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A public relations whiz
At 29, Sinan Kanatsiz is running a fast-growing, $14 million business.
By Diane TurnerPublished: August 19, 2004
“Every business needs a business plan, an Internet strategy, a marketing plan and a PR plan. Image is your success. Perception is reality,” says Sinan Kanatsiz, owner of K-Comm, a full-service public relations and marketing firm with offices in San Clemente, San Jose, Laguna Beach and the United Kingdom. His company services big time clients such as Sony, IBM and eBay.
Kanatsiz walks the walk. He is a high-tech image-building guru and multi-millionaire business owner at the age of 29. He is a self-described planner and his license plate “LTS GAMBLE” has nothing to do with Vegas, but rather life in general. “Everything we do in life is a gamble and I like to take high but responsible risks, because higher risks mean higher rewards,” he says.
He learned business etiquette and communication skills while working at the Olive Garden Restaurant during high school and college. At 20 years of age, he was the captain of the restaurant, making nearly $80,000 a year. He was also a student in community college, with no direction.
“I chose to transfer to Chapman University because of its reputation for grooming students for success and focusing on the individual.” The question still lingered: What would he do? As a former soccer coach and schoolteacher, his father had a lot of experience guiding youth. He noticed his son’s outstanding confidence and abilities in public relations at the restaurant and steered him toward a major in communications. In addition, the younger Kanatsiz grew up in the burgeoning computer age and could see the future revolving around those who could manipulate the new technology to their advantage. His emphasis within his major became computer science.
While at Chapman, Kanatsiz became president of the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, increasing its membership from eight to 40 in one semester.
Top priority
Even though he was making a lot of money at the restaurant, he quit his job to devote his time to his education and budding career. “I gave up something good for something greater,” he says.
By the time he graduated, his $50,000 savings was depleted. At that point he went door to door handing out flyers in the affluent community of Villa Park. The flyer noted that he was a recent PR graduate prepared to program and build Websites. This was 10 years ago when the Internet was still an infant in the business world. Among his first clients were the CEOs for Harley-Davidson and Del Taco, and Ernie Rankin, owner of the Rankin Group, a public relations agency specializing in high-tech accounts. Kanatsiz built an immediate portfolio and Rankin gave him an internship. “This was a critical point in my career. I got my leadership abilities through my education, my street smarts through the restaurant, and Ernie offered me a mentorship to learn the ins and outs of the agency.”
To this day he’s still friends with Rankin, but he left the Rankin Group after a year and started his own business, K-Comm, with billings of $2,000-$3,000 per month. Today, he bills $200,000-$300,000 each month. Kanatsiz has one employee who has been with him since he went into business in 1998, Sandy Pichitpai. “She’s a vice president of PR who is loyal and dedicated and who has helped me grow the company to the success it is.”
A potential setback
Perception is reality to Kanatsiz, and he had to overcome a possible blow to his own image early on in his career. Through a referral from an editor, Sony signed on as a PR client to the tune of $30,000-$40,000 a month and, one day, Sony representatives came calling.
Was there a problem? Well ... K-Comm was located in the sewing room of his parents’ home in Orange to save on overhead.
“Sandy and I had to scramble to make it look like a real office. We went through the room taking down pictures and paintings that were non-agency environment, like family photos, and frantically rearranged everything for the right atmosphere.” At the last minute there was a change of plans, the reps never made it and K-Comm retained its upscale, competitive image.
Kanatsiz now owns a three-level San Clemente hillside home of his own, with the lower floor entirely dedicated to K-Comm. “We also have a 1,000-square-foot studio in Laguna.”
K-Comm, a Web-based organization, currently vies for clients against giants like Burson-Marsteller, Saatchi and Saatchi and boutique shops like AccessM3 and Nadel Phelan. “Each of these companies does a part of what we can offer, but nobody else does it all, especially the state-of-the-art Web-related functions,” says Kanatsiz.
The business model
Kanatsiz currently has 30 clients on retainer and another 100 that he works with on a project basis. He has a network of 12 consultants who work with him. By contracting out work to vendors and utilizing their offices as an extension of his operation, he is able to make as much as an 80% margin on agency income. He was recently invited by USC’s School of Business to speak about this unique model.
“It’s a win-win-win model. Our initial business customers will introduce us to their network of vendor partners, known as resellers, and we produce joint marketing for all.”
Kanatsiz’s top priority in a marketing strategy mix is to differentiate his clients in the marketplace. He then builds upon that by putting together tactical components such as press releases, advertisements, Websites and Web seminars. His strategies garnered millions of dollars in additional sales for Key Information Systems of Woodland Hills, an IBM reseller. “By the time Sinan completed his work, featuring us as the authority in our industry, IBM looked at us as the poster child for marketing their product,” says Key Information Systems Director of Marketing Pete Elliot.
