Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Barney.
Christine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career at a large multi-national agency where I learned to focus on results and to think big. I found my entrepreneurial spirit when family “forced” me to leave NYC for Miami. Working for a small agency gave me the opportunity to jump into a leadership role. The owner became a mentor who still guides me today. In a short period of time, I was an equity partner and began to reshape the agency to take the best of what large and small agencies offer and make something new. Our success in building an agency that delivered results and attracted national clients led to a sale to another large multi-national. Again, I was impressed by the people I met and the scope of the work. But, after five years, I wanted to be master of my own destiny again and along with my partners, bought the agency back. rbb Communications was formed in 2001 around the idea of an employee-driven workplace that would serve only those clients who matched our vision and values. Since that time, we have been named U.S. Agency of the Year four times, brought home numerous awards for our work and count some of the world’s leading brands among our client roster. Our employee and client tenure average 8+ years and we believe those numbers being the same is not a coincidence. Clients stay where people stay and everyone benefits.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest obstacle was to create a new model for a communications firm. At rbb, each person chooses when, where and how they work. We offer flexibility and respect believing that each individual knows best how to maximize productivity and better serve the client. It’s often hard for type “A” entrepreneurs to let go, but our employee-driven workplace has proven time and time again that it delivers better business results. Being headquartered in Miami used to be an obstacle. We’ve since added office in other locations and are proud that Miami has put itself on the map as a creative destination.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
rbb is an integrated communications firm and four-time U.S. Agency of the Year. As the Champion of Breakout Brands, rbb inspires companies to create customer passion that delivers bottom-line results.
Over the last 16 years, rbb has added communication skills and disciplines and acquired talent to put under the rbb “family of brands.” Under the owned rbb umbrella we have:
• OutOfTheBlue Advertising: (advertising strategy/media/buying and creative design/production)
• Digital Park: (digital strategy and social media)
• SpiderBoost Communications: (SEO, web/app development, reputation management, paid search, Google partner)
rbb’s family of brands offer media relations, marketing, corporate communications, digital/social media and creative services/advertising.
Specialty practices include consumer products/services, travel & leisure, health, sports & entertainment, professional services/B2B and higher education.
rbb serves clients from Canada to Argentina and is a member of PROI Worldwide.
What are we most proud of? Acquiring two companies to make rbb a fully integrated agency. Doing two acquisitions in the same year is no small feat, both from a cash flow and a cultural perspective. We not only worked through the financial negotiations to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship, we successfully integrated both companies and delivered big new business wins. We brought both firms onboard with no loss of key personnel or key clients — another testament to the strength of our employee-driven workplace culture. We quickly promoted these new digital and creative service skillsets and obtained additional work in these marketing areas from more than 40 percent of the firm’s existing clients.
A key differentiator is rbb’s “Breakout Brand ™” marketing strategy – an evolutionary approach to creating customer passion that delivers results that can be measured on the bottom line. This award-winning thought leadership program is in its fourth year. Each year we conduct a survey uncovering insights into how to build emotional connections, communicate with soul and deliver a customer experience that increases loyalty and sales. rbb clients have adopted Breakout Brand tenants with great eagerness and it drives much of the strategy in both our B2B and B2C client work. Another thing that sets up apart from most agencies, and one of the biggest value adds for clients, was the decision to invest in our clients. We dedicate up to 10 percent hours every month in brainstorming and analyzing data to determine more ways to add value to client work. We submit the ideas in what we call the “Idea Cloud.” Each quarter we meet with clients to review the Idea Cloud and determine how to incorporate more creativity or add more integration to yield better business results.
What were you like growing up?
I was born with clubfoot meaning, I had to wear a leg brace and special shoes until I was 18. Since athletics were out of the question, I channeled my energies into proving I could compete in other ways and if it was an area not as common for girls to pursue, all the better.
So, I was the only girl drummer in the school band, became president of the debate club, starred in school plays, authored a column or the school newspaper and was the first girl allowed to read from the gospel during confirmation. I was and still am an avid reader and when I join something, I’m all in.
Contact Info:
- Address: 355 Alhambra Circle, Suite 800, Coral Gables, FL 33134
- Website: http://rbbcommunications.com/
- Phone: 305-448-7450
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbbcommunications/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbbcommunications
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rbbcomm
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