10 to 1 Blog

Spotlight on Success: 15 of our Favorite PR Campaigns of 2025

by Erica

10to1PR Team Maps Out Bold 2026 Goals

From groundbreaking headquarters openings to heartwarming veteran support initiatives, our team delivered exceptional results across diverse industries in 2025. These campaigns showcase our ability to generate meaningful media coverage, position clients as industry leaders, and create lasting community impact. Each success story represents our commitment to strategic communication that drives real-world results for our clients while making a difference in the communities they serve.

Here are 15 of our favorite PR campaigns from 2025:

1. Master’s Transportation: $72 Million Headquarters Grand Opening

Campaign Focus: Generate awareness and media attention for Master’s Transportation’s new $72 million headquarters in Kansas City, MO
Objectives: Secure local and national media coverage highlighting the headquarters’ significance to the community, regional economy, and transportation industry
Results: 40+ media placements across television, local news outlets, business publications, and industry trade media, featuring in-depth interviews with the CEO and key executives. Coverage included KMBC, KCTV, and KSHB, providing comprehensive visibility across multiple platforms.
Why We Loved It: Celebrating this milestone onsite with our clients and witnessing their long-anticipated vision come to life. The grand opening represented years of planning and investment in the Kansas City community.
Read More: https://www.kmbc.com/article/kc-bus-company-expansion-world-cup-2026/68122003

2. ITS World Congress: Global Transportation Innovation Showcase

Campaign Focus: Elevate international and local awareness of the Intelligent Transportation Society’s World Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, highlighting innovations shaping the future of intelligent transportation
Objectives: Strategically engage international, national, and local media outlets to drive attendance, coverage, and visibility for cutting-edge transportation technologies and industry advancements
Results: Generated 200+ media features worldwide across print, digital, television, radio, and podcasts, successfully amplifying the event’s global impact and showcasing next-generation transportation solutions
Why We Loved It: Collaborating with international journalists, coordinating dynamic television interviews and live demonstrations of transformative transportation technologies. Atlanta News First coverage of technology to protect first responders was particularly impactful.
Read More: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/08/26/new-technology-protect-first-responders-display-world-congress-center/

3. Milhaus: Opportunity Zone Thought Leadership

Campaign Focus: Position Milhaus executive Brad Vogelsmeier as a thought leader and expert in Opportunity Zones
Objectives: Establish expertise in Opportunity Zones among industry peers and highlight Milhaus’s successful multifamily development strategy
Results: Featured 1600+ word byline article in highly respected Urban Land Magazine, including photos of five beautiful Milhaus properties including Northbend, Arrello, and Ora developments
Why We Loved It: The article not only positioned Brad and Milhaus as experts in Multifamily Development and Opportunity Zones but also showcased their portfolio through high-quality property photography that demonstrated their design excellence
Read More: https://urbanland.uli.org/capital-markets-and-finance/whats-next-for-opportunity-zones-a-brighter-future-for-u-s-multifamily-development

4. JobElephant: Human Touch in AI Recruiting

Campaign Focus: Highlight the critical role of emotional intelligence in modern recruitment despite AI advancements in the hiring landscape
Objectives: Position JobElephant as a strategic voice in the future of recruiting that recognizes both AI’s power and limitations while enhancing credibility with HR and talent acquisition professionals
Results: Byline article in Staffing Hub featuring their Talent Acquisition team, differentiating the brand from competitors focused solely on automation and reinforcing their commitment to a balanced approach
Why We Loved It: Successfully amplifying the message that human relationships and judgment remain essential to hiring success, helping JobElephant stand out in a crowded recruiting-software market dominated by AI promises
Read More: https://staffinghub.com/guest-posts/ai-moves-fast-but-emotional-intelligence-wins-the-recruiting-game/

5. Action Roofing Services: Veterans Day Giveaway

Campaign Focus: Highlight Florida’s strong veteran community through roof giveaways in Tampa and Gainesville
Objectives: Secure local media coverage emphasizing community support for veterans during Veterans Day celebrations
Results: For Tampa, surprised a retired Navy SEAL with WFLA Tampa Channel 8 and WFTS Tampa Bay 28 attending, generating 10 TV segments and 5 online features. For Gainesville, surprised an active duty servicemember with WCJB-TV, WUFT-TV, and Mainstreet Daily News attending, resulting in 3 TV segments and 6 online features.
Why We Loved It: The whole process of identifying and partnering with a passionate nonprofit dedicated to veterans, capturing genuine surprise reactions on video, and contributing to the veteran community through months of planning and hard work
Read More: https://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-pinellas/navy-veteran-gets-free-roof-repair-ahead-of-veterans-day

