The Gong Blog

Topic: Richmond

Welcome to the neighborhood, Whisk

If you know anything about the culture here at Hodges, you’re probably aware of our mild addiction to sweets. We’ve celebrated birthdays with cakes, cookies, pies and even ice cream from local Richmond businesses. Today we celebrated the opening of a new neighborhood bakery, Whisk, by stopping in for a quick treat. The work they’ve done to the inside of the old Globehopper café has made the space bright and inviting, creating it a great place to grab a quick afternoon coffee (supplied by Lamplighter). I…

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Richmond 2015: The real spin

This is the blog post I promised myself I’d never write. I promised myself I’d stay out of the Monday morning peloton-breakaway debates over whether Richmond 2015 was worth the effort, the cost and the inconvenience. The main reason? The Hodges Partnership counts Richmond 2015 as a client, having worked closely with the group in the years leading up to the race. We were paid a monthly fee during that time time but we also donated a fair number of hours to the cause. A…

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The Home Stretch: HodgePodge for Sept. 25

The bike race might be almost over, but this is the BIG weekend. Get excited. RVA! RVA! RVA! Not to shortchange the amazing local coverage of Richmond 2015, but the Washingtonian has put together a fantastic guide of riders to watch, places to eat and sightsee for those venturing in from out of town. An American in Richmond If you haven’t chosen a favorite rider to cheer for, allow us to introduce you to Taylor Phinney. Take your mark Have you found yourself saying about…

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We Are the Worlds

Welcome to Richmond!   Without so much as a second thought, that’s what I found myself shouting from my open car window the other day.  I had spotted a half dozen cyclists from the Wiggle-Honda team*, clad in their racing uniforms and helmets idling at an intersection, looking a bit confused as to whether their next turn was left or right. They smiled and waved for a moment, then went back to pointing in both directions like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. I surprised myself…

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Richmond 2015 Eve: HodgePodge for Sept. 18

Tomorrow kicks off the UCI Road World Championships. Before we all get wrapped up in cycling fever, here’s a roundup of non-bicycle stories to cap off your week. #istandwithahmed Ahmed Mohamed isn’t the only young teenager who’s engineering while Muslim. (Thank God.) Here are some fantastic programs helping fuel underrepresented students’ passion for science and technology. What’s that sound? Soul music, retro-soul music and neo-soul music: A critique. Holdin’ it down The Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates near zero. So exactly what…

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Serve Your Employees by Letting Them Serve

It’s early afternoon at The Hodges Partnership, and there’s a conspicuous quietude, the kind that makes you suspicious, that gives you that feeling that something is going on, and you’re the only one not in on it.  “Where,” you think, “IS everyone?”  And then you remember, it’s PRSA lunch day.  That our office clears out on such occasions is no surprise; in fact, it’s encouraged. We want our folks to not only take advantage of the professional development opportunities through PRSA but to get involved…

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Art on the Avenue: Launching Chesapeake Bank in a creative way

Recently, we helped long-time client, Chesapeake Bank, host a community event to unveil a mural installation at the future site of the bank's first Richmond branch located in the Westhampton neighborhood of the City of Richmond. With several months of construction ahead before the branch is completed, Chesapeake Bank decided to install a mural as a way to thank neighboring residents and businesses for their patience while also obscuring the construction site. The woman behind the mural is local artist Emily Herr, of HerrSuite. Herr is a…

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THP Field Trip: The Dog and Pig Show

We’ve been fans of The Dog and Pig Show since the day it opened (Paulyn loved the food so much she visited two days in a row during its first week of operations in December). The husband and wife duo who own the shop focus their efforts on a small but extremely flavorful menu. Local news outlets have described their menu as Louisiana flavor with an Asian twist including offerings such as a pulled pork po’ boy and shrimp and grits. They also have sweet…

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Richmond Comes Out: 3 Ways Your Brand Can Too

Have you heard the news? Richmond is out. As a member of Richmond Region Tourism’s LGBT advisory committee, I’m so excited to see the OutRVA campaign launch – and thrive. For the past four years, we’ve promoted Virginia’s capital city to LGBT travelers through a campaign called Rainbow Over Richmond. We ran advertisements in nearby states, organized press trips and created online content to educate prospective travelers. I loved visiting journalists’ reactions a few hours into the press tours. “Whoa, I never expected this. Richmond…

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From the Top Down to Bottoms Up: A Conversation with Greg Gilligan

Last Monday afternoon we were thrilled to host Greg Gilligan of The Richmond Times-Dispatch for lunch. If you don’t know the long-time business reporter, creator of the Biz Buzz column and now business editor at the T-D, then you’re really missing out.  Here are four insights Greg shared with us over Bottoms Up pizza: Research reporters before you pitch them. A perennial plea from journalists of all kinds, Greg emphasized this PR 101 tip because it’s so very, very important. If you’ve ever heard Greg talk…

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The Big Idea Challenge in Seven Simple Steps

Before you read the remainder of this blog, ask yourself the following questions: Am I free on the evening of Wednesday, June 4? Do I listen to or watch public broadcasting? Would I enjoy showing others how freaking smart I am? Do I enjoy the taste of local, craft beer? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, then you might be interested in the Big Idea Challenge, a puzzle-solving adventure that benefits the Community Idea Station – and specifically children’s programming. Yes,…

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Dear VCU MASC 323

First of all thanks so much for reaching out to us. All 126 of you have done a great job of reaching out to us at THP as part of your assignment. That aggressiveness (I will get back to that in a minute) will serve you well in your future careers as public relations professionals. Apologies for not personally getting back to you individually, so in the spirit of not wanting to disappoint, and to set an example as a good role model, here are…

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