Last 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…
Read More“To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable, but to be certain is to be ridiculous.” Chinese Proverb Seems like every time we see Mariah Carey trying to stay warm, it’s time to not just take stock in the year behind us, but to look toward the horizon to see what may lie ahead. As I contemplate what 2018 holds for Hodges, I see a predictable mix of certainty and uncertainty – from the uncomfortable to the ridiculous. Here’s what I’m sure we can anticipate…or not….
Read MoreSay what you will about 2017, but on the business front, it was full steam ahead on all fronts. Across the board — in content marketing, media relations, social programs, even communications audits — we were busier than Hollywood publicists apologizing for their clients. For many of our clients, we are the champions of content — encouraging them to share their expertise with potential and existing customers. And we couldn’t do that (be those champions) if we didn’t practice what we preach. In 2017 we…
Read MoreWhen I started in PR more than a dozen years ago, three of the most dreaded words when talking with potential clients were: The Today Show. Nothing against the show, but it’s really hard to break through their producers to actually see your client sitting down next to them for an interview. It can be just as hard for Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning or any of the shows on Fox, CNN or MSNBC. Hard, but not impossible. Here are a few things to…
Read MoreEach issue of our monthly e-newsletter, The Press Box, includes the latest industry-related news and trends we’re talking about around the Hodges office. Think of this aptly named section, The Rundown, as your monthly recap of all things PR, social and content. Here is this month’s The Rundown and a sneak peak of the October Press Box. Facebook is coming to Richmond Earlier this month, Facebook announced its plans to build a $1 billion dollar data center in Richmond, according to Richmond BizSense. Custom audience targeting is…
Read MoreHere we are. Another fall semester and it’s back to school for a few Hodgers – not as students but as instructors at area universities. Greg, Kelsey and I have got our lesson plans ready to go. After a lifetime of never wanting to be a teacher, I got the teaching bug after a few guest speaking opportunities at VCU and Longwood. Likely because I found a career that I love, I am excited to show others where the profession can take you in your…
Read MoreWe talk a lot about workplace culture here at Hodges, and creating and contributing to an environment where coming to work every day is truly fun. On any given day, the Hodges culture might shine through in various ways – birthday celebrations, a Thanksgiving potluck, our annual baseball outing – but one piece we’re all particularly proud of is the numerous ways we’re able to volunteer our time in the community, whether it’s through sitting on boards where we can lend our public relations and…
Read MoreEvery semester, bright-eyed, eager, ready to take on the world students join the ranks of the Hodges Partnership’s internship program. Over the last decade, we’ve seen dozens of interns come and go, and while we only spend a few short months with them, we still feel like proud parents whenever we get a new notification on Linkedin of one getting a new job. We may be biased, but we think our interns get a lot out of our agency internship and we’re always looking for…
Read MoreAs we recently marked the 15-year milestone in our agency’s life, we’ve been thinking a lot about the next 15 – about who we are and where we are going. In taking stock of our expertise and values, what’s clear is that our commitment to customer service stands out, becoming a defining part of our identity and culture. In 2002, we made a conscious decision about our last name: Partnership. It was not so much a reflection of the alliance between our two founding partners…
Read MoreHas the Capital of the South become the Capital of the Suds? With more than 30 breweries (and counting!) now open in Richmond, it would sure seem so. And just like rebels of old, breweries are marching to their own drum throughout the Old Dominion. The latest outpost is in Bedford where Beale’s has staked a local claim to the craft beer market. We were proud to be on hand to help Beale’s kickoff its new venture, devising a sort of concentric circle marketing strategy…
Read MoreBlink and you might’ve missed it. Earlier this year we revamped our monthly newsletter, The Press Box, to include some of the industry-related news and trends we’re talking about around the Hodges office. Think of this aptly named section, The Rundown, as your monthly recap of all things PR, social and content. Like what you read below? Subscribe to receive the next issue of the Press Box. Millennials makin’ bank? Find them on Instagram. Not surprisingly, 59 percent of Instagram users are between the ages of 18 and…
Read MoreThere’s been a lot of talk lately about the merging of public relations and marketing.* Even here at Hodges, some of our most successful work over the past few years has been for those clients who’ve charged us with identifying leads and supporting sales (ya know, kind of like marketing). Which shouldn’t be a surprise. Consumers are more jaded than ever with traditional marketing strategies, instead drawn to compelling stories and content designed to entertain and inform, rather than explicitly sell. PR pros also are…
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