6. FirstBank: Acts of Goodness Stadium Tour

Campaign Focus: Connect young fan Everett with the Arizona Cardinals and highlight FirstBank’s community giving initiatives
Objectives: Secure a Cardinals stadium tour opportunity and local media coverage to support Everett’s story and FirstBank’s community involvement
Results: Arranged a State Farm Stadium tour complete with a signed AZ Cardinals football and new football gear. Media coverage included an exclusive with AZ Family that aired 4 times plus 5 additional stories in local digital publications.
Why We Loved It: Seeing how our PR efforts made a direct impact on Everett’s life and helping share his story with local publications to support his GoFundMe campaign for a new prosthetic foot
Read More: https://www.azfamily.com/2025/05/19/teen-athlete-shooting-survivor-gets-vip-tour-state-farm-stadium/

7. Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity: Workforce Summit 2025

Campaign Focus: Secure media coverage for Arizona’s Workforce Summit while creating online dialogues about workforce development
Objectives: Generate media coverage, create online dialogue, and ensure cohesive messaging throughout all external communications and Summit programming
Results: Secured media partnerships with AZFamily and Phoenix Business Journal, boosting credibility and exposure while engaging local media in dialogues about workforce development’s importance to families and businesses. Live social media updates extended the conversation months beyond the event.
Why We Loved It: Reading positive attendee feedback and bringing the Summit to a broader audience through television appearances, including OEO’s director explaining the Summit’s impact for families on Good Morning Arizona.

8. Partnership for Economic Innovation: Innovation Summit 2025

Photo by Jaron Quach

Campaign Focus: Promote PEI’s Celebrating Innovation Summit as a gathering of public and private sector leaders across diverse industries
Objectives: Highlight Arizona’s innovation ecosystem through pre and post-event coverage and amplify enthusiasm through social media
Results: Secured strong pre and post-event coverage highlighting key Summit themes while driving a remarkable 748.1% increase in social media impressions through strategic content
Why We Loved It: Working directly with PEI board members as spokespeople for championing innovation, particularly securing the impactful interview on PBS Horizon, a respected local public affairs program
Read More: https://azpbs.org/horizon/2025/11/arizona-innovation-summit-high-tech-future/

9. ASM: From Sand to Stars Exhibition

Campaign Focus: Amplify ASM’s “From Sand to Stars” exhibition at Arizona Science Center and field trip sponsorship program
Objectives: Build awareness for semiconductor careers among Arizona students using SEMICON West 2025 as a launching pad for securing local and industry news coverage
Results: Secured on-site interviews with all 4 local Phoenix market TV stations, built relationships with top technology industry reporters, and ensured ASM’s voice was included in an Arizona Republic article about semiconductor workforce development
Why We Loved It: This marked the first time ASM was featured in a local television station live shot in the company’s nearly 50-year history in Arizona, using the exhibition as an effective platform to introduce ASM to a broader audience
Read More: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1720521

10. AVANA Companies: India Market Expansion

Campaign Focus: Announce AVANA Companies’ expansion of lending services to India as part of their global private debt commercial lending and investment ecosystem
Objectives: Secure coverage while explaining to US commercial real estate and hospitality investors why India’s small business market presents valuable investment opportunities
Results: Over 36 features across Indian media and US commercial real estate, hospitality, investment, and business trade publications, demonstrating our ability to translate the story’s importance across different audiences in the context of globalization, private credit growth, and hospitality industry resilience
Why We Loved It: Securing our first-ever feature in the Indian market with The Economic Times, one of the region’s most respected business news outlets and the world’s second-most widely read English-language business newspaper
Read more: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/avana-promises-25-million-india-investment-after-nbfc-licence-from-rbi/articleshow/123167029.cms

11. AADB: IDDHL Compact Success

Campaign Focus: Position the Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact as the superior solution for dental professional mobility
Objectives: Generate awareness among state legislators, build support for adoption in target states, and educate key stakeholders about the IDDHL Compact’s benefits over the competing CSG compact
Results: Secured positive media coverage in 9 target states with 14 total media placements including op-eds, news articles, and industry features. Louisiana became the first state to adopt the IDDHL Compact, Mississippi passed it through both chambers, Oklahoma passed it through the House, and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts actively considered it. The campaign successfully stalled the competing CSG compact, which despite being introduced in 18 states, only passed in two.
Why We Loved It: Turning compelling data into persuasive messaging that resonated with multiple stakeholders, particularly the finding that 82% of Americans want dentists to demonstrate practical skills before receiving a license, which proved decisive in legislative discussions
Read More: https://www.rdhmag.com/career-profession/news/55307965/the-interstate-dental-dental-hygiene-licensure-compact-gains-momentum

