Simplicity Isn’t Sober: How Drunk Grandmas Can Help Your Campaigns
Normally, in the early stages of campaign planning, one of the first key steps is to identify a target audience. From small events to national launches, any good campaign has an idea early of who they’re talking to. But, beyond the target audience, one viral idea offers another key demographic to bounce ideas off of:…
Berry Good for Everyone: Expanding Access to Fresh Produce Through Innovation
By: Sloane Heagerty Background:Nestled in Alderson, WV, Sunset Berry Farm is known for more than just its award-winningstrawberries. Owners Kent and Jennifer Gilkerson have created a warm, welcoming space wherefamilies and community members gather for U-Pick festivals, sunflower fields, and fresh produce attheir farm stand. As the farm continues to grow, so does its commitment…
Relatable Marketing: Why Authenticity Wins Almost Every Time
By: Sloane Heagerty March 12, 2025 Have you noticed your favorite celebrities are starting to look and act just like you? It’salmost as if they’re working overtime to relate to their followers. Celebrities aren’t justcasually adopting internet microtrends, they’re strategically leveraging them as amarketing tool to enhance relatability and engagement. In an era where consumers…
Micro-Influencers: The PR Powerhouses You’re Overlooking
By: Alivia Ashcroft April 9th, 2025 Want to stand out in a crowded market? Micro-influencers are the secret weapon your brand needs to build real connections and boost authenticity like never before. Instead of relying on celebrities, brands are turning to micro influencers social media personalities with smaller but highly engaged audiences. Seen as relatable…
Influencer Marketing Uncovered: Earned vs. Paid Strategies for Beauty Brands
By Ashley Ritenour Over the years, influencer marketing in the beauty industry has become a powerhouse. Brands have taken extreme measures, such as gifting insane products to influencers or paying them thousands for paid media. Navigating this world can be challenging, especially when deciding when to use earned and paid media. Each approach has different…
Careful or Canceled: A Guide to What to Do and Not to Do in the Influencing World
By Jennifer Todd Think about our lives on social media. It’s not the same as being famous, but some similarities exist. Posting online is like signing a contract with everyone who follows you. You’re sharing parts of your life with an audience, letting people in on what you’re doing, wearing, and even how you’re feeling.…
From Crisis to Clarity: Mastering Social Media Crisis Management in High-Stakes Situations
By Avery Rudolph Social media can be one of a brand’s greatest assets in the digital age. It is a great tool, especially when addressing urgent issues. With the ability to reach millions of people in real time, social media offers many different communication opportunities. However, in times of crisis, this same power can quickly…
Finding Your Niche and Building Real Skills with MHA
By Aden Nickerson Graduation can be daunting, especially when unsure of your career path. Martin Hall Agency (MHA) can transform this uncertainty by offering hands-on experience through real-world campaigns. While working on the campaigns, students build portfolios, manage deadlines, and learn teamwork. All these opportunities allow you to discover your niche and prepare for a…
Laugh, Cry and Connect: The Power of Brand Storytelling When Used Correctly
By Chloe McHale Do you remember when Pepsi’s ‘Live for Now’ ad featuring Kendall Jenner sparked chaos instead of connection? The ad featured Jenner leaving a photoshoot to join a protest. Once at the protest, she handed a police officer a can of Pepsi as a peace offering. The ad, meant to convey unity, sparked…
Brands and their Jingles: Do Catchy Jingles Drive Brand Success?
By: Abigail Beurket Brand jingles are something you constantly hear in your daily life. The best part of waking up for you might be the magically delicious cereal or the snack that smiles back. Your insurance might be like a good neighbor, but did anyone have to tell you the names of these brands to…
How to Reach the Unreachable
By Mary Roush As students and professionals in Appalachia, reaching our target audience can be challenging due to the digital divide they experience compared to urban areas. This divide is rooted in limited technology and resources. How can we be a part of the change to help combat the lack of communication throughout Appalachia? Where…
Creating Connection: Your Video Strategy Blueprint
By Gabriella Sergent If modern-day media has given us one thing, it’s the ability to connect. We all have that one person, business or organization we feel we know or are part of because of online interactions. Such a unique opportunity lies in sharing stories online, especially through video content. An article by the McHenry…
A Brief Introduction to Advertising Mishaps and Their Unlikely Origins
By Levi Orcutt Mistakes happen every day. Sometimes, they happen multiple times a day, or in such a grandiose, impossibly bad way that makes you scratch your head and think, “How did that even happen?” Those who make mistakes often make them spectacularly when it comes to advertising. The ad industry has many moving parts.…
Empowering West Virginia Nonprofits Through Public Relations
By Taylor Isaly As a West Virginian, born and raised, I have seen firsthand, through volunteerism, the challenges and opportunities within nonprofit organizations in our community. I have also experienced how they could benefit from awareness, understanding and utilization of public relations. What Nonprofits in Our State Are Faced With: Nonprofits make up the heart…
Elevating the Mountain State: Transforming Perception Through Strategic Public Relations
By Maggie Stewart How well do you know the story of a state steeped in natural beauty, rich culture and growing innovation? West Virginia, home to over 1.3 million acres of national forest and a thriving community of musicians and artists, is ready for a new narrative. Through strategic public relations, we can reshape how…
Beyond the Screen: Mobilizing Movements through Social Media Activism
By Emily Sykes If you had to guess, how often do you express your opinion online? In an age where social media has become increasingly more integrated into our everyday lives, the question arises: does social media activism truly influence political and social change, or is it merely a digital echo chamber? In 2023, 34%…
Influencers vs. Celebrities: Who Do You Trust?
