An avid arts supporter, Russell chairs the ArtsPartners of Central Illinois Board of Directors. She’s also a licensed pilot and Realtor.
She and her husband, Pete, have two children.
Tell us about yourself: education, professional background, family, etc.
I had such a fabulous childhood; my mom and dad gave me so many opportunities to let me chase my dreams and become “me.” I grew up in Bartonville, graduated from Limestone, packed up the car, and went away to school to Bradley. I joked with my girlfriends that we all went away to school—it’s just my driving time was less. I had great professors and wonderful college experiences. The summer after my freshman year, I took a job in the newsroom at WEEK-TV drawing the weather maps for Bill Houlihan. I even did the weather on-air once. I went to school during the day and worked evenings at WEEK. I was given so many opportunities there, and Houli was a great mentor. It was there I met Pete, my husband. He was a photographer in the newsroom (he’s the general sales manager now). Houli took us to dinner one night, and that was it. We got married about four years later, and he’s my best friend. I count my blessings every day; I have such a loving and supportive family.
Soon after graduation, I began my radio career at Midwest Television—WMBD-AM and KZ-93. I loved radio. I enjoyed the radio personalities like John Williams, Danny, Greg, Gary, and Donna; they were so talented at creating the theater of the mind. I found early that finding the right message and using the strengths of the medium got results for my clients. As my clients grew with their success, so did I. Another great mentor was Lindsay Wood Davis; he was station manager and then went on to the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). He encouraged me to become a Certified Radio Marketing Consultant and also nominated me for a national award, which I received, called the Street Fighter of the Year Award. This award is presented by Radio Ink Magazine during the RAB annual conference. The award is given to the salesperson who represents high quality, high ethics, and who appropriately carries the radio banner. That was soon after my daughter, Emily, was born. I wanted to enjoy being a new mom and still have a career, so I “retired” from nine years of radio sales and started AdCo in 1997, a media-buying/negotiating agency that was out of our home. My son, Reed, was born two years later.
Discuss your decision to open your own ad agency in 1997. What prompted you to make that leap?
I took those same early philosophies about finding the right message and using the strengths of the medium and began finding those result-recipes with not just radio—but with television, outdoor, newspaper, direct mail, etc. Again, as client successes grew, so did AdCo. I began handling some of my own clients, and in summer 2003, I assumed the clients of the Tremont-based agency, Miller & Associates. I’d been handling all of their media for the last seven years. I learned so much from Carol Miller’s expertise, creativity, and friendship. I always credit her with starting AdCo twice—encouraging me to start AdCo and handle her media back in 1997 and then again allowing me such a great opportunity to expand AdCo by assuming her clients in 2003. As AdCo took this giant step forward, we moved into the second floor of the new BankPlus building on Knoxville and Pioneer Parkway. I’ve never felt more confident in the direction of AdCo and with myself and our team.
Prior to opening your own ad agency, you worked primarily in broadcast media. How did that help prepare you for owning AdCo?
I firmly believe all media types work. The key is in how you use them. I have a great understanding of how television and radio stations operate and use that experience every day. I feel it does give me an “edge” on how the system works inside those mediums. I’ve also enjoyed learning how printers, newspapers, mail houses, and outdoor companies operate.
Each medium has quirks and tricks; I like finding them and using them to my advantage. I ask a lot from our reps and expect us to work together to come up with new ideas. I enjoy trying new, cost-effective ways of doing things. It might mean more work on our side and the rep’s, but if it can save the client dollars, I get a charge out of finding new solutions that bring success. It’s that evolution of using the strengths of the medium. It continually changes, and I like being part of the process of new ideas.
What are some of the products/services AdCo provides? What are your personal areas of expertise? What areas of expertise have other people contributed to your company?
I found the key to AdCo—or what makes us different—is our philosophy about how much we care about the success of our clients. We’re selective about who we represent and work very hard for each of them, always keeping our focus on what’s best for the client.