12. Jack Rabbit Air and Plumbing: Brown Friday Campaign

Campaign Focus: Demonstrate expertise with home plumbing issues that many people experience following Thanksgiving holiday
Objectives: Position Jack Rabbit as an expert resource for common post-Thanksgiving plumbing problems
Results: Secured and completed an interview with FOX LIVE Now, the national streaming channel for FOX News on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The interview aired on local stations nationwide and on the national streaming channel 4 times on Thanksgiving Day.
Why We Loved It: The Jack Rabbit team was extremely busy that day with all their plumbers on service calls, but they remained relentless until they found the perfect spokesperson for the interview
Watch the Clip

13. Family Promise of Greater Phoenix: A/C Donation Drive

Campaign Focus: Raise awareness for an air conditioning outage at Family Promise facilities and secure donations
Objectives: Generate community support to address an urgent cooling need during Arizona’s summer heat
Results: Secured $20,000 in monetary donations and prompted multiple air conditioning companies to reach out offering free replacement services
Why We Loved It: What began as an unexpected crisis transformed into an incredible victory. An A/C outage in the Arizona summer presented a serious challenge, but the community’s quick and heartfelt response demonstrated remarkable generosity
Watch the clip

14. Helix Electric: 40th Anniversary Truck Donation

Campaign Focus: Amplify Helix’s corporate responsibility initiatives and awareness within the San Diego community
Objectives: Generate media coverage for Helix’s donation event as part of their 40th anniversary celebration
Results: Secured 3 industry articles and 6 features from local publications, including the San Diego Business Journal and the Times of San Diego
Why We Loved It: This marked Helix’s first media stunt event. The Helix team worked tirelessly to ensure the event went as planned, creating a genuine surprise moment for the nonprofit recipients
Read More: https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2025/12/06/sd-nonprofits-and-community-groups-spread-holiday-cheer-across-the-region/

15. Otonomus Hotel: CES 2025 Exhibition

Campaign Focus: Secure interview opportunities for the leadership team at Otonomus Hotel as the only hotel exhibiting at CES 2025
Objectives: Generate media coverage highlighting Otonomus as an innovative AI-powered hospitality concept
Results: Secured 15 interview opportunities, resulting in over 50 features from industry, local, and national publications, including the Associated Press, BBC, Forbes, Fast Company, and more
Why We Loved It: Taking on the challenge of being the only hotel at a consumer technology show allowed us to get creative by offering exclusive tours to top-tier media attending the show, giving them a glimpse of the first AI-powered hotel before it opened to the public
Read More: https://www.fastcompany.com/91259781/an-ai-powered-hotel-is-coming-to-las-vegas

…and so much more! That’s a wrap on 2025, and we’re already planning for hitting the ground running in 2026.

10 to 1 Blog

Building Stronger Communities Through Volunteer Work

by Erica

Building Stronger Communities Through Volunteer Work

Written by Gabriel Estes, Sr. PR Coordinator at 10to1PR

We love giving back to our community, and our recent initiatives proved just how powerful collective action can be. Our entire office building rallied around causes close to our hearts, demonstrating that corporate social responsibility isn’t just good business but the right thing to do.

In September, we launched two community initiatives that brought our team together while making a real difference in the Valley. We partnered with the Arizona Animal Welfare League for a month-long donation drive and sent team members to volunteer with our client Family Promise, painting rooms at their housing shelter.

10to1PR team with collections from the donation drive for the Arizona Animal Welfare League.

The response from our team and building neighbors exceeded our expectations. We designed a flyer that spelled out exactly what items were needed for the animal welfare drive and showed people where to drop off donations around the building. The variety of donations we received showed just how much our community cares about animal welfare. Our collection included tennis balls and fun dog toys, cat and dog food, training pee pads for puppies, sturdy leashes and collars, cat toys and pill pockets.

Meanwhile, several of our team members rolled up their sleeves to help Family Promise with hands-on volunteer work. They spent time painting rooms at the housing shelter, helping create a welcoming environment for families who need temporary housing support. This direct service allowed our team to see firsthand how their efforts make a difference.

