The Wide World of Advertising Agencies.

• Author: PARMELEE, CATHERINE

Marketing experts in The Last Frontier are dedicated not only to their craft, but also to their community and clients.

Advertising professionals in Alaska are here to help businesses--big and small--get and retain customers through increased visibility via print, radio and/or television advertising. They can create a slogan that wows, enhance your company's image and provide ideas for ensuring your company--not the competitor--gets noticed. These marketing exports perform jobs that range everywhere from writing ad copy to providing photography to making sound recordings. Many are affiliated with the American Association of Advertising Agencies, an accreditation organization.

There are dozens of ad agencies and public relations firms working in Alaska. Alaska Business Monthly selected a few of these creative companies to profile. If your business needs new life, you might want to call on one of the state's many marketing professionals to help.

Porcaro Communications\Bernholz & Graham

Employees at Porcaro Communication like to get up close and personal with their clients. They also like to live a balanced life.

"Don't sit on the sidelines," said Michael Porcaro, president and CEO of Porcaro Communications in Anchorage. "Get in there, get dirty, have fun."

Porcaro injects this personal philosophy into his staff of about 18 people. This family man, radio broadcaster, hockey player, community volunteer and advertising professional believes all work and no play makes people dull. Sharp skills come from living life to the fullest, resulting in the ability to create quality products. So Porcaro goes for the gusto, not for the dough. "If you do good work, the money will follow," he said. "You always win in the end. People want quality."

Porcaro Communications is a full-service agency that opened its doors in 1982. Operations expanded in April with the acquisition of Anchorage public relations firm Bernholz & Graham. Shortly after sales negotiations opened last October, Bonnie Bernholz died after a battle with cancer. Though ownership has changed, the PR firm's name stands unchanged, and Roberta Graham remains as president and chief executive officer.

Porcaro Communications currently provides media, advertising and Web development services to clients like GCI Telecommunications, Tesoro and Petro Marine Services, among others. Creativity was key to producing award-winning ads for GCI. The telecommunications company has many products, so Porcaro Communications tried to give GCI an identity. It worked. GCI's pitchman is quasi-adventurer Mr. Peterson played by actor John O'Hurley, best known for that same role on Seinfeld. "We try to do a lot with humor-give people a laugh," Porcaro said. "Let's not take ourselves so seriously that we can't have a good time."

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