According to Kanatsiz, public relations is the real image builder. “Public relations must be a long-term commitment because otherwise, the model doesn’t work.”
Lasermonks.com
Another good example of his PR strategy can be seen in his work for current client lasermonks.com, which he started out helping pro bono. There was a group of monks from Sparta, Wis., selling printer cartridges. They had no visibility and only sold through Catholic-based advertisements. They had $20,000 in annual sales and gave 100% of their profits to charity.
“This was a true PR opportunity the story was different, would sell and what they did was for a good cause.” The Internet and general media went wild for the story and lasermonks.com representatives appeared on “World News Tonight,” “CBS MarketWatch” and are scheduled for “Oprah” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” This exposure is generating phenomenal sales. Eighty percent of the orders are now repeat and residual business. Fast Company magazine has called lasermonks.com the fastest-growing business organization in the nation, expanding in one year to reach 30 million people.
“We weren’t just helping them become multimillionaires; it’s about helping others around the world benefit from what they do and changing lives. Due to a firm business plan and ongoing marketing and PR plans, they have the ability to become billionaires. This is the highest point of my career.”
Public relations feeds sales
Usually if a company has a financial crisis, public relations and marketing departments are the first to be dissolved.
“I spend a lot of time educating companies that this is counterproductive. If anything, this is the time to bolster your PR and marketing efforts and keep up your positive image.”
Kanatsiz advises companies to make decisions on an ethical and moral basis to keep their good image. “Ask yourself: Is this the right thing to do? Don’t take shortcuts. If your image is tarnished, it’s tarnished for life.”
Kanatsiz’s keys to success: Personal integrity, mentors, family and education. Because he has fast-forwarded his own earning stage, he can devote more time to mentoring and to his personal life. He is the youngest member of the New Majority, a Republican group made up of 100 influential OC men and women. He also co-founded Generation NeXt, an invitation-only group of young business leaders that supports moderate candidates with mainstream policies. His latest ventures include being chairman of the Internet Marketing Association, and president of Bankswap.com.
With all of his due diligence and preparation, Kanatsiz admits that life is all about surprises. “There’s always a variable you never thought about, but life is still a pretty good gamble.” OCM
Diane Turner, president of Diane Turner Communications of Huntington Beach, is a veteran freelance writer and author. OCM
Back to top
Kanatsiz’s Top Two Tips For Business Success
1. Don’t ever underestimate yourself. I’m living proof that it does not take an inheritance or a 4.0 GPA to make your dreams a reality in life and business. Perseverance, dedication and strong will to get through impossible circumstances count for a lot.
2. When implementing a marketing campaign for your business, be sure to use an integrated approach that crosses multiple mediums including print, online and events. The collaboration of multiple marketing channels is most effective at creating new business opportunities.
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Kanatsiz walks the walk. He is a high-tech image-building guru and multi-millionaire business owner at the age of 29. He is a self-described planner and his license plate “LTS GAMBLE” has nothing to do with Vegas, but rather life in general. “Everything we do in life is a gamble and I like to take high but responsible risks, because higher risks mean higher rewards,” he says. He learned business etiquette and communication skills while working at the Olive Garden Restaurant during high school and college. At 20 years of age, he was the captain of the restaurant, making nearly $80,000 a year. He was also a student in community college, with no direction. “I chose to transfer to Chapman University because of its reputation for grooming students for success and focusing on the individual.” The question still lingered: What would he do? As a former soccer coach and schoolteacher, his father had a lot of experience guiding youth. He noticed his son’s outstanding confidence and abilities in public relations at the restaurant and steered him toward a major in communications. In addition, the younger Kanatsiz grew up in the burgeoning computer age and could see the future revolving around those who could manipulate the new technology to their advantage. His emphasis within his major became computer science. While at Chapman, Kanatsiz became president of the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, increasing its membership from eight to 40 in one semester. Top priority Even though he was making a lot of money at the restaurant, he quit his job to devote his time to his education and budding career. “I gave up something good for something greater,” he says. By the time he graduated, his $50,000 savings was depleted. At that point he went door to door handing out flyers in the affluent community of Villa Park. The flyer noted that he was a recent PR graduate prepared to program and build Websites. This was 10 years ago when the Internet was still an infant in the business world. Among his first clients were the CEOs for Harley-Davidson and Del Taco, and Ernie Rankin, owner of the Rankin Group, a public relations agency specializing in high-tech accounts. Kanatsiz built an immediate portfolio and Rankin gave him an internship. “This was a critical point in my career. I got my leadership abilities through my education, my street smarts through the restaurant, and Ernie offered me a mentorship to learn the ins and outs of the agency.” To this day he’s still friends with Rankin, but he left the Rankin Group after a year and started his own business, K-Comm, with billings of $2,000-$3,000 per month. Today, he bills $200,000-$300,000 each