Expanding Horizons: Transforming Public’s Growth Strategy and Organizational Culture

By Cécile Ney
Erika Mendoza article banner
You can see Public’s billboards and digital screens all over El Salvador—at La Gran Via shopping mall in San Salvador, on the Pan-American highway, in Santa Elena and Merliot, etc. For over 20 years, this small and profitable firm has been known for its prime advertising locations, its variety of options (traditional and digital billboards, indoors and outdoors), its cost-competitiveness and its repeat customers.

Identifying Growth Strategies: Join Bpeace's Maximizer Forward Program

Erika MendozaErika Mendoza, who joined Public as a saleswoman in 2016 and leads the team as General Manager, wondered how the company could grow. What could it do with a larger customer base and strategic planning? That is why Erika joined Bpeace’s Maximizer Forward program in 2022. In the diagnostic process, Erika concluded that Public’s most pressing need was to strengthen client relationships and grow its client portfolio through a public relations and social media campaign.

The Power of Collaboration: Erika and Madeleine’s Marketing Masterplan

Bpeace matched Public with Skillanthropist business expert Madeleine Weiner, a strategy and marketing executive who has helped build world-class brands across cultures and industries, from consumer packaged goods to news/entertainment, healthcare and higher education. In December 2022, Madeleine spent a week in El Salvador helping Erika create Public’s marketing plan. Through their work together and with Madeleine’s guidance, Erika also realized that establishing processes would increase Public’s efficiency and profits.

Cultivating a Thriving Company Culture: Implementing Processes for Growth

First, Public transformed its organizational culture. Erika says, “We realized we had to change our work dynamic and start over from scratch.” They established working hours, started meetings on time, clarified roles and responsibilities, and reported on commitments. Employees are enthusiastic about these changes, feeling more engaged and getting more done. “Madeleine made us believe in ourselves,” Erika says, “and she helped us take this leap of expansion. It is a process, and we have a long way to go, but if it hadn’t been for Bpeace and Madeleine, we wouldn’t have done it. We renewed the company both cosmetically and internally. It’s nice to arrive at the office; it’s full of enthusiastic people.”

Even before launching the new marketing plan, Public began to achieve results quickly. In the first quarter of 2023, the company decreased costs by 17%.

Expanding the Team: Hiring a Marketing Manager and Design Specialist

Now Erika and team were ready to implement the marketing plan. Recruiting and hiring a Marketing Manager was a key part of the plan, and Public achieved that in April 2023. Anita joined the firm and immediately began working on the brand’s positioning, creating a new website and designing a social media campaign to launch in July 2023.

Public also improved a key process: client campaign reporting. The company hired a client campaign liaison who was able to make the reports more visually appealing and easier for the clients to understand.

Clients responded by repeating their purchases, which contributed to turning April and May—typically slow months—into a period of 20% growth.

Future Prospects: Standardizing Systems and Client Database Expansion

As a result of working with Bpeace, Public has increased revenue and reduced costs, hired two new team members, established clearer processes, inspired employees and envisioned its next two growth projects: a project management system and a customer relationship management system to build the company’s client database and begin running segmented campaigns. Public has experienced double-digit growth and is on track to exceed that.

“Through Bpeace, we were able to work with an icon who has a ton of experience,” Erika says. “I admire our Skillanthropist a lot. It was a privilege to work hand in hand with her.”

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Author

  • Cécile Ney

    Cécile Ney is Bpeace's Impact Manager. She also teaches social entrepreneurship and innovation in Central American universities and previously managed programs in Latin American incubators and accelerators.

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