Furia Rubel celebrates 15th anniversary with a rebranding and revamped website
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Furia Rubel, a Bucks County-based marketing and public relations agency, is among the region’s top 50 largest women-owned businesses, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. But its success didn’t happen overnight. What began in a small, second-story office by one dedicated mother and wife has turned into one of the country’s leading boutique agencies. Now, Furia Rubel is better than ever with a newly unveiled brand and revamped website to celebrate its 15th anniversary.
The client-focused company local organizations know today all started with its founder, Gina Rubel, and her early passion for communication. Her college career was spent at Drexel University, where she completed three co-ops, or cooperative opportunities, in the field, getting hands-on experience and confirming she was on the right path.
After graduation, Rubel worked as both a solo consultant in legal public relations and an attorney, but eventually realized her interests lied with the former. After some reflection, she knew she was meant to pursue a consulting career, but on her own terms. She was also married with children by this point, and craved a better work-life balance.
Rubel built her business from scratch in a small, second-floor office and has continued to grow it organically ever since.
“Slowly and steadily,” Rubel said of her company’s progression.
Throughout her 15 years as a business owner, Rubel has witnessed firsthand the drastic changes the communication industry has gone through. When she started, social media was almost nonexistent and Google was primarily a search engine used for research. There was also no online 24-hour news cycle. According to Rubel, agencies could begin talking to reporters two to three weeks in advance about a potential in-depth feature on a client. Now, everything is instantly posted online, with a focus on quantity over quality.
Despite these changes, Rubel can proudly say she’s kept up with the times, adjusting her company to match any new demands the industry throws her way.
“If you want to stay alive, you have to be willing to evolve quickly,” she said. “The industry has done a 180. It’s not what it was before.”
But at the heart of the communications field, no matter how many technological advances it may have gone through, the theories and strategies remain the same, such as identifying a client’s target audience. It’s just about altering the execution of these strategies.
“We’re still dealing with humanity,” Rubel said.
Each day, Furia Rubel is dedicated to helping its clients reach their full potential, constantly encouraging them to ask their audiences what they want and need. After 15 years, Rubel decided it was time to take a step back, lead by example, and see how she could better serve her own audience. About 11 months ago, Rubel’s clients completed a survey on how they thought Furia Rubel could improve. Mostly all said the services were excellent, but its messaging was becoming outdated, no longer matching the sophistication of the brand.
According to Rubel, her brand started as “kitschy and fun” to match the laid-back, comfortable feel she wished to portray, but this no longer felt modern to her clients.
“It was time to listen to our audience,” she said.
The following nine months were spent doing a complete overhaul of the website, which is now easier to navigate, mobile friendly and rich with content that better reflects the brand that Furia Rubel’s clients see — a dynamic and engaging agency that truly understands the business objectives of its clients and provides data-driven strategic counsel.
“It’s an entire brand born out of what clients have to say,” Rubel said.
Just like Furia Rubel has steadily evolved over the years, its clients have as well. Once a niche consultancy focused on public relations for lawyers, its roster has expanded to include Am Law 200 firms nationwide, banks such as Penn Community Bank, municipal governments, educational organizations and nonprofits. Its services include everything from marketing and media relations to website design and social media services.
As Rubel celebrates this well-earned milestone, she’s already looking ahead at the next 15 years. Though she understands her company will continue to evolve along with the industry, a few things will never change. From the day she set out to start a business, Rubel’s mission was to have integrity, working only with clients she could truly advocate for and forming real connections. So far, it’s paid off with several clients, and staff members, remaining on her roster for 14 years.
“If you continue to deliver high value service, the return in investment will become invaluable,” she said. ••
To learn more about Furia Rubel, visit furiarubel.com.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
