After beginning my career writing for radio at Voice of America, I got a master’s degree in international public health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. This training equipped me to translate scientific findings.
At the Population Reference Bureau, I honed these skills, distilling research findings into policy briefs for health decision makers laying out recommendations to lower maternal death, save newborn lives, and improve women and children’s nutrition. No matter what your topic or audience, Persuasive PR can translate your content in a compelling and accessible manner.
University Research Co., LLC had never had a mission statement or tagline during its then 60 year history. Staff craved words to capture the meaning of their work. So my team and I worked with our colleagues from around the world to develop these core messages.
Regional parks authority NOVA Parks wanted to integrate messages about their founders into messaging. So I conducted original research through local historical resources and developed content for the website, press releases, and talking points for park and county leaders. Persuasive PR can work with you to craft essential messages.
Newspaperman Henry Luce said: “Henry Luce: “I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world.” Talented journalists are powerful partners in storytelling; their stories reach wide audiences. At a Persuasive PR, we meet reporters’ tight deadlines and provide details that capture readers’ attention. We’ve worked with journalists in many countries, world capitals, and Virginia counties.
This photo depicts a time I did media outreach for a regional parks agency, crafting a press release, pitches, and talking points for Fairfax County supervisors from both parties. The results — a memorable hike together, plus stories in TV, radio, and print outlets.
Work gets done when working in concert with collaborators. As the new Director of Advocacy & Communications for a project focused on breastfeeding, I proposed leveraging the Women Deliver conference, which convened several thousand global leaders.
I led a media roundtable with the Breastfeeding Advocacy Coalition, a group that included United Nations agencies and high profile advocacy groups. Scripting the group’s messages carefully while managing relationships diplomatically ensured we captured the attention of international journalists, who wrote and broadcast stories.
To protect your organization’s reputation, it’s important to listen to what your audience is saying and prepare for possible criticism, negative press, or emergencies. I collaborated with the Chief Security Officer in a large global health company to help them prepare for potential crises. What would they do if there was political unrest in a country where they were leading a program?
Later, we figured out how to communicate with staff after a (relatively small, but still shocking) earthquake in Bethesda. I also supported a U.S. government agency to prepare for possible PR problems. We envisioned scenarios, identified the core crisis communications team, and set up systems to listen to the agency’s constituents. For a regional state agency, I helped generate positive press to ensure proposed projects would be well received by their communities.
To build a successful communications strategy, it’s essential to measure results. Google Analytics and other measurement programs can help track progress. Social media metrics can also provide an indicator of outreach. To expand social media engagement for an initiative to reframe aging, I took over the Twitter (now X) handle.
Leveraging Ageism Awareness Day and other key moments and announcements, which helped double their following and boosted impressions (views) by nearly 700%. Engagement increased significantly, including likes, retweets, and mentions. The engagement translated into a stream of new views on videos the project shared.
Overseeing communications and advocacy for a global project on young child nutrition, I focused on building online outreach. Within six months of World Breastfeeding Week, I commissioned a logo; and launched a website and Facebook and Twitter profiles. The social media outreach translated into increased traffic to the website, with website visits traceable to various project countries thanks to Google Analytics.
A Devex column I wrote, Protect Breastfeeding, the Ultimate Personalized Medicine, received thousands of views and dozens of shares, further building the project’s online outreach. Persuasive PR will employ creativity and state-of-the-art techniques to expand your reach.
Let’s craft compelling messages, secure positive media coverage, and navigate any challenges seamlessly. Contact us today to unlock the full potential of your brand!