Chicago firm looks to make DC splash

Chicago-based firm Alpaytac is expanding its operations in DC, including promoting political and PR operative Rory Davenport to manage the Washington office.

The firm, founded a decade ago, has been in Washington for only a year, and is planning to grow into a well-known brand inside the Beltway in 2015.

“I’ve been with the largest agencies that are working in that particular space — I left because I think the traditional agency model is dying and clients are looking for a fresh approach, one that aligns with their needs,” Davenport, who began in January, told The Hill.

He comes from Ogilvy Public Relations, but has experience setting up shops within larger PR agencies — including founding the political and international affairs group within Fleishman-Hillard’s D.C. office and the grassroots and political programs practice for Edelman Worldwide.

“For those who have been entrenched in Washington for a long time,” he continued, “they’re shackled by the legacy on how you do things in Washington.”

Davenport said he wants to use the small, “flexible” Washington office as an opportunity to change that.

With Davenport at the helm of the D.C. outpost, Alpaytac will go beyond what has been its primary focus — marketing communications — to more consulting and public affairs services.

“We’re in the lobbying game, but we’re not spending all of our time on Capitol Hill, we’re working to make sure our clients have a voice in the policy debates via media and social media,” Davenport said. The firm will also specialize in “organizing events, having [clients] interact with people.”

The Washington office consists of only four people, though the number that will likely grow with time.

Most of the firm’s clients are not public, although it does engage in some foreign agent work, including services for foreign individuals, foreign-owned businesses and sovereign governments. It currently represents the Republic of Turkey, and the firm is looking to do more of that kind of work.

Prior to working at Ogilvy, Davenport served as a senior vice president and director of public affairs for Hill & Knowlton and as treasurer of its political action committee, HillPAC.

He says he wants to “build a reputation of being smart people who are thinking in productive ways and being able to deliver what we say we’re going to deliver.”

“I’m working on a brand for the agency and what we’re rallying around is: ‘We do what matters,’” Davenport said.

In addition to representing foreign clients, corporations and industry groups, Davenport worked on the presidential campaigns of former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) in 1988 and former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in 1992.

“With more than 20 years of experience, Rory brings his big agency-caliber expertise into the fast and flexible boutique environment of our dynamic firm. Rory embodies the new thinking that clients need to effectively participate in public policy debates, resolve business disputes, seize opportunities and come out of a crisis stronger,” Huma Gruaz, the president and CEO of Alpaytac, said in a statement.

“Clients will also benefit from his long history of working in international affairs for companies and governments to ensure a seamless approach to producing results and solutions that drive interests forward,” she said.