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"Being good in business is die most fascinating kind of art.... Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art." - Andy Warhol
Legends are made, not born - at least in the case of PRACO Advertising and Public Relations. The thirty-two-year-old company, founded on April 1, 1970, has earned its berth as one of Colorado Springs' oldest and most respected advertising agencies. And, characteristic of companies that become legends, it still takes its business as seriously today as it did the day Jim and Nechie Hall pitched their first client. Today, Jim Hall serves as the company's chairman and Nechie, as CEO and president.
Through economic ups and downs, the company has survived, due in part to the passion of its owners - which today includes executive vice president and creative director, George Olson. One of the reasons for PRACO's success in attracting clients Olson says, "is the company's respect for the client's ROI or return-on-investment. Everything we do in the creative area must meet the client's goals in terms of results." Olson admits that the most "fun" accounts from a creative perspective are not always the company's largest. "When you look at the Lotsa Bagels ads we created - or the Chinook Bookstore's radio spots - those companies were not nationals, but we've gotten good results for our clients. But we're also able to deliver an excellent branding campaign for a national client with a serious message."
"We have searched the country for the top creative and account service talent," Nechie says. "From the beginning Jim and I decided that there was no reason that a Colorado Springs-based advertising and public relations firm couldn't handle national or international clients. But we have had to look beyond strictly local talent to build our reputation." Hall...