“I’ve been blessed with so many good experiences in radio, television, print journalism that when combined with the inner rockstar in me – it was inevitable that I was to become a PR guru.”

Interview by Mike Sullivan of Sully’s Blog

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Rodger Roeser is the president and owner of The Eisen Agency, Greater Cincinnati’s largest and highest rated public relations firm, and one of the highest rated firms in the United States.  He is the current national chairman of the Public Relations Agency Owner Association and is the host of online radio broadcast, “That Marketing Show,” and the online television news magazine, “Business Focus.”  Roeser served as the 2005 president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and founded the chapter’s Blacksmith Awards Program.  He is the creator, moderator and presenter of the monthly EMG University Seminar Series and speaks locally, nationally and internationally on a variety of marketing topics.  Roeser is an award winning television, radio and print journalists and continues to write and consult with a number of media outlets.

The Eisen Agency was originally created in 1987, when the firm was called Eisen Management Group (EMG). EMG was primarily an entertainment and promotions firm based in the Cleveland/Akron area, and worked for a variety of entertainers and entertainment venues. Roeser created the agency when he was 17 to manage musical acts, including his own.  Today, The Eisen Agency applies its own unique brand of expertise, experience, hard work, creativity and tenacity in the management of marketing, promotions and public relations for technology firms, restaurants, retail establishments, healthcare, government, professional services organizations and sports and entertainment entities.

MO:
The Eisen Agency is Cincinnati’s largest and highest rated public relations firm.  How did you achieve such a status?  What are some of the things that put you at the top?

Rodger:
There is no substitute for hard work, tenacity and having a vision for success. But “thinking” about being successful or wishing that will happen is a fool’s marketing plan. We have been successful because we understand who we are and what we are, but perhaps most importantly WHY we are relevant to our clients. We practice what we preach; we work harder than most are willing and smarter than most are able. We provide to our clients quality work at a fair price, we maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and we have been blessed that so many of our clients refer our firm to their colleagues. We have grown both organically and through gain of market share, and we also continue to strive to create innovative services, we always remain on the leading edge, but we temper that with common sense and tried and true marketing strategies to create a long term, real value to our clients.

MO:
How did you make the transition from band promoter to serious and successful PR firm?  What were some of the turning points for the company?

Rodger:
Believe me, being a band promoter was serious work, in some cases even more stressful because of the egos involved and in some cases, the types of personalities you had to deal with. But, it was good learning and proving grounds because in reality, promoting a band or a venue is no different, really, than promoting a consumer product, a business or even an idea. It is still about capturing attention, sharing a quality story, and creating a loyal following that will become a champion, an influencer for your brand or your organization. There are a number of business and life lessons gained from being a performing and touring musician as well as the business mind behind it that have helped me immensely – much of which is understanding the hard work and the humility involved. You had to carry amplifiers up three flights of stairs. You had to work all night, practice your craft and get good – because just promoting fluff cannot help long term. You can’t be too proud and you have to approach things, while fun, but as a business. It’s great to rock and roll all night, but partying everyday is not the way to become successful. I even think Gene Simmons would agree that in order to rock and roll all night, you need to work hard every day.

Probably the biggest turning point (funny, my band is called Turning Force) for me and my career was just learning what it took to create promotional opportunities to position my band for success. Creating press kits, booking and promoting events, getting demo tapes and photo shoots, whatever it took to expose the masses to the experience. Then, once you had them in the door, you had to kick their ass. It’s simple: a great product + great promotion = success, and that is how Eisen operates to this day. My background as a journalist has always served me well, and I believe that I’ve been blessed with so many good experiences in radio, television, print journalism that when combined with the inner rockstar in me – it was inevitable that I was to become a PR guru.

MO:
What role does the internet and social media play in the role of public relations today?

Rodger:
Likely, it is one of the largest drivers and will probably continue to be for some time. The internet has made it easier to research, to reach out to target publics, to hyper target messaging to specific publics and track specific offers. Custom branded content is king right now, and I think that will last for the foreseeable future. No longer do you need “the media” to expose your message to those that you wish to reach. The negative, however, is that more and more will continue to seek out information that specifically appeals to them, so I believe this will lead to a larger divide among factions, such as politics or even religion.

MO:
You currently have several things on your plate, aside from being the president and owner of The Eisen Agency.  You serve on a number of boards and committees, you are an active  journalist, and much more.  What tools or techniques do you use to ensure you are properly managing your time and accomplishing your goals?

Rodger:
I will admit that I am a workaholic and that Eisen is my mistress. It can be challenging to get away from it, particularly when you love it so. My business is also my hobby and my getaway. It’s what I do for work AND it’s what I do for fun, so that can be challenging. I typically work about 80 – 90 hours a week, but long term as the success continues, it will be easier to pull away and relax a bit more – which I’m honestly trying to do a better job of saying “no.” I do continue to play in the band and enjoying the music remains a wonderful outlet, but time management can be challenging. At Eisen, my clients come first, my staff comes second and I come last after everything is done. Sadly, I believe most other agencies or even leaders believe they come first. That is why they are struggling.

MO:
The company name, Eisen, has a bit of a story to it.  Can you dust off your stack of 80’s Rock LPs and tell us where the name originated?

Rodger:
Ha ha!! Actually, I’ll have to dust off the 70s LPs. As everyone knows, I am a musician and at a very young age, my goal was to be a rockstar. Growing up the 70s and as an impressionable young man, no one really made the impression upon me quite like KISS, and I am a huge fan to this very day. When I was trying to figure out how to get my band booked and how to become famous, I really didn’t know where to turn – I was a relatively poor kid living in the middle of Nowhere, Ohio. So, I turned to KISS for the answers. They had a management group (Glickman-Marks is what I believe it was at the time), so I figured if KISS had a management group, I must need one. So, I started calling them (seriously, the management groups for bands at the time: KISS, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Tears For Fears, all of them. None would give me the time of day, of course, so I had no choice than to essentially create my own. As a big KISS fan, I idolized Paul Stanley (the one with the star on his eye). Paul’s real name is Stanley Eisen. Eisen Management Group was born and the rest, as they say, is history.

MO:
You grew up on the family farm, transitioned to a member of a rock band, and moved on to successful owner of a top PR firm in Cincinnati.  What lessons did you learn on the farm and in your days in the band that helped position you for success?

Rodger:
Hard work. Honestly, Integrity. You name is essentially all you have, and your word is your bond. Do right by others, good things will come. The only secret to my success is summed up: Things you do today should pay off tomorrow.