Tech Image® Repeats as "Best Boutique PR Agency to Work For"

Business Wire, May 14, 2007

The Holmes Report gives the nod to Chicago-based technology public relations firm for its combination of outstanding client work, innovative programs, and work-life balance.

CHICAGO -- For the second year in a row, international public relations industry publication The Holmes Report named Tech Image[R] the "Best Boutique PR Agency to Work For" in its U.S. competition. This annual award recognizes public relations agencies that realize great people make a great agency, and create an atmosphere to attract and keep top talent.

Tech Image is the first boutique agency to win this award two consecutive years in the seven years it's been given. This was no small feat considering the firm was acquired by SmithBucklin Corporation earlier this year.

"The closer working relationship with SmithBucklin would appear to have a number of benefits for the 17-person agency," says Holmes, "but just as important are the things that won't change, particularly the firm's distinctive culture. Tech Image will continue to distinguish itself from most of its competitors by its ability to deliver senior-level technology public relations counsel in a boutique environment."

Among the key determining factors for the winners are comments made by employees of the nominated firms. Tech Image employees praised the agency for its work-life balance, ethics, innovation, leadership and culture.

The technology public relations firm's "work smarter, not harder" philosophy was also cited as critical to keeping employees thinking in fresh, strategic terms rather than simply churning out the same old ideas. A two-year Best Practices documentation project and extensive training program have both contributed to employees getting up to speed quickly and achieving high levels of client success and satisfaction. Still, winning back-to-back titles came as a pleasant surprise to the agency.

"As the manager of any sports team can tell you, getting to the top isn't nearly as difficult as staying there," said Tech Image President Mike Nikolich. "We have always prided ourselves on being a place where top professionals can come and do great work without having to sacrifice their personal lives. It's obvious that formula is continuing to work."

About Tech Image

Founded in 1993, Tech Image is a Chicago-area public relations firm with a proven reputation for positioning growing technology companies as market leaders. Tech Image provides media and analyst relations, messaging services, media coaching and sales acceleration programs for business-to-business organizations. Representative clients include Firefly Energy, FrontRange Solutions, GlobalSpec, Initiate Systems, NEC Display Solutions and the Society for Information Management (SIM). Tech Image is owned by SmithBucklin, the world's largest association management and professional services company with more than 750 employees. SmithBucklin is 100% employee owned. Learn more at www.techimage.com or call 1-888-4-TECH-PR (1-888-483-2477).