month. Kanatsiz has one employee who has been with him since he went into business in 1998, Sandy Pichitpai. “She’s a vice president of PR who is loyal and dedicated and who has helped me grow the company to the success it is.” A potential setback Perception is reality to Kanatsiz, and he had to overcome a possible blow to his own image early on in his career. Through a referral from an editor, Sony signed on as a PR client to the tune of $30,000-$40,000 a month and, one day, Sony representatives came calling. Was there a problem? Well ... K-Comm was located in the sewing room of his parents’ home in Orange to save on overhead. “Sandy and I had to scramble to make it look like a real office. We went through the room taking down pictures and paintings that were non-agency environment, like family photos, and frantically rearranged everything for the right atmosphere.” At the last minute there was a change of plans, the reps never made it and K-Comm retained its upscale, competitive image. Kanatsiz now owns a three-level San Clemente hillside home of his own, with the lower floor entirely dedicated to K-Comm. “We also have a 1,000-square-foot studio in Laguna.” K-Comm, a Web-based organization, currently vies for clients against giants like Burson-Marsteller, Saatchi and Saatchi and boutique shops like AccessM3 and Nadel Phelan. “Each of these companies does a part of what we can offer, but nobody else does it all, especially the state-of-the-art Web-related functions,” says Kanatsiz. The business model Kanatsiz currently has 30 clients on retainer and another 100 that he works with on a project basis. He has a network of 12 consultants who work with him. By contracting out work to vendors and utilizing their offices as an extension of his operation, he is able to make as much as an 80% margin on agency income. He was recently invited by USC’s School of Business to speak about this unique model. “It’s a win-win-win model. Our initial business customers will introduce us to their network of vendor partners, known as resellers, and we produce joint marketing for all.” Kanatsiz’s top priority in a marketing strategy mix is to differentiate his clients in the marketplace. He then builds upon that by putting together tactical components such as press releases, advertisements, Websites and Web seminars. His strategies garnered millions of dollars in additional sales for Key Information Systems of Woodland Hills, an IBM reseller. “By the time Sinan completed his work, featuring us as the authority in our industry, IBM looked at us as the poster child for marketing their product,” says Key Information Systems Director of Marketing Pete Elliot. According to Kanatsiz, public relations is the real image builder. “Public relations must be a long-term commitment because otherwise, the model doesn’t work.” Lasermonks.com Another good example of his PR strategy can be seen in his work for current client lasermonks.com, which he started out helping pro bono. There was a group of monks from Sparta, Wis., selling printer cartridges. They had no visibility and only sold through Catholic-based advertisements. They had $20,000 in annual sales and gave 100% of their profits to charity. “This was a true PR opportunity the story was different, would sell and what they did was for a good cause.” The Internet and general media went wild for the story and lasermonks.com representatives appeared on “World News Tonight,” “CBS MarketWatch” and are scheduled for “Oprah” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” This exposure is generating phenomenal sales. Eighty percent of the orders are now repeat and residual business. Fast Company magazine has called lasermonks.com the fastest-growing business organization in the nation, expanding in one year to reach 30 million people. “We weren’t just helping them become multimillionaires; it’s about helping others around the world benefit from what they do and changing lives. Due to a firm business plan and ongoing marketing and PR plans, they have the ability to become billionaires. This is the highest point of my career.” Public relations feeds sales Usually if a company has a financial crisis, public relations and marketing departments are the first to be dissolved. “I spend a lot of time educating companies that this is counterproductive. If anything, this is the time to bolster your PR and marketing efforts and keep up your positive image.” Kanatsiz advises companies to make decisions on an ethical and moral basis to keep their good image. “Ask yourself: Is this the right thing to do? Don’t take shortcuts. If your image is tarnished, it’s tarnished for life.” Kanatsiz’s keys to success: Personal integrity, mentors, family and education. Because he has fast-forwarded his own earning stage, he can devote more time to mentoring and to his personal life. He is the youngest member of the New Majority, a Republican group made up of 100 influential OC men and women. He also co-founded Generation NeXt, an invitation-only group of young business leaders that supports moderate candidates with mainstream policies. His latest ventures include being chairman of the Internet Marketing Association, and president of Bankswap.com. With all of his due diligence and preparation, Kanatsiz admits that life is all about surprises. “There’s always a variable you never thought about, but life is still a pretty good gamble.” OCM Diane Turner, president of Diane Turner Communications of Huntington Beach, is a veteran freelance writer and author. OCM Back to top Kanatsiz’s Top Two Tips For Business Success 1. Don’t ever underestimate yourself. I’m living proof that it does not take an inheritance or a 4.0 GPA to make your dreams a reality in life and business. Perseverance, dedication and strong will to get through impossible circumstances count for a lot. 2. When implementing a marketing campaign for your business, be sure to use an integrated approach that crosses multiple mediums including print, online and events. The collaboration of multiple marketing channels is most effective at creating new business opportunities. |
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