Ted Taylor, Executive Director of Family Promise (left) with 10to1PR team members Morgan, Emily, Gabriel, and Lauren.

Corporate social responsibility matters now more than ever. Research shows that 82% of consumers consider corporate social responsibility when deciding what services and products to buy and from where. Similarly, 86% of millennial workers greatly value their companies’ corporate social responsibility programs and would quit their jobs if those programs started to slip.

We’ve seen this play out in our own workplace. Projects like these bring our team closer together. When we work side by side for something bigger than ourselves, we create the kind of workplace where people want to give back to their community. Every donation we collect and every room we paint will make a real difference for animals waiting for their forever homes and families working toward stable housing.

At 10 to 1 Public Relations, we believe that generating goodwill by integrating community issues and social causes into our business operations strengthens our brand’s reputation while making a positive impact. These initiatives reflect our ongoing commitment to building stronger communities through meaningful partnerships and direct action.

See how we help our clients get recognized for their corporate social responsibility and community giving programs.

10 to 1 Blog

Summer Spotlight: 10to1PR Clients Shine Across Media Landscape

by Erica

Summer Spotlight: 10to1PR Clients Shine Across Media Landscape

10to1PR’s summer media campaigns delivered impressive results across various industries, showcasing our team’s expertise in securing high-impact coverage for our diverse clientele. From technology innovations to community initiatives, our clients made headlines in major publications, demonstrating the power of strategic public relations.

🔋 Technology and Innovation

ITS World Congress took center stage in the Ivory Coast publication Acturoutes, featuring an exclusive interview with ITS America CEO Laura Chace. This coverage highlights the global reach of our clients’ innovations in intelligent transportation systems.

The Dallas Morning News spotlighted Rosendin’s solar robot installer on its front page, emphasizing how this technology reduces worker injury, accelerates renewable energy project construction, and addresses the industry’s workforce shortage.

Traffic Technology Today featured highlights from ITS World Congress 2025, further cementing our client’s position as a leader in transportation technology.

Swisslog Healthcare contributed expert insights to a Canadian outlet, MRO Magazine, discussing the importance of upgrading pneumatics for smarter maintenance in healthcare facilities.

🏢 Business and Real Estate

JobElephant made waves in the recruitment sector, with CEO Michael Ang featured in The Global Recruiter. The company’s 2025 DEI Marketing Report, revealing strategies for diversity recruitment, earned coverage in Staffing Hub.

Avana shared valuable thought leadership on the commercial real estate market, featured in Bisnow’s analysis of banks finding creative ways to manage vintage CRE loans.

Peak Roofing’s acquisition of Skymark Roofing caught the attention of multiple outlets, including Axios, Roofing Contractor, and PE Hub, highlighting the company’s strategic growth.

Milhaus opened luxury apartments in Oklahoma, as reported by Connect CRE. The company also broke ground on the Atheria at West Grove community in McKinney, Texas, covered by Community Impact.

🏗️ Construction and Development

Chanen Construction’s transformation of a Sedona staple into a mountain modern brand was featured in Commercial Construction & Renovation magazine, showcasing the company’s innovative approach to hospitality projects.

Dick Anderson Construction shared insights on successful company meetings, featured in Plumber Magazine, demonstrating thought leadership in team management.

Master’s Transportation made headlines with the announcement of its new headquarters campus, covered by Aftermarket News and the Kansas City Business Journal. The company’s expansion plans, including 250 new jobs, were highlighted in Bus & Motorcoach News.

🚛 Transportation and Logistics

Master’s Transportation contributed a byline article to School Bus Fleet, addressing new EPA derate rules and their impact on school bus maintenance.

The company’s new Parts and Service Department opening was featured in the Kansas City Business Journal, further highlighting their growth and expansion.

🏖️ Community and Tourism

Hansen Super Techs celebrated Mother’s Day with a heartwarming air conditioning giveaway, garnering coverage in HVAC Insider and Contracting Business. This initiative showcased our client’s commitment to community engagement and customer appreciation.

Encantame Resorts earned features in AZCentral and Yahoo Life, spotlighting the best hotels in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.

Del Llano was showcased in Fox 10 Phoenix‘s “Made in Arizona” segment, highlighting local businesses making an impact.

The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity provided expert commentary on Arizona’s tech growth in an AZCentral article and appeared on AZFamily to discuss economic trends.

🔜 Looking Ahead

As we move into the fall, 10to1PR continues to build on this summer’s successes. Our team remains committed to delivering impactful media coverage that drives results for our clients across all industries.

