Chicago-based Taylor Johnson Public Relations marked its 45th anniversary as one of the real estate industry’s oldest public relations firms in a unique and sticky fashion – with a peanut butter drive benefitting the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD). The company collected 1,400 jars for donation, the largest private donation of peanut butter in GCFD history.
When considering ways to mark the firm’s milestone by giving back to the community, Taylor Johnson President Emily Johnson decided to combine her love of peanut butter with food pantries’ need for the versatile product.
“Peanut butter is one of the most desirable donations for food pantries because of its high protein content and long shelf life. But it’s also not an item often donated because of its price point,” said Johnson. “So, we decided to fill that need and, of course, gave the effort a catchy name. Our PB & TJ goal was initially to collect 450 jars in honor of 45 years, but we received donations totaling 1,400 jars, which was exciting.”
Founded in 1977 by Deborah Johnson, the second-generation, woman-owned firm – today led by Deborah’s daughter, Emily Johnson – represents clients across the residential and commercial real estate sectors, promoting their projects and services in Chicago and geographically diverse markets across the U.S., as well as internationally. Featuring some of the industry’s most prominent developers, builders, investors and service firms, Taylor Johnson’s client roster has made the company a go-to resource for media. The firm’s longevity is reflected in its continued representation of its first client, Lexington Homes, one of many long-term relationships the firm has developed over the past four decades.
“When my mother, Deborah, founded Taylor Johnson in the 1970s, the idea of public relations as a standalone component to a real estate marketing plan was still a new idea,” said Emily Johnson, who serves as president of the firm. “But as she continued to educate clients about the value of an editorial endorsement in shaping public opinion about their product and service offerings, the business flourished.
“Today, our clients continue to value the creativity and fresh ideas we bring to the table,” continued Johnson. “While media relations remains the core focus of our business, those earned placements are often supplemented with one or more of our other service offerings, which today include content development, social media and digital advertising, and event management – an integrated model through which we help clients raise awareness and increase profitability.”
In 1984, Deborah Johnson published the Home Builder’s Publicity Manual with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), which became a resource for builders nationwide and helped expand Taylor Johnson while proving the value of public relations to the broader real estate industry. Fifteen years later, Johnson co-authored a second marketing book with her daughter, Emily, titled The Builder’s Publicity Builder.
Emily Johnson was promoted to partner in 1999 and assumed the role of president when Deborah Johnson retired in 2008. As president, she launched the firm’s popular TJ TALK newsletter, a free daily digest of industry headlines, job listings and events, and began pursuing business beyond residential real estate, adding clients across a range of commercial property sectors, professional disciplines and geographic markets nationwide. Johnson also expanded the firm’s offerings to include social media and digital marketing, both natural extensions of the firm’s public relations and event services.
“Although the economic conditions in 2008 and beyond made it a challenging time to be handed the reins to a public relations firm – particularly one niched entirely in real estate – it also proved to be an opportunity to make strategic shifts in the overall business plan,” said Johnson. “Taylor Johnson emerged from that period stronger than ever, and today, as a team of 23, we see continued growth as we head toward our next milestone.”
View a list of Taylor Johnson’s clients, service offerings and case studies, as well as bios of the team members, at www.taylorjohnson.com.
