From Rome to RVA, Gabriella has always had a story to tell. A strategic storyteller with a journalistic instinct, Gabriella Lacombe joins the team as our newest Account Executive. She specializes in turning complex ideas into clear, concise narratives that educate audiences and ignite their curiosity. Born in Italy, Gabriella graduated closer to home from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017. When she’s not storytelling, she can be found enjoying pistachio gelato or spending time with her two parakeets, Paloma and Iris. Why did you decide…
Yet another intern-turned-Hodger, Aaron Kurz joins Hodges once again, only this time he’ll be working as a communications specialist for the Virginia Spirits Board Marketing Office. Aaron brings media relations savvy and content marketing smarts to the team, finding stories worth telling and getting them told. From working as communications manager for an ad agency to managing emergency response teams at a disaster restoration company, Aaron has picked up a wide range of skills since his intern days. Aaron is a Richmond native and graduate…
She spent the summer jamming on assignments with our creative services team, but as she neared the end of her initial contract with us, Alex Clark started to flex her public relations muscles working on the account side. Now, officially a full-time Hodger, she’s splitting her duties between creative and accounts as our newest account coordinator. Alex was born and raised in RVA and went to Elon University to study strategy communications and communication design, with a little side of studio art, making her a…
I recently sent a two-sentence pitch to a national reporter—and within minutes, I got a reply. That quick response led to a meaningful conversation, and ultimately, coverage. It was a powerful reminder that sometimes, the less you say, the more impact you make. In a world flooded with content and competing messages, brevity is more than a courtesy—it’s a strategy. Whether you’re pitching a local journalist or a national reporter, the ability to say more with fewer words is one of the most effective tools…
We may be biased, but we think there is a lot to showcase around Richmond. It’s a city rich in art, culture, business, nonprofits and more. Which is why we jumped at the opportunity to reach out to Melissa Chase, co-host of WRIC’s “Showcase” lifestyle show that airs weekdays 3 – 4 p.m. If you’ve been wondering how to pitch or work with the show, this post is for you. How can public relations professionals be most helpful to you as you shape the show’s…
Internal communications shouldn’t be an afterthought. There is a significant amount of time and effort that goes into creating, implementing and maintaining an effective internal communications strategy. Internal communications may not get the same level of glory as external communications, but it doesn’t make it less important. There are a number of reasons why prioritizing this audience is mission critical to an organization. Let’s start with a key metric for success that continues to grow: employee engagement. Measuring engagement levels among staff can coincide with…
We’re adding another Erin to our team! Erin Rebmann is the newest member at Hodges, where she will serve as an account strategist for the Virginia Spirits Board Marketing Office team. Erin is a seasoned creative leader with expertise spanning brand strategy, graphic design, marketing, UX/UI and web design. For more than a decade, she has partnered with organizations and brands to craft digital experiences that are both visually compelling and strategically effective. She was previously with our neighbors at Brandito, and before finding herself in…
Is your organization on social media? Great! Now let me share some unfortunate news with you: Just being on social media isn’t enough. Your strategy needs to contain a paid promotion budget if you want to reach new (and even existing) audiences. But the good news is, you can reach the right audience at the right time, with the right message if you set aside money in your marketing budget for social media advertising. Here’s how we advise clients to determine a social media advertising…
Our Creative Services palette is expanding, and Amber Ekizoglu, who has been with us for six months as a contractor, is officially here full-time. As our newest junior graphic designer, Amber loves bringing ideas to life through visuals to help tell a story. She was raised in the Philippines, but came stateside to become a graduate of VCUarts in its graphic design program. When she’s not knocking out her TBR list or trying the latest TikTok recipe, she’s creating thoughtful designs that connect with people,…
In our latest episode of Teaming Up, Erin Bagnell teams up with freelance travel journalist Lydia Mansel to discuss tourism communications. The duo talks through Lydia’s journey from full time work to freelance writing and how the industry has changed within that time. They also discuss the ins and outs of navigating the industry from all sides. Episode Highlights: Transitioning from full time to freelance Trends in destination and travel marketing Building relationships with professionals throughout the industry Impact of media landscape and AI Related…
Reaching the right people at the right time, with the right message is the pillar of a successful content marketing strategy. And with more organizations developing content these days, the competition to reach potential customers with tailored content is fierce. For many organizations, the challenge usually isn’t the creation of valuable content. The challenge is ensuring your content is breaking through the millions of pieces of content shared every minute. It used to be enough, for example, to share posts to your Facebook newsfeed or your…
Social media influencer marketing continues to be a popular tactic for reaching targeting audiences, and it’s a tactic we continue to suggest in our content marketing work. Influencer marketing isn’t totally standardized from creator to creator, which means launching a successful influencer engagement takes time, research and budget. Some creators may work in an unpaid capacity in exchange for free product, but that kind of engagement isn’t as common as it once was. Before you start outreach, we have four pointers for you to keep…
