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…
Read MoreIt’s hard to believe that Hodges is celebrating its 20th birthday this summer. Harder to believe is that this year marks my 19th anniversary at Hodges. I’ve been fortunate to call Hodges home – first above Siné Irish Pub on Cary Street, then here on Broad Street, then across the parking lot in a one-bedroom apartment cozy enough for four Hodgers while renovations were made here and finally back in this building – for all but the first six months of the firm. I joined…
Read MoreFrom aesthetically pleasing graphics on Instagram to incredibly addictive videos on TikTok to podcast advertisements during a morning commute – it’s nearly impossible to avoid content. And with the volume of captivating content swirling around these days, it can be especially difficult to create content that catches and keeps your audience’s attention. If you, like me, are writing multiple content calendars a month, it can be easy to forget that the goal isn’t just to create content that supports your clients’ key messages, it’s to…
Read MoreAs one of the co-managers of The Phil—Hodges’ online publication that focuses on local philanthropy — I often encounter a set of challenges not unlike others who are tasked with managing a team’s creative output. Chief among those hurdles is organizing an engaging and comprehensive editorial calendar. When you have a rotating group of writers, all with their own areas of expertise and ideas, the process can begin to feel a bit overwhelming. Herding cats comes to mind. Yet blogs are worth the effort. HubSpot…
Read MoreThe Hodges Partnership marks the 20th year since our founding this year. I need a moment to let that sink in. The time has gone by almost as fast as a Tom Seaver fastball, and the world has changed so much over that time. We share a launch year with LinkedIn, and I recall back then thinking it would be a handy birthday reminder service. Google was just four years old in 2002, before long making Ask Jeeves a distant memory. It’d be another two…
Read MoreHappy Women’s History Month! This month, and every month,is an excellent time to celebrate the women in our lives and reflect on those who fought for our equality (and continue to!) As a public relations agency comprised of over 60% women, we view Women’s History Month as an opportunity to celebrate the women around us. We work alongside powerful and influential women every day, not among our clients but on our team as well. According to the Public Relations Review, women dominate the PR field,…
Read MoreColorful screenshot of the Canva platform with the word’s “Your design has been published” highlighted on the front of a purple image.
Read MoreIt was the week before Christmas 2008, and to give you a sense of just how long ago that was… The Dow opened that day at 8,606. (If you haven’t checked lately, it’s above 34,000.) Facebook had a measly 100 million active users (vs. 2.9 billion today). Instagram, Uber, Groupon, Pinterest, Slack and Venmo (to name a few) had yet to be created. The Hodges Partnership launched its agency blog. While that last event may not measure up in historic significance to the others, for…
Read MoreBack in 2002, when Jon Newman and Josh Dare struck out to start their own communications firm, they were guided by the notion of doing good work for good people. They also wanted to lose some of the pretenses that can come with the client/agency partnership. From the beginning, Hodges focused on the human side of its clients, each with their own challenges, expectations, ambitions and personal lives. The approach evolved into what we now call the “Hodges Way,” a deep-rooted philosophy that allows us…
Read MoreOne of the neatest things about technology advances is how it lets news organizations connect with sources and experts more quickly. With Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts and other video calling tools, news networks like CNN and MSNBC can get an expert on the air in a matter of minutes. And, right now, TV stations may have no other choice than to book a Zoom interview when trying to air interviews with experts. While we’ve all gotten much more comfortable with video-conferencing tools recently, a video interview via Skype or Zoom is…
Read MoreIf you’re like many marketing and communications departments, there comes a time when you get tasked with a new project or hit a saturation point in your current workload where you can struggle to efficiently manage your workload. Then comes the inevitable conversation, part financial, part philosophical, mostly to answer this question: is it time to bring on more staff or outsource to a freelancer or agency. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you mull this over: Budget + Timing –…
Read MoreLast night was a whirlwind to say the least. Whoever decided that the announcement of the Rising Star award should be the final one of the night is a sadist. The introvert inside of me was dying up on stage, looking at hundreds of people I respect and admire. But I am overjoyed – and extremely overwhelmed – by what an honor it is to be named this year’s Rising Star by PRSA Richmond. Some very impressive people have been recognized with this award, and…
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