By Jolynn Allinger Trust is an important word in the field of public relations. To connect and build strong relationships with one’s clients, there must be a level of trust between the two parties. For example, let’s say you are a teenage girl looking to buy a new lipstick. On a television commercial you see…
Celebrities: The Masters of Rebranding
By Izabella Venuto Remember when Miley Cyrus went from Hannah Montana into her bad girl “Bangerz” era? From Mike Tyson to Oprah and Rihanna to Ice T, it seems every generation can point to a famous personality who has dramatically changed their career image. Why Rebranding Matters: In today’s fast-paced world, consumer preferences shift rapidly,…
The Targeted Approach: Why Advertising and Public Relations Target Audience Insights Matter
By Brenda Gulliksen Within the fast-paced realm of public relations and advertising, where messages are presented from all directions, one major component shines through as the key to success throughout the chaos: deeply understanding the target audience. Imagine a campaign that speaks directly to one’s deepest goals and dreams and connects on a personal level.…
Unlocking the Potential: Infusing Modern Mass Media with Small-Town Charm
By Isabella Dill Incorporating small-town charm into mass media marketing strategies offers a timeless allure that transcends digital barriers. By embracing authenticity, prioritizing community values, and evoking nostalgia, brands can craft campaigns that resonate on a profoundly human level, fostering enduring connections with their audience. It’s time to unlock the full potential of small-town sensibilities…
Why Your Business shouldn’t overlook Branding Design
By George Peppe As a small business, you want your customers to recognize you and remember your brand over the dozens of brands on their feed. Botanical Bakery was a small start-up out of Napa Valley, California; after re-designing their brand with a new logo/color palette and new packaging design, they saw sales triple each…
Striking a Chord: The Power of Music in Advertising
By Sophie Stanley In 2019, the restaurant chain Applebee’s faced a decline in sales. As the pandemic led to stay at home orders and social distancing, the next two years led to an even sharper decline in sales. Then, with the release of Walker Hayes’s “Fancy Like” in 2022, Applebee’s sales shot higher than their…
Are Hashtags #Dead?
By Alessia Mangan The hashtag is a feature that has changed how social media has been used over the last decade. However, new social media advancements have caused some users to believe hashtags have lost their magic touch. With the rise of SEO, keywords and AI, people, including brands, find that hashtags aren’t increasing their…
Billboards You Pay To See: Examining The Effectiveness of Sports Jersey Sponsorship
By Mason Deel Sports and sponsorships go together like bread and butter. Why wouldn’t they? Events like the Super Bowl have become famous for their advertisements and their effectiveness as a brand. Brand names, logos, and messaging are littered throughout any sporting event, from the names of the stadiums to the playing surface of the…
From Farm to Fork: How Farm to You’s Campaign is Redefining Health and Wellness
In the dynamic healthcare landscape, initiatives like Farm to You stand as beacons of innovation and hope. As a “food is medicine” program under WVU Medicine, Farm to You embodies a holistic approach to wellness, recognizing the profound connection between nutrition education and improved health. Our partnership sought to develop communication strategies that elevate community…
Project Heard: a change that starts with you.
By Jolynn Allinger, Sophie Stanley, Isabella Dill, Robert Wolfgang The Challenge In Appalachia, Generation Z demonstrates a concerning disinterest in voting and civicengagement. The Project Heard campaign tackles this issue head-on by reaching out toGeneration Z in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Through fostering open,nonpartisan dialogue and promoting voter participation, the campaign strives to…
Back To Our Roots: Agritourism In The Greenbrier Valley
By Mason Deel, Cassidy Falk, Paul Henry, Alessia Mangan Whether you travel solo, with friends, or with family, the Greenbrier Valley region has something for everyone, including many farm-based and agriculturally oriented businesses. By teaming up with WVU Extension, MHA plans to show residents and visitors alike that the agritourism opportunities in the Greenbrier Valley…
How the Potential Shutdown of TikTok will Affect Marketing for Businesses
By Paul Henry III TikTok, which Chinese technology firm ByteDance owns, faces the threat of a total ban in the US, leading to the question of what problems this potential ban will cause for businesses that rely on TikTok. Before discussing what this means for these businesses, let’s examine the logistics of what is happening…
Knocking Out the Competition: How TikTok is Transforming Boxing Promotion
By Kaleb Ridlon In our ever-evolving world, societal and technological changes are reshaping how we connect, communicate, and do business. One of the most significant transformations in recent years has been the rise of social media, and its impact on various aspects of our lives is undeniable. But what if we told you this digital…
Influencer Marketing: Landing the Perfect Influencer for Your Brand
By Kyle Boggio Welcome to the ever-evolving world of modern marketing, driven by digital innovation. In this era of limitless possibilities, businesses are discovering the potent strategy of influencer marketing to boost engagement, fortify brand presence and supercharge sales. In 2022, a remarkable 75% of brands dedicated budgets to influencer marketing, recognizing it as a…