We provide full agency services. We develop and implement custom, result-based marketing strategies based on needs, goals, and budgets. We offer custom strategy and branding, project management, marketing, design, collateral, logos, brochures, web, public relations, media, printing, writing, in-house audio and visual production—just about everything. Our clients may choose to utilize us for everything from brochure design and printing to full-scale national product launches with multiple channels and strategies.
Every member of the AdCo team brings a unique set of skills and experiences to every client situation. This diversity has created a team unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Roland, Kay, Connie, Mike, Mark, and I all share a level of trust, respect, and commitment to our clients and our business principles. Because of this shared commitment, we’re able to deliver results.
Tell us about your career as owner of AdCo.
I don’t know if I have a “typical” day, but I start my week with the entire AdCo team—a full agency meeting where we go over all of the clients and upcoming projects for the week. I meet with clients, going over campaigns and strategy; meet with reps; and I try to take some time I call “white space” when I can just think and dream. Sometimes it’s about AdCo and how we can do better or different; other times it’s regarding a campaign that needs a magic “something.” Daily, I’m in and out of the creative department going over the developing art, design, and progress of the projects. I personally represent some agency clients but try to stay on top of all of the agency clients and their strategy, projects, and direction. We’re a very strong team and define that buzz term of “work family.” The ability to have honest and open dialogue is key; creative ideas can be very personal, and you sure don’t want to squash creativity, but that sharing and safe atmosphere has to remain sacred—where we trust each other and care. I’m very protective of our team.
Your company has an on-site recording studio. Is that fairly unique for an agency?
We recently expanded our electronic communications department with the addition of an integrated audio/visual studio suite. I felt we had highly creative radio and television ideas that needed an in-house atmosphere to realize their full potential. This studio allows us the ability to provide and develop a higher level of message—similar to what some great boutique production houses are doing in Dallas with photography, video, and animation.
About two years ago, I was following Target’s new marketing strategies. They saw an opportunity in bringing their marketing in-house, including their production. Target’s philosophy is they clearly see their brand as something far too important to be left to “outsiders.” It just made sense to me to keep all of the good creative people close to each other—and to me. I don’t know of any other agency in downstate Illinois that has its own production studio.
Having this asset has created a significant competitive advantage for us. We’ve cut studio and production costs for our clients while increasing the quality and creativity of our commercials. Having our own studio and artists allows us some additional creative freedom you usually can’t find in a market our size. It also creates a great synergy to the entire team and campaign.
You also launched another company recently—GETapromo. Tell us about that.
Last year we developed a highly successful integrated campaign for an automotive client, and another agency called to see where we bought it. They wanted it for one of their out-of-market dealers. I’m not sure they believed me when I said we did it in-house. But that call got me thinking, “Why can’t we provide high-quality, custom automotive promotions to dealers across the country?” Thus, GETapromo was born.
Creating this new company truly has been a team effort. We took our time in researching the marketplace and developing GETapromo. It was important to us that we developed a strong business and creative foundation in order to deliver something unique to the marketplace. Now, we can take one of our proven automotive campaigns and customize it for any dealer nationwide.
Our official launch was in February at the National Automotive Dealer Association (NADA) meeting in Orlando.
What’s the number one piece of advice you give your clients about advertising? What are the major mistakes many companies make?
My advice is simple: keep your message simple. Have a realistic goal, develop a strategy or plan, and implement it. Get results. If you need help, find industry professionals who complement you and your company’s personality. I feel utilizing an agency is a relationship that has to work for both parties. Find out who they represent and how long they’ve helped them. I would avoid jumping around chasing the “idea du jour.” It takes time and talent to get results. Don’t base strategies on your personal lifestyle or habits—use proven research to market to your target. You may not be “average.”
Tell us about the Disney Approach to Customer Satisfaction course you completed.
