CIO Bulletin

30 Admired Companies to Watch 2021

Patricia Baronowski-Schneider, Pristine Advisers Founder: “We effectively communicate your mission and goals to the audience that matters most to you.”

In the competitive world we live in, it is important for businesses to have a conversation with the buyer. This conversation must, however, be executed through public relations (PR). There are various ways to define PR, and we must understand that every definition has its own value depending on the situation we have in hand. PR is the strategic communication medium that tends to create a mutually beneficial relationship between the organizations and the public. Companies in the digital world are investing a great deal of time and money in PR strategies to stay ahead of the curve. A PR professional will help you deliver the right brand message to the right audience at the right place to create a strong reputation for your brand.

Globally there are various PR experts offering excellent services, but Pristine Advisers stands out from the rest. Pristine Advisers is a customer orientated company focusing on clients’ needs. These can be summed up in three areas – Investor Relations, Public Relations, and Media Relations, which covers the many services they provide to help clients reach their goals. We had a conversation with the founder, Patricia Baronowski-Schneider, to know more about the company. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Why did you start Pristine Advisers?

I worked at firms doing IR/PR/Marketing for many years and what I saw shocked me. There were big global firms with hundreds of employees and were all broken down into “groups.” Clients were led to believe that there was a “group” of people working for them – when the reality was, it was only myself. Indeed, we had Administrative people, Assistant Account Executives, Account Executives, Managers, Directors, etc. all in the group – but none of them had any idea whatsoever on what I was working on. It was a lot of work for me, being alone and working on 8-10 clients at a time. I was working 18 hour days – 7 days a week, while the higher people reaped all of the benefits (financially).

This situation followed me to several firms, and one firm put a price tag on everything. I was used to charging clients a monthly retainer for all of the work – not charging a monthly retainer plus additional fees for various work projects. I truly felt clients were being taken advantage of and decided to put an end to it. I knew the business extremely well.

I had been handling it all for decades and believed that the clients deserved the best quality work at the cheapest cost. Clients had followed me from various jobs, so I knew they appreciated the work that I did for them.

When I mentioned branching out on my own, there was no second-guessing – they were all on board. And as such, Pristine Advisers began.

Here, I was able to continue the same quality work that I had been providing my clients for decades – all while charging them a reasonable monthly retainer. They were delighted with the results, and I was happy knowing that the same work continued. I was able to prove myself above any reasonable doubt, and that due to me taking a stance – my clients all continued to pay minimum retainers. At the same time, I went above and beyond to prove myself to them and the world.

What challenges did the company face, and how did you overcome them?

Sadly, in this competing world, we did encounter several mishaps along the way. Once, we had another Agency who tried to sue us, stating that we offered the same “type” of service. The case was eventually thrown out – but it was still an eye-opener on how evil the world can be. We also had one company take over 5 of the companies that we were representing and taking that business in-house, so that was a quick 5-client loss right at the onset, which was a massive crush to us.

How did we overcome it? We continued our work with our other clients, building relationships, building our databases, learning new ways to market our clients to investors, analysts, brokers, media, and how best to position them as leaders in their industry. Not only have we succeeded, but we’ve also had firms globally contact us to use our databases. We are proud of the connections that we’ve established and continue to build on them daily.

How is your relationship with investors?

We have an excellent relationship with investors. As a shareholder myself (non-client shareholder), I realize the importance of knowing what is going on with the firms you hold stock of. We also host 1-800 #s for several clients. We take pride in ensuring that shareholders are kept abreast of what our clients are doing – both individual shareholders and institutional shareholders alike.

What services do you provide?

We handle Investor Relations, Public Relations, Media Relations, and Marketing. Many firms handle only one of these services. We are one of the very few (if any) firms that handle all – under one roof. We realize that they are not the same. We recognize that all services are necessary to compete globally and how utilizing only one aspect will place you behind your peers. That is why we handle all our clients’ services, all under the one low-cost monthly retainer fee. This is why clients have followed me through various firms and why I’ve had clients with me for decades now.

How is IR Database special?

It is special because it is needed. You need to communicate to your investors, but that category is huge. There are retail shareholders, institutional shareholders, brokers, analysts, long-term shareholders, day-traders, trading chat rooms, etc. Then you have your peers – who are investing in your peers? Why are they not invested in your business? Are they aware of all that you are doing? Are they aware of how/why your business may be better? This is why you need to know who these shareholders all are and why you need to have them in a designated database – to communicate these messages.

Where do you see the future of the company in the forthcoming years?

I see the company thriving and flourishing. Gaining a good reputation takes time. It is very hard-won and very easily lost. We don’t wait around to react; we prefer to set the agenda. We are always looking ahead – beyond just today. We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves better, and I believe that will help us succeed in this competitive world.

Meet the Founder

Patricia Baronowski-Schneider is the founder of Pristine Advisers. She has been in the IR/PR industry for over 33 years – working for firms such as Handy & Harman, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, and The Altman Group, and since 2010, she has been running Pristine Advisers. She is a member of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, has been featured in and on multiple magazines and newspapers, and has won many awards for her work. Patricia is a mother, wife, grandmother, sister, daughter, and a hard worker. She believes consistency and high quality are what bring great results.

“Our job is to generate positive publicity for our clients and enhance their reputation. It’s a combination of analysis and creative problem solving.”