The Top Places to Work in PR: Agency—Cohn Marketing

Founded in the spring of 2000, Cohn Marketing quickly outgrew its initial location, a 150-square-foot “closet” located in Boulder, Colo., to accommodate the growing staff size. Now at 22 employees (and on its third office space) the firm’s shingle hangs in Denver, but its services support a global portfolio of clients. (Plus, the firm is “very pro-travel,” says one employee, which can be seen in its generous vacation policy—in the neighborhood of five weeks paid time off).

Cohn Marketing’s “internal culture is driven by its “open-door policy,” in which all employees are all encouraged to interact and engage with each other regardless of title.

“We are a tight-knit community with a high level of respect for each other, whether you are in the PR department or on the creative team,” says one staffer. As a result, the staff has a dynamic combination of skill sets, allowing employees to “step out of traditional PR roles” and “understand how to seamlessly merge public relations with other tactics.”

As far as opportunities to grow at the agency, it’s “ask, and you shall receive,” says one employee. “The team is encouraged to take on projects that grow the business. If the business is successful, then we will be as well.” Indeed, Cohn Marketing defines success in all things branding, ranging from discovery and strategy to planning and activation.

Cohn’s successful approach to employee relations and communications is evident by its employees’ overall view of the firm. According to one, “I have worked for a lot of agencies, and Cohn Marketing has been the first place I have worked that I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. The leadership is stellar. I think Cohn Marketing is a hidden gem that I feel lucky to have found.” PRN

October 19, 2009