Not many business owners would cite 19th-century French author Honoré de Balzac as the inspiration for their work. But Paul Wagner of Balzac Communications & Marketing considers the writer and philosopher a role model.

Wagner explained the connection. Balzac wrote about sociology, but in the form of novels, using storytelling to draw people into the weighty subject.

“Which is kind of what we do,” said the businessman.

Established 16 years ago, the company provides marketing, public relations, advertising and graphic design.

“We take things which on the surface may be less interesting, but by getting more deeply into the story we are able to get people interested.

“We want people to care about what we are working on,” said Wagner.

What three people would you most like to have dinner with?

Ancient author and philosopher Pliny the Elder, Jesus Christ, and Leonardo da Vinci. I wouldn’t be doing much of the talking. 

What job would you like to try/not try?

Try: I have always wanted to see Earth from space.

Not try: President of the United States. Way too many people want a piece of you and it just doesn’t seem like it would be much fun.

What’s the worst job you ever had?

Working for an electronics company in Napa whose president eventually went to jail. This was 25 years ago.

How did you get into this business?

I started working at individual wineries, and then got offered a job at a local agency. That agency eventually evolved into Balzac.

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

The wine business is constantly evolving, as is the media. We’ve had to adapt to both to be successful. I think we’ve done that pretty well.

What is your most treasured possession?

The classical guitar that I played at concerts all over Europe, and the telescope I built myself.

What’s on your to-do list?

I’d like to ride my bicycle across the United States. And I would love to do more travel of all kinds, all over the world. I am lucky that my job takes me to Europe many times a year, but I would love to have more time to really enjoy many of those places.

Who do you most admire in the business world?

Whom. Ted Turner, George Soros, and banker Muhammad Yunus, for putting their money where they mouths are. They have really made a difference in the world with the way they have used the power they have earned.

Which three Web sites do you have bookmarked or visit regularly?

eBay — I am addicted to bargain hunting. Everything from cycling clothes to musical instruments to antiques and prints. Yahoo! Weather, to see if I am going sailing or cycling. And Yahoo! News, because I love knowing what is happening within minutes. 

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

I did have a career as a classical concert guitarist in Europe for a while. And I now ride more than 6,000 miles a year on my bicycle.

What other business person would you like to see featured in “10 Questions?”

Tom Fuller of Fuller & Associates. A very smart and very nice competitor of ours.

The 11th question for Paul Wagner.

What campaigns are you best known for?

One of Balzac’s most memorable campaigns was a tongue-in-cheek take on 1950s horror movies featuring the glassy-winged sharpshooter. The company had already created years of other communication pieces on the effort, but wanted to do something new, said Wagner.

“We needed images to keep it fresh, and get people talking about (the sharpshooter) with their neighbors,” he said.

Napa County Agricultural Commissioner Dave Whitmer got behind the campy concept.

“He knew we had to be creative and fun to keep people taking about it,” said Wagner.

The campaign worked, and the image of a life-sized sharpshooter terrorizing neighborhoods is still used by the county agricultural commissioner’s office.

“It’s been pretty memorable,” he said.

“We’ll come up with another concept early next year for 2008,” said Wagner.

Along the same lines?

“Who knows? We have to be creative.”

To suggest a candidate for “10 Questions” e-mail: jhuffman@napanews.com