That course was right at the beginning of the customer service revolution. Today, our market has changed; everyone feels they provide quality service. It’s not a differentiator that it once was; it’s expected. You used to get a second chance—not anymore. Brand loyalty lasts only as long as the consumers’ last experience. Disney spoke to a success formula, service standards, and the value of service. One of Walt Disney’s philosophies was that “you keep quality when you keep control.” I do strive to have our clients well represented and provide the best our team and industry have to offer. I maintain high standards and expect the same from my team and our strategic partners.
My other favorite from Walt Disney is “you can’t top pigs with pigs”; to me, it means celebrate our clients’ results and always look forward to what we can do next for them to make them more successful. We continually have to pulse our thinking, our radar, our way of doing business. I’d much rather lead trends than follow them. I’m a local girl and always will be; central Illinois businesses deserve solid strategy and marketing with honest and quality representation—that’s not just for big clients in big cities. Local businesses must compete daily with the “big guys.” I just want my clients to have an unfair business advantage—us. Our responsibility is using our expertise for each client every time. Our clients believe in us, trust us, expect a lot from us, and I always want to come through exceeding their expectations and (stealing a Disney phrase) create “magical moments.”
Discuss your travels as a trainer and speaker for the Radio Advertising Bureau.
After winning the Street Fighter award, the RAB has a tendency to pull you in. I enjoyed being a cheerleader for radio. I was asked to go into some small Midwest markets and engage the salespeople to sell campaigns—not just spots—to develop skills as a radio marketing professional, teaching them to listen and come up with radio ads that fit the advertiser’s needs. I also presented a seminar and discussion at annual RAB conferences.
You’re a licensed pilot and also a Realtor. What prompted your interest in these areas?
I grew up traveling a lot with my family. My father owned airplanes, and we had a hangar at the Peoria airport. My cousin was our pilot, and my parents thought it would be good to have a back up pilot, so I was tapped for the lessons. I soloed at 15 and got my pilot’s license on my 16th birthday. My sweet 16 fell on a Monday, and the driver’s license facility was closed. So I got my pilot’s license instead. I joke I could fly a plane by myself before I could drive a car. I still have my license but really don’t have the time now.
I am a Realtor with Jim Maloof/Realtor. My sister, Carol Urish, and I were interested in developing some family property and took the class with our husbands to get some additional knowledge. Carol has made it a full-time job, and she’s a great Realtor. Real estate is an exciting industry, and I enjoy finding and listing properties for my family and friends.
You’re currently chairing the ArtsPartners board. Please give an update of ArtsPartners.
ArtsPartners started in 1995 as a not-for-profit organization representing the entire arts community to promote the arts as vital to central Illinois’ cultural and economic growth. As a founding board member and now president of the organization, we’ve developed numerous marketing initiatives, collaborated with arts organizations, and established partnerships in the business community as well as a focus on arts and education.
What is the vision for ArtsPartners? What are some of the challenges?
There’s such a dynamic group of people on the board, truly taking strong strides in bringing more economic awareness and growth for our arts community, both locally and regionally. My goal is to bring forward the Peoria area arts economically by presenting the arts as a business worth investing private and public funds to grow and nurture. Equally, we need to increase participation of our community through education, attendance, experience, and enjoyment. Our alliance with the Discovery Forum showcases how art and science work together. We’re developing an online ticketing service for our area arts organizations; we feel this will encourage and facilitate more arts attendance. Our arts organizations are facing budget constraints, as are a lot of businesses. What ArtsPartners provides is a unified voice—clearly representing the economic interests of our area arts community, organizations, and artists. Singularly, they can’t commit enough resources, but collectively we’re a very strong voice and are moving forward.
What’s your philosophy for community service?
It’s vital to give back a part of yourself to your community; I’m passionate about that. It makes you feel good about yourself knowing you’re helping others and making our community a better place to live. With so many good things happening in my life, I feel such giving back strengthens me to do more and more. TPW