For businesses seeking to elevate their media presence and tell their stories effectively, reach out to 10to1PR. Our proven track record speaks for itself, and we’re ready to help you make headlines.

10 to 1 Blog

How to Leverage Community Outreach Initiatives for Positive Brand Awareness

by Erica

How to Leverage Community Outreach Initiatives for Positive Brand Awareness

Written by Annie Appleton, PR Executive at 10 to 1 Public Relations

Corporate social responsibility, such as community outreach and charitable work from a business, has long been a tool used by public relations professionals to help bolster an organization’s reputation. There are a lot more benefits that can come from performing community outreach projects other than being a positive story to feed to the media. We’ll run through some of those benefits, plus how to turn a community outreach initiative into a PR win.

Why Community Outreach Matters

Performing community outreach is a great building block for positive brand reputation and recognition. Having strong community outreach initiatives also helps build trust between the business and the community. It shows that the business cares about its community and the people in it, thus helping to create a more loyal customer base. This also reigns true internally for the business or organization.

“Roughly 82% of U.S. consumers actually consider corporate social responsibility when deciding what services and products to buy and from where. Similarly, a survey of millennials’ work habits indicates that 86% of Generation Y workers greatly value their companies’ corporate social responsibility programs and would quit their jobs if those programs started to slip.”

Forbes

We are seeing more and more from both an external and internal standpoint that people care about what values a business stands on. People are choosing where to work and shop in businesses that align with their own core beliefs. With the rise of social media, audiences can determine by one post if they will support a business or not.

How to Identify Relevant and Timely Causes

The first thing we look at when start to think about a community outreach initiative is the calendar. We review what holidays are coming up, what time of year it is, and what is timely. For example, in June, a community outreach effort could be centered around Father’s Day, Pride Month, or summertime.

The next thing to consider is the who, what, and why:

  • Who in the community needs help
  • What are we going to do to help
  • Why we chose this particular problem to solve

Finding a cause or organization that is relevant to your business is a good place to start when it comes to deciding the “who.” Here in Phoenix, AZ, it gets hot in the summer. For those who haven’t experienced it, imagine walking into an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. It is like that, only hotter, from May – October. Homelessness is a big issue here, caused in part by not enough affordable housing and an unstable economy. Here is why the who, what, and why come into play:

  • Who: People with little to no access to shelter from the heat
  • What: We will host a water drive by donating cases of water to an organization
  • Why: According to reports at least 130 people experiencing homelessness died from heat-related deaths in 2021

Getting PR Recognition for Your Community Support

Our client Air Pros collaborated with their local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization on a donation to support kids in the community.

Once you have identified your cause and how you are going to help, there are several things you can do to leverage the work you are doing for positive public relations. Consider:

  • Creating an event around your community outreach project.
  • Make sure to take photos with your company’s logo visible
  • Invite the media to your event and offer interviews about the cause
  • Send a post-event story (along with your photos) to the media
  • Add how your company practices corporate social responsibility to the company website
  • Post your photos and community outreach projects on social media

The Big Picture: Impacting the Community

We worked with our client FirstBank to create the ‘Give it Forward’ campaign to raise awareness for donating to local nonprofits for Coachella Valley Giving Day and Arizona Gives Day. For this year’s campaign, FirstBank surprised local residents by covering their gas bills and encouraging them to ‘give it forward’ by donating to a nonprofit of their choice.

Most importantly, community involvement helps the community at large. When performing acts of service there are real people in real need that are the most important beneficiaries. Think about a back-to-school supply drive. Those who benefit the most will be the teachers that often have to buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pockets, and the children who will have the supplies they need to learn. That should always be the main focus of a community outreach project, not how it benefits the business doing the service, but how it benefits the community.

The internal benefits of community involvement are vast. These programs and projects are wonderful for team building and unifying employees. They get the whole team to work on one goal – helping others. It can help raise employees’ morale as well. If employees are given a voice on what projects and issues are important to them, it can leave them feeling not only more professionally fulfilled but also fulfilled on a personal level. Many businesses and organizations choose to schedule volunteer days where, instead of going to work, they volunteer at an organization for the day. This gives the employee more control to choose a cause close to their heart.

Takeaways

Taking part in community outreach programs is a wonderful way to practice corporate social responsibility. Community outreach can help to build brand recognition and reputation, foster trust with customers and the community, and bring a team closer together. But when we look at the bigger picture practicing corporate social responsibility by helping the community around us is invaluable to the community and the individuals that are at the receiving end.

