Red Fan Communications

Please describe your company and your position there.

Babson Diagnostics is a healthcare technology company working to make diagnostic blood testing more convenient, accessible, and human.

Babson's technology is designed to produce accurate diagnostic results from small capillary samples collected at convenient retail locations and analyzed at our CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Eric Olson is founder, chairman, and COO.

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications?

Babson engaged Red Fan Communications to launch the company's public relations program.

What were your goals for this project?

Babson's goal was to establish the company's brand narrative and create a steady stream of press releases and media coverage.

How did you select Red Fan Communications?

Red Fan Communications was selected as a local Austin partner with experience and passion for local healthcare startups.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Red Fan Communications worked with Babson to establish its initial brand narrative, develop press releases, and support media engagement.

What was the team composition?

Red Fan provided a team of 3-4 representatives at any given time to support Babson's ongoing PR efforts.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Red Fan did a great job establishing the company's initial media presence and building relationships between the company and the media.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was very effective. We established primary contact points on the two teams and collaborated virtually to develop PR strategy and copy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Red Fan was fully engaged in ensuring Babson's success. This was an intense project and Red Fan functioned as an extension of the company. The team was fun and easy to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Red Fan's back office and billing practices were confusing at times.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder and Chief Strategist of Perch Perspectives, a human-centric business and political consulting firm. Perch Perspectives is a small, innovative company providing political risk analysis and guidance to multinationals, NGOs, and governments.

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications?

I hired Red Fan to help me articulate the vision for my new company and then to find the right words, strategies, and outlets for launching.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a new brand identity from scratch that incorporated the lessons I had learned and the mistakes I had made at previous companies. To create a B2B company and position not just me, but the new team I am building, as a trusted source for political analysis and risk consulting. To generate credibility and interest that would lead directly to client acquisition.

How did you select this vendor?

I was introduced to Red Fan via a mutual friend who had hired Red Fan to manage the launch and PR for his new restaurant in Austin, Texas. I was extremely impressed with Red Fan's work and upon meeting with Kathleen and Mimi felt an instant sense of trust. They gave me the confidence and constructive feedback I needed to push forward, and I knew after our very first lunch that I wanted Red Fan's help getting my company off the ground.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Our project had two main phases. Phase 1 was a narrative and branding exercise. I spent a full day with Red Fan's team and then weeks going back and forth on the narrative for the company. Red Fan also was able to connect me with a digital marketing firm that helped us come with the name of the new company and the visual branding. The language that Red Fan produced during Phase 1 became the clearly articulated founding principles of the new company and also the language we used to tell our story and differentiate ourselves competitively during phase 2, the launch. Phase 2 involved a press release and a number of pieces of well-placed content and interviews in important media and trade journals. We also accelerated our timeline because of COVID-19 and Red Fan was able to be flexible and execute our plan even on a shortened timeline.

What was the team composition?

I have worked with a number of folks on Red Fan's team, but most directly with Matt, Dani, Teanna, Mimi, and Kathleen. Mimi and Kathleen helped bring strategic insight and oversight to the entire project from start to finish. Matt and Dani managed the day-to-day execution of the scope of the work and are as talented at their jobs as they are lovely human beings. Teanna was the direct interface with media opportunities.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Launching during a global pandemic skews any "normal" sense of data. But after launch, Perch Perspectives immediately signed a new client and is close to signing a second as I type here on July 16th. We also were invited by a European government body to address their statistical body on geopolitical risks going forward. To have developed these sorts of quality leads for a new company at a time when budgets are very constrained due to COVID-19 to me is the best evidence of the overall success of Red Fan's efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. Red Fan's team is quick and responsive on e-mail. Red Fan set up an e-mail list specifically for the Perch Perspectives project. We also set up a shared Slack channel between our teams for instantaneous feedback and real-time collaboration. Red Fan felt very much like a part of our own team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Red Fan is obviously highly professional and competent but the most impressive thing to me is the way they prioritize people and relationships in their work. Red Fan’s narrative and positioning process didn’t just make my business plan better -- they made me better. Red Fan brought out the very best in me, and by the end of the process, everyone on the team felt not just like my own personal marketing/pr/communications guru but like my friend. I think perhaps you have to be truly “seen” in order to communicate your vision to others -- and Red Fan “saw” me. For that, I’ll be eternally grateful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Red Fan was excellent. My company was completely satisfied with the engagement.