THIS SPRING, STEPHENS & ASSOCIATES WILL BE WHISPERING
BRANDING SECRETS FROM 20,000 FEET UP

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — If you have your head in the clouds this spring, you may be able to catch a Sky^TM Radio Network interview featuring Chuck Stephens, founder and president of Stephens & Associates. The interview, which will be aired globally on all audio-equipped American Airlines flights throughout the entire month of April, is featured on Sky Radio’s upcoming Business Solutions Forum with host Dennis Michael.

“A single focus on animal care branding has really differentiated our company from the thousands of ad agencies in the country,” Stephens says. “We strive to know everything we can about this market. And we’ve been involved with these consumers every day for more than 30 years. We even have a licensed veterinarian on board who heads up our medical communications.”

The agency’s location in the Kansas City area is no accident. While K.C. isn’t known as the advertising center of the country, it is a hub for the kind of companies and brands that Stephens & Associates represents. Kansas City has the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world, with manufacturers of pet food, parasite control, pharmaceuticals and more. In fact, animal healthcare companies in the Kansas City region account for 34 percent of total sales in the $17.4 billion global animal health market.

The outlook for those sales is expected to stay strong; some estimates indicate the animal health sector could grow to $21.7 billion in 2010.  However, given the rocky economic challenges all around, Stephens takes nothing for granted. Instead, he remains optimistic.

“I really believe that animals are essential to the well being of people and the Earth — and that inspiration drives our company,” he says. “By giving meaning to our work beyond money, I think our employees are more engaged, more motivated to do their best work, and more satisfied to be working with a team of professionals who share similar values.”

Stephens explains that the agency relies on, what he calls, 10 principles of  brand whispering. Listen like a dog, is one example. “Dogs not only hear sounds that we human beings can’t hear, they’re dialed into our human emotions, even our facial expressions. Dogs listen with their eyes and hearts. If you’ve ever had a dog respond to you when you haven’t said a word, you know what I mean. We go about listening to veterinarians and pet owners in much the same way. We listen for insights and emotional drivers that create action for our clients in an extremely competitive environment.”

The complete interview, Michael also asks Stephens about the challenges of the animal care marketplace.
• Is marketing to pet owners different than marketing to other consumers?
• What are the differences between communicating with veterinarians and communicating with human doctors?
The answers may surprise you.
 
The Sky Radio Network interview with Stephens can be heard aboard American Airlines flights throughout April. If you’re not booked to fly that month, you can also tune in online at www.thebrandwhisperers.com or www.skyradio.net./com.

Stephens & Associates
Founded in 1980, Stephens & Associates is a branding company focused exclusively on building brands that improve the lives of animals. Stephens & Associates has created

marketing programs for a prestigious list of global companies, including Novartis Animal Health; ETHICON, a Johnson & Johnson company; CareCredit^®; Summit VetPharm; Eklin Medical Systems, Inc.; the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals; and the ASPCA^®/Animal Poison Control Center.

Sky Radio Network
With programs that air continuously 24/7 on more than 900,000 annual flights, the Sky Radio Network is the leading producer of  talk shows in the sky and on the Web. Its American Airlines in-flight audio reaches more than 41 million people each year on timely issues with insights from experts, opinion-makers and leaders worldwide.