Last year, Patti Genko’s Brookfield-based company, Patti Genko Communications, expanded
its clientele base from 100 to more than 500 clients. A former FM 96.5-WKLH disc jockey, Genko creates voice recordings to meet her clients’ needs. In effect, she sells her own voice for corporate clients. Genko says her 19 years on Milwaukee’s radio airwaves have helped
her get to know a lot about the southeastern Wisconsin marketplace and its contacts.
Genko founded her company in 1991. Last June, she decided it was time for a change and left WKLH to devote full-time attention to her business.
"I was ready to do this full-time and (was) sure I could make it work," Genko said.
To assist with the growth of her company, Genko independently contracted four people in the last four months to help with her various projects.
Most recently, Genko teamed up with Push Button Gadget, a Milwaukee-based multimedia production company, to produce a two-minute spotlight on the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. Genko will perform the voice-over and is working with the production company to complete the filming and editing.
The Ambassador Hotel hired Genko in 1998 to create a message-on-hold system, which is professionally recorded and customized information about the hotel and its services in lieu of silence or radio commercials.
"I feel like I’ve been able to image their company and help them to grow," Genko said.
After brainstorming with hotel general manager John Lindsey, the idea to create an image video was crafted last summer.
"Basically, it’s a TV commercial, a video that brings a business to life," Genko said.
The video will open with music and a screen shot of the hotel, Genko said. It then moves past the bellman as he smiles and opens the door for the guest, providing a first-person perspective on the hotel and its services.
"Having something live to hand to people, the greatest benefit is that they’re really able to live through the experience," Lindsey said. "It leaves no lock unturned."
The video tour of the hotel will continue with shots of its marble floors, restored in 2004, and will include the restored 1930s scones and architecture, food and service, meeting rooms and hotel amenities.
"The Ambassador has been taken back to its original Art Deco luster but made to be even better," Genko said.
Lindsey said he’s surprised more businesses haven’t utilized a similar tool.
"The purpose in this project is exposure," Lindsey said. "I think this would be a great marketing tool to use at planners’ meetings, and I see it as a powerful tool, a visual product for people to understand what we’re offering and how it sets us apart."
The Ambassador video will be sent to meeting planners and can be used at trade shows, Genko said.
"For Milwaukee, (the Ambassador is) one of those big success stories," Genko said. "It’s a tremendous asset that has helped make it a destination part of Milwaukee."
From writing the script to post production, it will take almost one month to create, refine and finalize the two-minute video about the hotel. The video should be finished by the end of March, Genko said.
Genko said she also plans to meet with Marcus Corp. about producing imaging videos for some of its hotels.
"I guess I’m first of all surprised they’re already not doing this," said Lindsey. "It’s so easy, so cutting edge, it brings everything right to the perspective of the customer. I’m just surprised that this isn’t already all over the place."
Video Would Promote Milwaukee’s Attractions
After traveling to Chicago and discovering "Chicago Vision," a spotlight that highlights all that the Windy City has to offer, Patti Genko, a communications expert and former radio disc jockey, set out to produce a similar video for Milwaukee.
"(The video) will be a festival segment, it’ll be an arts segment," Genko said.
The video will spotlight the Milwaukee Symphony, Skylight Opera and include a music segment about music and nightlife, including clubs and bars. The video will also feature the numerous Milwaukee festivals.
Genko called Steve Wilson, president of City Buzz, a consortium of
in-room hotel 24-hour television networks that broadcast city visitors’ guides, to gain insight on how to provide the Milwaukee market with the highlights Wilson provides in other cities.
Wilson has produced showcasing videos in major city markets, including Chicago and New York.
"(Genko is) interested in being an entrepreneur who would start (the videos) in Milwaukee," Wilson said. "We’ve worked with other entrepreneurs who have started these types of programs, and (Genko) may be great to do that in Milwaukee."
Genko would create the video and try to sell it to Milwaukee hotels and advertisers. If she and Wilson decided to establish a relationship, City Buzz would sell national advertising in Genko’s video.
Genko wants the video to air on Time Warner Cable’s Wisconsin on Demand channel and in hotel rooms, replacing room service menus or default channels.
"This is a way for them to have a real program," Genko said.
Milwaukee restaurants and attractions could purchase advertisements in the video.
Maps and guides to the city and its restaurants and attractions would be provided at the reception desk, and table tents promoting the video would be displayed, Genko said.
