THE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT'S FOUNDATION

A beginners’ guide focuses on starting and growing a communications consultancy.

Darnell’s book considers the basics of starting a business in the field of corporate and marketing communications, but it could just as easily apply to any professional services’ sole proprietorship. The fundamental principles he covers are the cornerstones of most small businesses, and the lessons he shares are instructive. In Part 1, the author discusses reputation management, creativity, strategy, and personal branding. After a worthwhile discussion of the importance of protecting the integrity of corporate reputations, the work makes a strong case for maintaining business and personal ethics. Chapters on creativity and strategy concentrate largely on the communications business. The material included about branding is more broadly applicable, particularly Darnell’s recommended process for developing a personal brand. Useful for novice brand builders is his clear explanation of “The Copy Platform.” Part 2 is a kind of minicourse in business; it includes chapters on leadership and management, objectives, brands (with some intriguing case histories about “rebrands”), business development, customer service, integrated marketing, and cash flow/project flow. Again, all of these areas focus on communications yet have relevance to most professional service firms. Especially useful, albeit brief, is the content on managing projects. In Part 3, Darnell examines very specifically running a communications consultancy, discussing such issues as client size and media usage. A noteworthy aspect of this book is the “Exploration” section the author appends to the end of each chapter. Here, Darnell suggests exercises that test readers’ knowledge and encourage hands-on practice; for example, “For your personal favorite brand, pick one area of The Promo Mix where you feel that a new campaign effort could introduce significant benefits for the brand. Describe the campaign using the Copy Platform format (see chapter 4).” The author personalizes the book by interweaving his own career experiences with instructional content; he also cites relevant sources and uses appropriate, engaging examples. While covering a lot of ground, the book does not delve deeply into any one topic, resulting in more of an overview than a comprehensive manual.

Valuable, if somewhat rudimentary, advice for the budding communications consultant.