News & Updates
Alaska Business Monthly includes MSI Communications' owner, Laurie Fagnani, in Top Women-Owned Businesses section
August 31, 2009
By Markos N. Kaminis
For Alaska Business Monthly
Laurie Fagnani, owner, founder and president of MSI Communications Inc., spends her days promoting our state, its businesses, its initiatives and good works. MSI, which you may know by its former name, Marketing Solutions Inc., is a homegrown advertising and public relations firm engaging in every aspect of organizational communications. In fact, the company’s name change, effective in late April, was initiated to better reflect the expanded tools and capabilities of a modern day communications firm, all of which MSI has embraced.
Many Services
The agency’s suite of services include: branding, issue management & government affairs, campaign strategy, media relations, media placement, online marketing, printed materials, public relations, radio-in-house sound studio and editing suite, technical and creative copywriting, TV/video, Web site development and social media strategy. However, before MSI gets started with creative, the firm’s mantra calls for the co-development of a marketing strategy with the client. Fagnani believes MSI’s skill in this aspect of its service offering is her firm’s core competency, because it prevents wasted effort and produces measurable results.
Homegrown Business
When we say MSI Communications is homegrown, we mean it literally. Not only was the company born in Anchorage, but its early beginnings sprouted out of a home business, albeit one run by one of Alaska’s most insightful minds. Fagnani’s story is intriguing and complex, but follows a logical path set toward success from the start.
Fagnani traveled the world at an early age. She was born in California, but her father’s work for Japan Airlines quickly took her family to far away Asia while she was still just a little girl. The experience knitted her family tightly together, and gave her the respect for other cultures that she keeps today. Before she knew it though, her father was transferred to Alaska, and she’s been here ever since.
Marketing Roots
Somewhere along the line, Laurie gave up her childhood dream of becoming a park ranger for her true calling. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, with an advertising emphasis and minor in marketing, from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her journey to marketing success started early and stayed en route throughout her life.
Fresh out of school, Fagnani’s first few jobs in marketing solidified her understanding of the tourism industry. She says her time in hospitality embedded in her a customer service mindset that defines her company’s core focus today: “We never forget who we are working for.”
New Strategies
After three years as a hotel sales manager with Clarion Hotels (now the Millennium), she went to work as a sales manager for Alyeska Ski Resort. “I found an environment that took a chance on a young marketing professional and let me try new advertising and PR strategies, and I thrived in that environment,” Fagnani said. She also noted the attention to detail her new bosses instilled in her, yet another skill set she’s taken along to MSI Communications.
While at Alyeska, she initiated the first-ever live ski report for the region, producing it twice a week for KTUU TV and getting it sponsored by Coca-Cola. She says the report led Anchorage residents to make the 45-minute drive up to the resort, when differing weather patterns between the two locations might have otherwise kept folks from a great ski trip.
Within two years, she was promoted to director of marketing and sales. Not long after turning 30, Laurie earned a seat on the board of directors of the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position she held for 12 years. Her accomplishments were mounting, but a new era was about to dawn – family life.
Family Life
Fagnani married in 1992, and left Alyeska shortly after to take a position with an ad agency in Anchorage. As an account manager in client services, she supervised various clients in the tourism industry. Once again, she proved herself quickly, and was promoted within a year to the position of vice president of client services. Fagnani spent three years at the firm before giving birth to her first child.
As in all her endeavors, she gave all of herself to her children, and so she decided to take some time off to focus on motherhood. Still, the advertising bug had bitten her deep, and within a year she was taking on clients on a freelance basis. The beginnings of MSI Communications were taking form, but Fagnani did not quite know it yet. Before too long, Fagnani and her sister, Julie Buck, were managing an expanding list of clients. With two babies and a new business she moved from a spare room in her home to a one-room office off of 16th Avenue.
MSI Grows
As her client count increased, Laurie took the business to a new locale on C Street, and wondered how she would ever fill the eight-office space. MSI now occupies parts of two floors at 3501 Denali Street and employs 21 people.
In 2001, in recognition of the vibrant development of her firm despite the hard economic times of the day, and for her great work for the Special Olympics World Winter Games, the Advertising Federation of Alaska recognized Fagnani as its Advertising Professional of the Year.
MSI Communications has played an integral role in many notable Alaska campaigns. The company was influential in the defeat of Ballot Measure 4, which threatened to close down the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay and the state’s entire mining industry. MSI mobilized various groups, educated the public and media, and successfully won a PR campaign.
However, Fagnani is most proud of her work for the Special Olympics World Winter Games. MSI developed the slogan, “Proud to Play,” and “everyone got behind it: athletes, volunteers and sponsors,” Fagnani says proudly. She likes championing the worthiest of causes the most.
Fagnani sees her company continuing the straightforward path of progression. She is one of those lucky people who is doing what they love, and succeeding at it.
