Personality Profile - Jill Schuller
written by Eric Woods, Springfield Business Journal

Title: President/Director of Agency Development, Omni Communications Group, Inc. Address: 2 South Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701 Phone: (217) 523-0503 E-mail: jill@omniideas.com Age: 44 Quote: “Downtown is a great place to be... and the improvements that have been made in recent years make this a real showpiece for the city.” Jill Schuller was born in LaTranche, France, and raised in Peoria. She has a degree from Eastern Illinois University, continuing education certification in marketing, public relations and management. Schuller has an 11-year-old daughter and is also raising two horses, two dogs, and two cats. She enjoys horseback riding, painting, and trying to learn woodworking. She came to Springfield in 1990. “After working in New Orleans and St. Louis as a graphic designer, I moved to Springfield in 1990 to work as a marketing officer for a local bank,” she said. “A few years later, I became a founding partern of Omni, and am now the sole owner.”

Nature of business: “Omni Communications Group is a marketing solutions company, from developing marketing strategies and tools to help clients increase their business,” said Schuller. Omni’s client services division handles all client management, strategic planning and sales while their media services division provides media research, analysis and placement for local, statewide and national projects. The creative services division handles printed material, television, radio and newspaper advertising, Web site development, and branding development.

How is business?: Omni Communications is ever-changing, according to Schuller. “With our own company undergoing a major transformation this year, with a new structure, new business focus and all new branding, we are already seeing a change in our client base and the type of work we are providing to them,” she said.

Trends: “The Internet and 24/7 accessibility improvements are great, but it does create a sense of urgency that was not always the case even 10 years ago,” said Schuller.

Being located in the state capital, do you do a lot of political work?: Omni Communications has done some political work in the past. “I think actually our location has played a larger role in opportunities with state agencies and associations than strictly political work,” said Schuller. “Downtown is a great place to be though, and the improvements that have been made in recent years make this a real showpiece for the city.”

Which industries does your agency serve the most?: “Retail and comsumer-to-consumer business was originally our mainstay,” said Schuller. “Over the years, our client base has become more focused on not-for-profits, associations, and business-to-business marketing, which are an excellent fit with our strategic based processes.”

Future plans: Schuller hopes to find more time in the day to relax, travel, and figure out woodworking. On a professional level, she would like to create a center of excellence and integrity for a business sector that she believes too often gets a black eye for focusing more on what the agency needs than on what the client needs.

*Eric Woods is a free-lance writer from Springfield.