Caryn Marooney and Margit Wennmachers
Cofounders
OutCast Communications, San Francisco, CA.

Q. What changes do you predict for the PR industry in the coming year?
A: In our field -- providing public relations services for high-tech companies -- we've seen radical change in a short period of time. This year some new technology companies will be born, but many more will die. Technology spending has changed for good and will never return to the levels of the late 1990s, and this will be reflected in high-tech PR. Everyone will go back to the basics and the craft of public relations will become increasingly important.

Q: What industry do you think will be fastest growing in 2003?
A: Our agency has experienced growth and sees vast further potential in security. Companies that serve the government sector are poised to do well, and we are closely watching developments in Washington such as the Homeland Security bill. More than a year ago we made a concerted effort to grow our expertise and awareness of the Washington, D.C. area, building new affiliations with important organizations like In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture arm which has invested in several of our clients.

Q: Personally, what is the biggest challenge you will face as a PR leader in 2003?
A: Success is never a point in time. You're never done. We find it invigorating and challenging to live through endless cycles of innovation, reinvention and hard work. We always push ourselves to do better, work smarter and inspire one another.

Q: In the recessive economy, what innovations are necessary to succeed?
A: One thing never changes for our firm - the need to exceed our clients' expectations and help them grow their business. But times are different and how we maintain that high standard has changed. As our clients are forced to work harder to build companies and win customers, we are experiencing challenges too -- losing key contacts as some magazines go out of business or trim editorial pages; learning how to work with mainstream press who are showing a much-diminished interest in technology, etc. Challenges, sure, but our overall results have actually grown as we constantly push ourselves to grow and become more creative.

Q: What skill or characteristic do you deem the most critical for a new PR hire at your company?
A: Excellence and integrity, two of our company's core values.

Q: Do you prefer working on the corporate or PR agency side? Why?
A: I guess we kind of voted with our feet when we founded OutCast five years ago. Seriously, being on the agency side allows us to always keep our edge because we can see all sides and don't drink the Kool-Aid. We're better able to deliver strategic counsel that our clients will pay attention to because we have an outside perspective.

Q. What leader do you most admire?
A: Sticking with technology, we would have to say Michael Dell. He reinvented the PC industry, built a business with huge margins and better customer service than the way it had always been done. He is innovative yet practical. And, when you stop to think about it, he never actually invented anything, he just found a way to excel at doing it better.