Meet a Hodger: Andrew Knight

He’s baa-aack. Faithful readers of these pages may remember Andrew Knight. He interned with Hodges back in 2020. At the time, he was simultaneously pursuing his M.A in Communication at Virginia Tech and teaching public speaking. A couple years later, we are excited to welcome him back to the team.

Through his upbeat personality and optimistic perspective, Andrew brings great energy to the office. To balance the fast-paced nature of agency life, he enjoys spending time on the river. He loves to fish, and values unwinding outside unplugged from technology. A believer in filling his days to the brim, Andrew also is involved in coaching a Special Olympics basketball team and will begin teaching public speaking at Brightpoint Community College this spring. 

Please give a warm welcome (back) to Andrew Knight. 

What advice do you have for young people who want to get into Public Relations?

First, I would say being a strong writer and practicing that skill in any way. If you are passionate about something, create a social channel to gain experience writing copy and creating posts. That is something I did with my own account, @rvajamesriverfishreport. There, I focus on getting people excited about going fishing. I find it’s a great way to practice my social media skills, engage with the community and test out campaigns on a low-risk scale. 

Also, don’t be boxed in with PR jobs. Think about working in all types of industries. Whether it is programming or community engagement, a lot of organizations need strong communicators that can get the public excited about their work. This is a great way to start because you can discover your strengths and find out what you like best. 

What is your favorite Richmond eatery?

I am in love with the VMFA. I live next to it, and I probably go every other day. They have some cafe food, but I also like to bring my own. Favorite place in Richmond by far. I will probably get married there. I will go at all hours. So even though it is not really a restaurant, bringing Zorch pizza to the VMFA is the best answer. 

Can you think of a PR campaign that you particularly admire?

I have always liked Airbnb’s mission of you can belong everywhere. Recently, they have been doing some cool ads showing older generations hanging out at Airbnb’s. I think the way they communicate the idea that you can travel places you never imagined, and you are never too old to adventure is really cool and inclusive. 

Where do you get your news?

Axios is a Richmond-based newsletter. I really like the people, Karri Peifer and Ned Oliver, who write it in the morning. It is short and sweet but it’s efficient and has good links. I get a lot of newsletters, and I think they provide great content.

What is the biggest misconception about working in Public Relations?

The biggest misconception is that you just cover up dirt all the time and try to make a company that is doing bad things look better. I have still yet to do crisis communication and people tend to assume that is all PR is. In reality, companies are really thinking about how they can do projects/campaigns that help the communities they work in an authentic way.

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