UPDATED 11:58 EST / NOVEMBER 23 2010

Horn Group: Expanding Beyond Traditional PR

I recently caught up with Sabrina Horn, founder of the Horn Group, one of the larger San Francisco PR agencies. Here are some notes from our meeting:

– Horn Group’s New York based business is expanding and is now equal with its San Francisco/Silicon Valley based clients. But the monthly retainers are smaller because the New York clients are smaller. A big boost came from Fred WIlson, a leading VC recommending Horn Group.image

– Horn Group is interested in moving beyond social media. It doesn’t have a social media practice because it expects all of its staff to be well versed in social media.

– What’s beyond social media? Mobile corporate comms is an interesting subject. For example, what would a mobile press release look like? Horn Group plans to host a panel discussing this topic in the new year.

– Horn Group is adding a wide variety of services including advertising. The goal is that PR will be one of many important services. One of these days a client will sign of for those services and not PR. PR companies in the future won’t look like traditional PR companies.

– Horn Group has had an interactive media group for several years and is expanding that side of the business. It helps clients with their web sites and other digital media needs.

– Horn Group has built several iPhone apps for clients and more are on the way.

– Horn Group has managed to build a diverse client base.

– One of Horn Group’s clients is preparing for an IPO (the name of company is confidential at this point but my guess that it is Splunk, an excellent company). This is a good sign and it is the first Horn Group client IPO in more than 7 years.

– Horn Group is hiring. It’s tough finding good people but the company has been getting some quality people.

 

[Cross-posted at Silicon Valley Watcher]


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