10 years SPREAD PR

She established herself as an entrepreneur in 2014 with the founding of SPREAD PR, a communications agency operating in the German-speaking market, serving both national and international clients. She brought with her many years of experience in sales, key account management, team leadership, and marketing on the media side. Today, she leads a team of more than ten employees covering all traditional PR agendas, including communication strategies, social media management, media and influencer relations, and event management.

Quote: "To do good work in our industry, I believe you need four things, aside from the essential professional know-how: the ability to listen well, the skill to get to the point, the talent to think outside the box, and a professional, loyal team. Even in times of AI, you still need a good dose of human insight and experience."

To mark the anniversary, the agency asked its social media followers what they would like to know about Cornelia and SPREAD PR. Here are the most frequently asked questions, along with honest and very personal answers:

What are you most looking forward to when you arrive at your workplace in the morning?
Being surrounded by amazing people. Our office doesn’t feel like a workplace, but more like a place to hang out and be creative. And I look forward to my first coffee in peace after dropping off my daughter at kindergarten, before everyone else arrives at the office – 15 minutes me time.

What things could you do without in your job?
Sensitivities. Opinions are always allowed, but moodiness is difficult – both at work and in general.

What was your first career aspiration as a child or young woman?
As a child, I naturally wanted to rescue princes and protect kingdoms. Later, around 12 or 13, I was determined to become a fashion designer and plastered my bedroom walls with sketches. During my final school years, I briefly considered becoming a teacher in German and English and even started studying for it. Luckily, I discovered marketing and communication by chance.

What was your first paid job?
As a student, I sorted out rotten fruit in a large supermarket during inventory and packed drink crates into car trunks. Wrapping hundreds of books at Christmas in a bookstore was also a valuable experience.

What qualities help you the most as an entrepreneur?
I think I benefit from being able to assess situations well and "translate" what clients want.

What have been the toughest challenges as an entrepreneur, and what are you most proud of looking back?
There have been many challenges, but I deliberately won’t mention COVID because everyone had to deal with that. As an entrepreneur, you sometimes go through rough patches and can't always focus 100% on the business. Seven years ago, I struggled with mild depression for several months, but thanks to my team, no one noticed. I'm very grateful for that. In general, I'm proud of the loyalty of my team, who supported me during difficult times. After the birth of my daughter 3.5 years ago, a lot changed. Today, I carry two hearts in my chest and try to do justice to both my role as a mother and an entrepreneur. That’s what makes me the most proud – I think I manage quite well to be a mom, partner, friend, and businesswoman. Maybe it's because my job is part of who I am, not just a means to an end.

What influence do current megatrends like remote work, online meetings, e-learning, and AI have on the industry?
These are very different topics. Remote work and online meetings make it possible to work with teams that aren’t always on-site. I have moms on my team who, thanks to this flexibility, can now do full-time jobs – and they do them brilliantly.

AI is fundamentally changing the way PR agencies work. It not only improves efficiency but also enhances analysis capabilities. We also use AI, but only as a foundation that we then adjust and optimize with our experience. Technological development, of course, requires continuous learning, which is made easier by e-learning platforms. In my opinion, PR won’t function without AI in the future – but PR with only AI won’t work either. Experience, taste, intuition, and the ability to read between the lines of client needs will remain the domain of professionals. I’m curious to see what I’ll have to say about this in five years…

How did the name SPREAD PR and the logo come about?
Over a glass of red wine. I wanted a name that summed up what the agency does. "Spreading information" was my initial thought, and it was clear: "We spread your word." The fact that PR is in the name was a happy coincidence, as was the acronym for "Steidl PR Events and Advertising." Ideas like this often come to me spontaneously.

Is there a vision for SPREAD PR?
Yes, at the moment there is a very clear vision. So far, there hasn't been much time to actively approach markets and clients. We want to change that now, focusing on France, Benelux, Scandinavia, and the UK. We will be looking for clients we can serve in Germany and Austria with our services. We will soon open an office branch in Hamburg. While we’ve been working across the German-speaking region for years, there’s still a lot of room for growth. Now that my daughter is old enough and I can focus more on new strategic goals for the company, I’m really looking forward to what’s coming next.

About SPREAD PR
Since October 2014, Steidl SPREAD PR GmbH has been serving national and international clients in Germany, Austria, and on a project basis in Switzerland. Founder Cornelia Steidl focuses on providing professional and sustainable support for clients across all communication channels. With a team of nine employees, including three long-term senior consultants, the agency offers services such as the development of communication strategies, media and influencer relations, traditional PR services, social media management, content creation, and event management.

• Cornelia Steidl: Client Relations, Strategie und Konzeption
• Bianca Wietzke: PUIG, Weleda
• Valentina Hammer: Cajoy, True Gum
• Katharina Dulberg: Dyson, Dorotheum Juwelier, Salon Verde, Vossen
• Magdalena Krainer: Dyson, Boté, Maurice Lacroix
• Claire Fahnenstich: Mepal, Linvosges