentivized them. I
know it’s a half-day on
Saturday, so I give them a half-day off work at some other
time to compensate them for
their time.
It’s hard the first time,
but the second and third
and fourth, people truly
get into it.
This year, part of our
holiday party is going to
be serving food at a
homeless shelter around
Thanksgiving. I know it
will be awkward for
people driving there and
getting there, but once
we’re there, I know
they’re going to feel like,
‘My gosh. It’s intriguing
to look into the eyes of
these people and to
know that I was making
a meal and to see how
kind these people are.’
When you don’t get to
touch the lives of homeless
people, this will be a good way
for the employees to get a feel
of what it’s like to help others.
Q. What is the benefit when
employees get involved?
As a psychologist, I believe
that when people share things
on a very deep, emotional
level, it builds bonds.
For teamwork, it’s an excellent thing. It makes people see
people in other departments in
a new light, and they share in their humanity.
That actually has positive
manifestations in the work-place; it helps to retain employees. When you’re engaged in
community activities like this,
it’s a recruitment tool, but it’s
also a retention tool.
We have a very low turnover
rate compared to our industry.
Our turnover rate is just below
10 percent. A lot of our employees have been with us six to
eight years, and that’s unusual
in the advertising business.
Q. What should CEOs know
before getting involved in
community activities?
You need to address your
own priorities and assess
whether or not that’s in sync
with the priorities of your
employees.
Another campaign that we’re
working on is a campaign
called ‘Stay negative.’ It’s a
campaign to get people tested
routinely for AIDS.
We participated with our
client in a gay pride parade,
and we made that nonmanda-tory. A lot of our employees
decided to get involved, and it
was an exciting opportunity
for them. You just want to
make sure you find programs
that are aligned with the values of your employees.
The second thing a CEO
should consider is impact: Is
this going to be an effective
program?
There’s nothing wrong with
asking the nonprofit or the
organization you’re joined
with, ‘Tell me how you’re
going to demonstrate results.’
Ask for something in return.
Recognition is something
they’re often willing to give,
which is valuable.
‘Demonstrate to us that this is
really going to have an impact’
— that’s even more important.
Q. How has this involvement
benefited your company?
It benefits us by increasing
the visibility of the company. It
also puts us at the table with
large corporations. They begin
to see us as a serious player, a
strategic player and a smart
player, and it does give us an
entry to talk with them.
HOW TO REACH: Fraser Communications, (310) 319-3737 or www.frasercommunications.com
