Episode Notes: Back from summer vacation, Teaming Up is returning with a debate of sorts. It’s the battle of media relations vs. content marketing. We brought in one of our favorite independent practitioners, Jill Vaughan of JLV Communications, to pair up with Josh Dare to discuss these dueling tactics for our 20th episode. Over the course of their conversation, Josh and Jill talk about the pros and cons of each tactic. Spoiler alert, there isn’t a clear winner in this conversation, because as the two…
Read MoreWith a keen eye for design and an innate understanding of what looks good, Jada Carpenter has a knack for designing beautiful graphics that help clients reach their goals. Born and raised in Alexandria, Jada came to Richmond in 2013 to attend VCU and has been here ever since. She earned a B.S. in Mass Communications with a concentration in Creative Advertising in 2017. Jada was drawn to design when she began learning basic principles in her classes at VCU. The notion of design choices,…
Read MoreThe landscape of digital marketing continues to evolve (at a faster rate than ever these days), but our philosophy remains the same: compelling storytelling that is rooted in strategy and data-driven insights. As channels multiply and opportunities to engage audiences expand, our approach focuses on generating high-value, high-quality content that evokes emotions, nudging audiences toward meaningful actions. In this post, we’ll share some of the key principles and successful examples that highlight the effectiveness of our digital marketing strategies. Strategic Storytelling Digital marketing comprises a…
Read MoreAs Richmonders, Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond strikes a familiar chord. Rooting for the home team is easy, and the show’s main character, Ted Lasso, constantly reminds viewers to find the good in everyone –a mindset most Richmonders would be proud to support. Aside from being a heartwarming story of an underdog soccer team vying for success in England’s Premier League, I’ve been intrigued by how the show portrays PR agency life through the lens of Keeley Jones Public Relations (KJPR). Here are a few things…
Read MoreWhen Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, springs into action at a moment’s notice, our account team follows suit with an all-hands media relations approach. Most recently, the team — known for its quick response and dedication to serving hot, chef-prepared meals during natural disasters and national emergencies – provided aid to Maui after wildfires ravaged the community of Lahaina. Mercy Chefs is currently serving thousands of meals a day, and it’s our job to make sure that the world knows…
Read MoreHave you ever experienced that gnawing, anxious voice in your head – a voice that continuously doubts your abilities despite all your hard work and triumphs? You aren’t alone. If you haven’t had the sorrow of being acquainted yet, let me introduce you to a sneaky little concept called imposter syndrome. Merriam-Webster defines imposter syndrome as “a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing…
Read MoreI’ve never been much of a Barbie girl. In fact, at one of my grade school birthday parties, I shouted with childish brazenness, “I HATE Barbies,” only to be humbled and embarrassed when one of the party attendees handed me a present shaped in that all-too-familiar rectangular box. It was a Barbie. I ended up loving her. While my nostalgia meter is not completely off the charts this “Barbiecore summer,” I do appreciate a well-executed marketing campaign, though I don’t think you have to be…
Read MoreA lot of clients come to us knowing they want to be on social media, but they’re not always sure which platforms are right for them. Well, here’s a quick blog post to help you figure that out. Before you start throwing out social channels, I recommend you answer these three questions: There are a lot of variables at play, but if you can answer these three questions, you should be in a pretty good place to discern which social media platforms are right for…
Read MoreEpisode Notes: On the heels of Pride Month, our next Teaming Up episode is focused on LGBTQ+ campaign development, particularly in the tourism space. We called on our client Richmond Region Tourism (RRT) for Episode 19, which was led by our very own Hannah Robinson, senior account executive, who has been working with RRT for the last three years. In this episode of Teaming Up, Hannah sits down with Tameka Jefferson, community relations manager at Richmond Region Tourism, to talk all things OutRVA – an…
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago, Colonial Williamsburg’s partnership with Williamsburg’s historic First Baptist Church was featured on The Today Show. Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum, began an excavation of what’s been determined to be the first permanent structure of First Baptist Church, one of the nation’s oldest Black churches, in September of 2020. The Today Show shared early findings in a piece during Black History Month in 2021. I’ve been working in media relations for more than 20 years. National morning show features (or even mentions)…
Read MoreEach year, The Richmond Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America holds its annual awards ceremony to honor the innovative work of public relations professionals from the previous year. The awards program champions creativity and highly effective communications strategies, and this year, Hodges knocked it out of the park. The team took home a total of 9 awards in the following categories: One standout campaign was “Virginia’s Community College’s G3 Awareness and Lead Generation Campaign” led by Michaela Mishoe and the VCCS account team….
Read MoreHave you ever been disappointed by the outcome of a social media advertising campaign? It’s likely that your campaign was launched without properly aligning the social media ad objective with the appropriate KPIs. Before you embark on your next social media advertising campaign, here are three important points to keep in mind to ensure success from the start, before your ads even appear on people’s newsfeeds. Align our social ad objectives with the marketing funnel Social media advertising platforms are designed to align with the…
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