Everyone has a story. What makes yours different, better, smarter?
The Hodges Partnership, is a PR agency based in Richmond, Virginia, that helps clients turn the volume up on their stories so they reach the right people at the right time and with the right messages, messages that make audiences want to know more. Through public relations, content marketing and social media, our own story of success is built on helping clients tell theirs.
Public relations today means more than media relations. It includes a landscape of strategies and tactics that can influence opinions and drive strategic outcomes. From community engagement and event planning to internal communications and crisis management, we have a depth and breadth of experience that can be applied to a range of communications challenges and needs.
A great deal has changed over the years in public relations, but to this day, nothing enhances reputations more effectively than media relations. That’s why, for close to 20 years, we’ve focused on media relations campaigns that raise our clients’ visibility and give them that third-party credibility. Let us tell you more about our media relations experience and capabilities.
Digital platforms let you control your own message, and we help you develop those messages and ensure they are seen by the right eyeballs. Through content marketing, you can showcase your expertise and provide important industry insights. Content campaigns are some of the most cost-effective – and just plain effective – strategies available to marketers today.
Let’s face it, social media platforms are where clients (and prospective clients) live and work, and these platforms – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more – demand a serious strategy and commitment. Integrated with content programs, social engagement strategies are an effective way to deepen relationships and broaden awareness. Let us show you how.
Crises are inevitable. Despite best-laid plans, how you respond to unpredictable events will either compound or ease a situation. This is where our experience comes in. We help manage communications strategy and messaging at a critical time. We’re also skilled at creating crisis plans that help you prepare for a crisis ahead of time.
Even the most experienced marketers need some external assistance to assess their strategies, measure their effectiveness against best practices and evaluate whether or not they are maximizing their potential against communications objectives. Call it a communications audit (or what we call Hodges Insights), we deliver a comprehensive analysis of where you are against where you should be.
While our work over the last 19 years has spanned every industry and sector, we’ve had particular success in a few areas. From our work with education clients to helping B2B companies power their success, see how we’ve helped our clients shine in our focus areas:
Whatever you’re selling – one retail store, a whole shopping center or even an entire community – let’s get people excited to find out more. Driving interest in local businesses and communities contributes to the quality of life of everyone around.
Who doesn’t love a food client? Especially an office full of foodies, including our resident amateur food blogger. You could say we can not only walk the walk, but fork the fork and sip and sip and know a thing or two about getting food writers to feature our clients’ creations.
Most businesses need not shout about their products from the rooftops but have customer targets that are more precisely defined. Developing B2B campaigns that leverage trade media, trade shows and content strategies is one of our specialties.
In 2021 and 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the greatest supply chain challenges the United States has faced, Estes set an aggressive recruiting objective that included the hiring of 2,000 new drivers. To tell the Estes story through earned media, the Hodges team needed to be creative and strategic with its media pitch strategy and positioning.
Silgan Dispensing approached Hodges in 2018 as it faced a brand awareness issue in the marketplace. Hodges worked with Silgan to develop an earned and owned media approach that would allow it to regain traction around its brand name through a steady drumbeat of news announcements and continued relationship building with trade media, particularly at industry tradeshows.
As one of the largest health insurance carriers in the United States, UnitedHealthcare has millions of members across the country. The Hodges Partnership was charged with raising awareness about UnitedHealth Foundation’s annual America’s Health Rankings in order to highlight the company’s industry expertise and leadership through earned media placements.
Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) is nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to promote and enhance telehealth efforts in the commonwealth. VTN launched its Equity & Telehealth initiative and worked with The Hodges Partnership to design an equity-focused series of web pages, develop ongoing blog content and strategically convey that content to the right audience through paid social media and email newsletter campaigns.
Hundreds of thousands of kids in Virginia live in “food insecure” homes. The team at No Kid Hungry Virginia, a campaign of the non-profit Share Our Strength, is working to ensure all children have access to the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Through advocacy, awareness building and community relations across the state, The Hodges Partnership has been proud to provide public relations support for No Kid Hungry Virginia since 2017.
Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization that serves chef-prepared meals in national emergencies and natural disasters, wanted to raise awareness to increase donations and, ultimately, meals served to people in need. The organization turned to The Hodges Partnership for ongoing media relations support.
The devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic have highlighted just how many individuals and families struggle with food insecurity. This heightened awareness both deepened and broadened the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s (BRAFB) network of partners, donors and volunteers.
To help launch Virginia Distillery Company’s flagship American Single Malt whisky Courage & Conviction, we developed a focused, precise pitch strategy to get product in the right hands.
Thanks to same-day shipping, bringing feet to brick-and-mortar stores is a harder lift than it used to be. But an in-person community can start online, as we’ve demonstrated for Federal Realty.
When you have a historical opportunity in front of you, the media story writes itself. With a great story to share and an extensive media list on hand, our team was able to secure millions of impressions in earned media.
Our digital-first approach – rooted in audience research we conducted when we first engaged with Virginia’s Community Colleges – created an integrated marketing strategy that drove more students into the funnel.
With a keen eye for design and an innate understanding of what looks good, Jada Carpenter has a knack for designing beautiful graphics that help clients reach their goals. Born and raised in Alexandria, Jada came to Richmond in 2013 to attend VCU and has been here ever since. She…
Read MoreThe landscape of digital marketing continues to evolve (at a faster rate than ever these days), but our philosophy remains the same: compelling storytelling that is rooted in strategy and data-driven insights. As channels multiply and opportunities to engage audiences expand, our approach focuses on generating high-value, high-quality content that evokes emotions, nudging audiences toward meaningful actions. In this post, we’ll share some of the key principles and successful examples that highlight the effectiveness of our digital marketing strategies. Strategic Storytelling Digital marketing comprises a…
Read MoreAs Richmonders, Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond strikes a familiar chord. Rooting for the home team is easy, and the show’s main character, Ted Lasso, constantly reminds viewers to find the good in everyone –a mindset most Richmonders would be proud to support. Aside from being a heartwarming story of an underdog soccer team vying for success in England’s Premier League, I’ve been intrigued by how the show portrays PR agency life through the lens of Keeley Jones Public Relations (KJPR). Here are a few things…
Read MoreWhen Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, springs into action at a moment’s notice, our account team follows suit with an all-hands media relations approach. Most recently, the team — known for its quick response and dedication to serving hot, chef-prepared meals during natural disasters and national emergencies – provided aid to Maui after wildfires ravaged the community of Lahaina. Mercy Chefs is currently serving thousands of meals a day, and it’s our job to make sure that the world knows…
Read MoreFor close to two decades, we’ve been helping clients tell their stories and enhance their reputations, and along the way, we’ve developed a reputation of our own. We’re an agency that gets results. An agency where there are no surprises. A place that cares as much about your success as you do. Our counsel is honest, transparent and insightful, at least we like to think so. It’s one of the reasons our client relationships last so long.
Our core values are built on being Collaborative, Inclusive, Bright, Driven and Genuine. It makes for a workplace where regular “pizzastorms” spawn new ideas (from everyone) and a giant gong celebrates success. Where Slack conversations keep us informed about PR news or a new recipe. And where we have fun together.
Find out how we do what we do » | Who is Hodges?
The eponymous name of our agency comes from none other than Dodger great and former Mets manager Gil Hodges. No, he didn’t found the agency, but his quiet heroics and values of decency and fair play inspired the real co-founders (who grew up in the New York area) to honor Gil by naming the agency for him. A decorated Marine serving in the Pacific in World War II, Gil had a prodigious career at the plate, with a career .273 batting average, 1,921 hits, 1,274 RBIs and 370 home runs over 18 seasons. Beloved by Dodger fans, he was perhaps the only player never to be booed by the Ebbets Field crowds. During one hitless streak, one Brooklyn priest told his congregation, “It’s too hot for a homily. Keep the Commandments and say a prayer for Gil Hodges.” Among his greatest feats was managing the Miracle Mets to a World Championship in 1969, a team that had finished 15 games below .500 the year before. Mostly, Gil was revered for his character and quiet discipline. Fifty years after he retired as a player, Gil was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2022.
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