Though it’s sometimes difficult to physically catch up with PR guru Drew Gerber, CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., he’s always available virtually. He’s a citizen of the world who currently splits his time between Hungary, Serbia, and the US. Wasabi Publicity produces innovative campaigns for companies (and authors) that strive to make the world a better place. Integrating traditional PR with social marketing, Wasabi Publicity’s campaigns are distinctive in their passion, creativity, and brilliance.
It’s the nuts and bolts of how Drew gets it done on a day-to-day basis that interested me, though, and I compared some notes with him about how he manages to run his business successfully from such unlikely locations.
Drew isn’t just a Skype user; he couldn’t run his business without it. Not only do business calls from New York to Serbia allow him to stay in contact with his team, Skype video calls also give Drew access to talented staff all over the world. His reach is limitless, and he’s able to immerse Wasabi Publicity in the global economy to a degree that used to be impossible for small businesses.
It turns out that Drew’s innovative approach to technology maximizes the unique benefits Skype brings to the PR biz. All of the television interviews that Drew and his partner did in preparation for their Serbian House Hunters International episode were conducted via Skype, saving them the expense and hassle of travel.
Drew’s high-tech, sophisticated campaigns are being assembled in Wasabi Publicity’s European base in Serbia, in a village where many of the residents still use a horse and carriage as their primary means of transportation. The rural village is no barrier to success, though, because if there’s an Internet connection, he’s in business. Once again, Skype has dramatically changed the game for small business, fostering international collaboration and permitting a flexibility and mobility that’s truly transformative.
I wrote this blog post on behalf of Skype and received compensation for my time and research required to create this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Skype’s. For additional information about Skype’s small business solutions, follow @skype4biz and visit http://www.skype.com/en/business/.
