Celebrating the past
Embracing the present
Exploring the future

I remember turning 40. Didn’t think much about it at the time. For me, it was just another milestone on the journey of life.

We did a lot of thinking about turning 40 when it came time for Nuffer, Smith, Tucker to celebrate this important milestone for our company. We decided to use our 40th as a point of reflection. We had many conversations reminiscing about all the important projects and great client work we had done, and how much fun we had as a team along the way. If you take a look at the history page on our new website you will see small snapshots of some of these stories, as there are way too many to list them all.

However, the most interesting conversations we had as a team were not about reflecting back, but about looking forward. While we spent time talking about our history, we also discussed how that history drives our team in our everyday actions and as we plan for the future.

You see, we call ourselves explorers here at NST. Our history is rooted in strategy, and through this strategic mindset, we explore the best path to help our clients succeed, then put together the plan of action to bring that strategy to life. We do not simply throw out tactics to see what might stick.

And, while some of the tactics we recommend have changed dramatically over the years, the core of our business remains the same. At NST, we have a three-part mantra that defines how we approach getting results for our client partners:

Conversations are critical
Relationships matter
Storytelling brings it all to life

This approach, grounded in 40 years of history, bodes well for the future too. Technology has changed the game. We have access to data like never before. The tools we have at our fingertips to speak directly to targeted audiences grow more expansive every day. The mix of communication options is at an all time high. And let’s not forget that traditional media has refused to die like many predicted. People still watch TV, listen to the radio, and read magazines and newspapers. Granted they do so while sending a text from their phone, engaging in social media channels on their tablet and checking their email on their laptop computer, all at the same time.

Yet, to steal a line from a Led Zepplin movie title, “The Song Remains the Same,” or in this case, the core of communication remains the same. Having two–way dialogue, or conversations, remains the most credible form of communication. Building lasting relationships between an organization and its audiences continues to be at the core of an organization’s success. And lastly, companies and organizations that know their own story, and how to communicate that story to the world, are more successful than those that do not.

So, as we celebrate our 40th, we want you to look forward with us. What does the world of public relations look like in the next 40 years? How will the industry adapt to the changes? What conversations do marketers need to have, relationships do we need to build and stories do we need to tell to be successful?

What we do know is, the NST team is thankful that our founders Bob Smith and Dave Nuffer were not pulling off a prank when they opened our doors on April Fools Day in 1974. The 40 years have been kind to us. We have great client partners, the best team of people and wonderful relationships with the communities in which we work, both in San Diego and across the country. If we use history as a guide, we bet the next 40 years will be equally as exciting.

We invite you to explore with us.

Bill Trumpfheller
President