Cherie Hebert, CEO and sole proprietor of BBR Creative, a creative marketing agency, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey in building a robust, woman-owned business.

It’s been 25 years since BBR was originally created by three young women who happened to be blond (Cathi Pavy), brunette (Cherie), and redhead (Sara Ashy), hence the name BBR Creative. Cherie’s mission for BBR Creative is to be remembered as a business that cares about the people who make their work happen, the businesses they serve, and the community.

A graduate of USL in Fine Arts, focusing on graphic design, Cherie worked at several advertising agencies before partnering with Pavy and Ashy to start BBR Creative. In the early days, the business was basically a creative design shop that developed promotional items for small businesses. Cherie was the ‘account person’ and worked to build their clientele. “Everyone should have a decent database and list of people to communicate with, those who continually buy from you. That is the cheapest thing you can do to grow your business, no matter what business you are in.”

As time went by, the firm branched out to representing larger entities. Today, Cherie says “the thing we do best is “supporting organizations that already have marketing teams in place but need help in augmenting their teams or handling special projects.” Five main areas of client focus for BBR Creative have been education, healthcare, food and beverage, home services, and financial services. She proudly noted that Home Bank was a client for eight years and they have banked with Home Bank for 20 years. “It is important to have a good banker!”

“I always knew I wanted to own my own business. There is a lot of freedom associated with that as well as challenges, so that’s why I wanted to take the risk. The most fabulous thing about being young is that you are naive and take on things you wouldn’t have if you were older and understood what it takes to get there. But back then, I wasn’t!

Since 1997, BBR has served well over 650 brands. “The very essence of what a marketing company does is to help other businesses grow. BBR helps other businesses grow and that is the only reason we exist.”

Cherie Hebert of BBR Creative has learned over the years that small businesses are typically undercapitalized when it comes to marketing their services. “They don’t budget or raise the funds necessary to fund the marketing needed to acquire clients. If you are a car wash at a busy intersection, that may be okay, but there are so many other businesses that don’t have that luxury and they have to work to strategically to attract clients. So many people go into business every day, and they don’t know that it takes money to build a client base. There is no one cookie-cutter approach, you can’t use the same recipe for every type of business.”

In celebration of its 25^th year in business, BBR Creative has chosen 25 activities of appreciation for clients, people, and the community it calls 25 Do Good Days. In 2022, BBR has already undertaken projects to honor employees of Oschner Lafayette General, presented Ceci Neustrom’s Acadian Heritage Series of artwork during Festival Acadiens, and sponsored a full-day conference put on by American Advertising Federation-Baton Rouge for students who want to know more about the advertising business. Currently (May 30 to June 23, 2022 ), BBR is partnering with Rouses and SuperOne to collect shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, body wash, deodorant, and hand sanitizer for homeless individuals. For more information on the 25 do-good-days, visit https://bbrturns25.com/.

When hiring, Cherie looks for ‘creative thinkers, and she thinks a liberal arts education is desirable because it allows students to see the world from a lot of different perspectives. From a ‘skill standpoint,’ she notes “there is a big gap in digital marketing right now. Channel experts are needed. Colleges are having a hard time keeping up in teaching currently needed skills. But you can take classes online and get certified. BBR mentors our workers and teaches them needed skills.”

“We, as women, should do all we can to support other women. We do things differently from men. We don’t go on hunting, fishing or golfing trips. This 25 do good days can showcase how women do things, our empathetic and nurturing qualities. If we don’t lift each other up, what’s it all about if we’re not trying to help each other? (Photo by Gwen Aucoin on behalf of Out to Lunch Acadiana.)

In closing, Cherie Hebert noted that “every good man doing something successful has a good woman behind him. Not just his wife, but the organizers and coordinators who get it over the finish line.”

Visit https://bbrcreative.com/ for more information on their marketing services.

Discover Lafayette thanks Cherie Hebert and her team for their ongoing efforts to make our community better!