As a content creator, you might be instinctively inclined to produce content that sounds like you, looks like you and reflects your own personal identities. But the most effective storytelling is created through a spectrum of lenses, and broadening your point of view often begins with being aware of your bias. If you want to create content that resonates beyond audiences that look like you, take a step back to better discern the world around you – i.e. your audiences. My wonderful colleague built a…
We love work / life balance here at Hodges, but sometimes in our daily lives, we can’t stop to think about the connections to PR as we’re reading content, listening to something or otherwise experiencing the world. Often, it’s something unexpected that inspires us. In this case, it was reading a cooking Substack that led to a podcast listen that had a Hodger thinking about PR and the way we approach things. Are you familiar with Substack? It’s an online platform— a subscription network —that…
There is a robust professional community in the Greater Richmond Region, providing like-minded professionals with opportunities to connect, learn and grow. And with collaboration and networking engrained in our culture, you’ll often catch a Hodger at a local event cultivating relationships and keeping up to date with the latest trends and best practices in PR, marketing and our clients’ industries. In that spirit, we’ll begin curating upcoming networking and educational events in the region hosted by many organizations our team members are a part of. …
Generation Z is a powerhouse of a demographic that all marketers should be paying attention to. Gen Z, for reference, are currently between the ages of 12 and 27 years old. They’re bridging from education into their early workforce years, but what makes them unique in relation to other generations is that they’re true digital natives. They’ve only known high-speed internet and social media platforms (the elder Gen Z population was born in 1997, making them the ripe old age of 10 when platforms like…
In episode 27 of Teaming Up, Paulyn Ocampo teams up with Lilie Malaeb to explore the intriguing world of cookies, both edible and digital. While munching on a variety of cookies from Crumbl, they delve into how digital cookies play a crucial role in advertising and the implications of upcoming changes in digital privacy. Episode Highlights: Understanding Digital Cookies: They discuss the function of first-party cookies in enhancing user experience and the extensive use of third-party cookies in tracking and advertising across the web. Impact…
Hodges recently welcomed Erin Bagnell to its lineup. Erin brings extensive PR experience in the travel, tourism and hospitality space where she’s told the stories of destinations for nearly two decades. It’s no wonder that Erin has had so much success in public relations; she’s easy to talk with, curious, smart and genuine. Her cheerful personality is palpable when she’s talking about something she enjoys. To say we’re thrilled to have her would be an understatement. Prior to transitioning to the agency world, Erin spent…
In my first year as a Hodger, I lived and breathed virginiaspirits.org. In fact, my very first project was to conduct a full website audit and make a plan to redesign the site, which we inherited from the Virginia Distillers Association after The Hodges Partnership was awarded the Virginia Spirits Board Marketing Office (VSBMO) contract in March 2023. In just 12 months, the website redesign has already yielded strong results, with a 31.77% surge in web traffic and an 11% increase in engagement rate. Here’s…
Nonprofits frequently face limitations in budget and resources when it comes to producing essential creative assets for communicating and garnering support for their mission. With that challenge in mind, this blog post will provide an overview of three platforms we recommend for nonprofits to create these assets without breaking the bank. From websites to videos and graphics, these tools can help nonprofits make a big impact on a small budget. Squarespace If you don’t have $20K to invest in a new website, Squarespace can help…
In episode 26 of Teaming Up, Anna Friesen engages with current Hodges interns—Jackson Amirshahi, Rachel Spiller and Peggy Stansberry—to answer the question, “What is PR,” while dissecting common misconceptions surrounding PR and the broad spectrum that the term covers. Each intern shares their unique journey, detailing personal misconceptions and how their experiences at Hodges has reshaped their understanding of agency life. Episode Highlights Common Misconceptions in PR: Jackson and Rachel delve into their initial misunderstandings of the PR world, discussing how their internships at Hodges…
Before embarking on my internship with Hodges this semester, my understanding of public relations was mostly confined to the pages of textbooks and lecture halls. And while the knowledge I’ve gained in the classroom has laid sturdy groundwork, it lacked the crucial element of real-world application. From The Robertson School to The Hodges Partnership, each step of the journey has taught me valuable lessons about blending education with hands-on experience. My journey at the Robertson School began with a deep dive into the theories and…
Communications professionals spend a lot of time behind the computer. Between writing articles and blogs, pitching stories and curating social ed calendars, screen time can consume a large part of the day. However, despite the predominantly digital nature of their work, there comes a time when PR practitioners must step outside the virtual world. Thanks to smartphones, capturing top-notch visuals is easier than ever. Yet, with so many content opportunities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But fear not! After a recent content-gathering day for a…
Everywhere you scroll nowadays, you will inevitably encounter a large chunk of advertisements all over your social media feeds. These ads, often carefully curated by hard-working marketing teams across the world, know you intimately and focus on your wants, needs, interests and everything in between. Amid this sea of ads lies a distinct category – social, political and election ads. These ads serve not only as marketing tools but also as vehicles for advocacy and public discourse. As you might expect, behind these ads…