Petroleum News - Oil Patch Bits: MSI Communications unveils new name, services
May 09, 2009
MSI said April 28 that the full service advertising and public relations firm formerly known as Marketing Solutions Inc. is now MSI Communications. After 12 years of steady growth in client-based and industry experience, MSI updated the symbols of its brand to better match the firm’s current area of expertise.
“After more than a decade of unparalleled growth and expanded services, we’ve outgrown our name” said Laurie Fagnani, company founder and president. “Our services changed so dramatically from the traditional marketing mix to include campaign strategy, issue management, Web development and social media, that we needed to reinvent our identity.”
Fagnani said that the firm retained the acronym from the original name, Marketing Solutions Inc., but the letters more closely represent the firm’s core services and capabilities: marketing, strategy and interactive.
MSI Communications unveils new name, logo, office space
April 23, 2009
The communications industry in Anchorage recently said goodbye…and hello…to one of its key players. The full-service advertising and public relations firm formerly known as Marketing Solutions, Inc. has unveiled a new company name – MSI Communications. After 12 years of steady client growth and industry experience, MSI updated the symbols of its brand to better match the firm’s current areas of expertise.
“After more than a decade of unparalleled growth and expanded services, we've outgrown our name,” Laurie Fagnani, company founder and president, said. “Our services changed so dramatically from the traditional marketing mix to include campaign strategy, issue management, Web development and social media, that we needed to reinvent our identity.”
Fagnani said the firm retained the acronym of the original name, Marketing Solutions Incorporated (MSI), but the letters themselves now more closely represent the firm’s core services and capabilities: marketing, strategy and interactive. The company’s new Web site is www.MSIAlaska.com.
The new logo features three simple vertical marks that represent core business strengths as well as symbolize, in abstract form, the Aurora Borealis – a tie to the firm’s home state of Alaska. A contemporary font was selected and the colors red and brown were chosen for their bold, confident look and feel.
Along with the new name and logo, MSI expanded and remodeled its office space at 3501 Denali Street and now occupies two floors in midtown Anchorage. The company has added a fully integrated interactive department with a senior Web programmer, social media strategist and Flash animation capabilities. Additionally, the media department was expanded to include a full-time assistant, an in-house recording studio and an editing suite. An open house was held April 23 to introduce the new brand and showcase the renovated office.
As part of the new brand launch, MSI is offering clients a special seminar series entitled Social Media Strategies for Communicators.
“Businesses, local event planners and government agencies are integrating social media strategies like Twitter, Digg and Facebook into the PR play book," Fagnani said. "The seminars have already proven to help clients learn how to grow their own brand, enhance client connections and expand communications channels."
MSI Communications is one of the largest full-service communications firms in Alaska. The company’s industry experience includes tourism, transportation, oil and gas, initiative campaigns and work with Alaska Native corporations.
PRSA of Alaska recognizes successful campaigns of the year
February 24, 2009
In the ballpark of public relations it’s standing room only. In this business it’s always the bottom of the 9th, the score’s always tied, and the bases?
Perpetually loaded.
That’s why we step to the plate, cool like the other side of an Egyptian cotton pillow.
Our mantra: See the Ad, feel the Ad, be the Ad and in doing so, through an alchemy of poetry and art, through a fusion of messaging and beauty, we become the Sweet Spot.
We hit it back, way back, into the upper deck, out of the park, into the outer atmosphere where it burns like a fiery comet.
To the victor go the spoils. And in our case, the Aurora Awards.
PRSA of Alaska recognizes successful campaigns of the year
January 15, 2008
At the 2007 PRSA of Alaska's awards banquet, Marketing Solutions garnered six awards, including first place for its "No on 2" campaign. The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau took home most of the awards in the night for its various campaigns throughout the year.
Listed below are the Aurora Awards and the Awards of Excellence Marketing Solutions received this year:
Awards of Excellence
Direct Mail Solicitation
2nd Place – ACVB and Marketing Solutions
CMSS Direct Mail Blitz
Nance Larsen, Glee Anderson
Special Printed Promotional Materials
1st Place – ACVB and Marketing Solutions
Official Anchorage Visitors Guide
Nance Larsen
Special Electronic Promotional Material
1st Place – ACVB, Apokrisis and Marketing Solutions
Big Wild Life Sweepstakes
Nance Larsen, Lisa Gill
Aurora Awards
Public and Community Service
2nd Place – ACVB, Marketing Solutions, PIP Printing, Central Middle School (School Business Partnership) Geocaching Journeys Nance Larsen, Shelly Wozniak, Michael Warren
Public Affairs
1st Place – Marketing Solutions and Alaska Oil & Gas Association Our Future is in the Pipeline – “No on 2” Kara Moriarty, Grant Johnston, Lana Johnson, Laurie Fagnani
Special Public Relations Campaigns
2nd Place – ACVB, MOA, AEDC, Nerland Agency, Marketing Solutions Anchorage Brand Nance Larsen, Bruce Bustamante, David Ramseur, Bill Popp, Bob Poe