PR Consulting

Pierre Rougier, Founder and President

Step into the dynamic world of PR with Pierre Rougier, the visionary founder and president of PR Consulting. In a new interview, we learned about the evolution of the leading agency since its inception – from its roots with iconic fashion houses like Hermes and Balenciaga to becoming strategic advisors for brands. Read on to learn what trends Pierre believes are shaping PR today, what it takes to remain at the forefront of the industry and how to build – and sustain – strong relationships with top-tier clients.

What drew you to the PR industry and how did you get your start? 

I was never really drawn to it, let's just say I fell into it through a summer job and found it interesting and, at the time, quite easy and fun. 

What was the inspiration behind founding PR Consulting, and what are a few ways the company has evolved since its inception?

I moved to the US for a job after several years in Paris working in house for Yohji Yamamoto and then a brand new fashion company at the time named Martin Margiela. I got a taste of working for multiple brands and projects in that new job in NY and decided to start my own company, pushed by a friend of mine Narciso Rodriguez who was about to start his own label. 

It is fair to say the business I started in 1997 with Hermes/Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, Narciso Rodriguez and Balenciaga has nothing to do with what it is now. We went from directing all our efforts and attention on a very small prescriptive and insular group of editors and magazines who were the “end-all be-all '' of fashion PR, to being strategic advisors for brands. By speaking to a wider audience of influence making media, and digital entities while also plugging directly into consumers' awareness via tactics that are completely different from what we knew back then. What ultimately remains is the need for brand identity and real narrative that sets a brand apart from the others.

What sets PR Consulting apart from other agencies? How do you ensure your team stays innovative and adaptable in the ever-changing landscape?

I believe we are more strategic advisors to brands than we are a traditional PR agency. We have transformed our business into more elevated partnerships. Less samples, less showroom, less ‘busy work’ and more strategic thinking for brand partners that are seeking to make an impact while staying elevated in their approach.

Through this streamlined approach we have been able to end the separation between our fashion clients, hospitality, culinary, sports and lifestyle brands and been able to cross the divides very early on between these categories, and make sure our teams informed their work with the knowledge that comes from having a 360 view of the comms landscape.

What strategies have you found most effective in building and maintaining strong relationships with clients?

Setting realistic goals. Under promising and over delivering as much as possible! Learning to let go of clients who bog you and the teams down.

As a leader in the industry, how do you navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities, especially considering the increasing influence of digital media and technology in the PR landscape?

I think digital media and technology are an integral part of our daily work. We interact with all platforms and our goal is to maintain consistency in messaging across the platforms. We manage the increasingly transactional nature of our work by being party to it, but making sure we don't lose the brand and its ethos in the process. 

What are a few of your fashion favorites at the moment?

• The transformation of Louis Vuitton into a massive cultural brand with fashion and luxury at its center
• The new vision at Gap Inc
• The rise of Alaïa under Pieter Mulier’s razor sharp vision
• Timothee Chalet on the red carpet
• The fusion of the entertainment industry and the fashion industry

Where might we run into you in NYC?

Raf’s, Sant Ambroeus, "Herstory," Judy Chicago’s exhibition at the new museum. Brooklyn Museum always, and on the West Side Highway heading to my home in upstate NY! 

Looking ahead, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of the PR industry, and how is PR Consulting preparing to stay ahead of the curve?

The ever-growing fusion of fashion and entertainment.

Working on it…