We should all try to leave the world a little better than when we arrived. Companies are no exception. There is so much good that can be done in the world, so many people that could use a helping hand, and not enough people that are willing to extend that helping hand. I encourage you to go out and be involved in your communities, and strive to be the good in the world, you will be surprised how even the smallest of things can make an enormous difference in the lives of others.

Why More PR Efforts Should be Coordinated Around Veterans Day

by Josh

Why More PR Efforts Should be Coordinated Around Veterans Day

My PR team is always looking for opportunities to draw some media attention to our clients for doing something positive.  As part of this effort, we often coordinate media efforts around various holidays and shared cultural events. Out of all the dates on the calendar, I never expected Veterans Day to become my favorite. Both because of what it represents, and the media opportunities it has provided our clients.

Veterans Day has long been one of those specialty holidays recognized mostly by those who have a personal connection to the military.  It’s not part of a three-day weekend, and people often mix it up with Memorial Day which honors the fallen vs Veterans Day which recognizes the living who have served.

My team took Veterans Day efforts to an entirely new gear this year, and I want to share what we did. Not to brag, but in hopes of sparking your imagination or participation for Veterans Day next year.

The Veterans Day Giveaway Idea

We have several HVAC and plumbing clients. One of those companies was founded by a Veteran after WWII, and the company is now lead by his granddaughter (3rd generation).  Five years ago, we launched a now annual Veterans AC Giveaway Contest where the public could nominate a Veteran or their family member in need of a new AC unit or furnace. After verifying nominations and choosing finalists, the public was given the opportunity to vote for the recipient, with the prize awarded on (or around) Veterans Day.

That single contest has expanded.  In 2020 we held the contest in five different cities spanning the U.S. from Miami, Florida to Spokane, Washington. Yes, the contest is a nice thing to do and it’s generated publicity and stories in each City we’ve done it. But it’s much more than a contest.

Our goal is to share personal stories of local Veterans and active duty members that most people never hear about. These are the men and women who left their homes, their families, and their friends to dutifully serve our country across the nation and around the world. Their stories are incredible. Like an Arizona man who joined the Army after the attack on 9/11 to protect our nation and came back with a life-changing injury from a rocket propelled grenade. Or the Florida man who joined the Navy at age 17 and got to take a newly commissioned ship through the Panama Canal. Or the woman who was the first female in her family to join, and now copes with the debilitating effects of PTSD.

In our eyes, they are all heroes. They all deserve notoriety.  So we share their stories using videos, blogs, social media, and often the news media will help us reach a wider audience. These stories have helped old friends reconnect providing them with a sense of hope and some comfort during an increasingly stressful time.

It amazes me how grateful these Veterans are to be recognized. I am also impressed by their shared bond. They understand what it’s like to be too far from home, and why it’s so hard to talk about what they experienced. We are saddened by how many suffer from mental trauma and inspired by how many of them volunteer to help other Veterans heal.

The other major effort we launched was the #VetDayPledge.

The idea started in 2018, when one of our large construction related clients was looking for ways to recognize their employees that were Veterans. We suggested that the company gather employees on Veterans Day a job site or in their warehouse and simply invite all the Veterans to the front of the group to lead their co-workers in the Pledge of Allegiance.  We used smartphone video to then share it with media and post it on social media.  The response from employees who participated was so positive that the construction company expanded it to multiple cities and job sites the following year.

This year, with permission from the client we decided to expand the idea to include any company willing to participate.  Our only request was that anyone who participated include the hashtag #VetDayPledge to unify the message and make it easier for others to see and hopefully participate on their own. In addition to sharing the idea with other companies (clients and non-clients), we invited other PR firms to share the idea and created a website www.VetDayPledge.com with free resources and tips for companies to do it on their own.

I’m so proud that during this campaign’s first year going national and mainstream that we had participants from 10 states!  While some videos came from our clients, the majority of the participants were not!  In addition to several businesses, an elementary school participated, as did a senior living community!

A Wisconsin TV station even did a news story about one of the participants. You can watch the story by clicking here!

We’re excited to grow the #VetDayPledge further next year and believe that without the election (and COVID) related distractions, even more businesses and organizations will participate.  This idea has become a passion project.  We love that it’s a simple, no cost idea that anyone can do to thank our Veterans and their families.

Ultimately, the most important thing for companies to remember when doing a PR campaign around Veterans Day or Memorial Day is to do it for the right reason. We believe that the VetDayPledge and the Veteran AC Giveaway Contest fit that purpose.  Sure, it might generate some positive publicity for our clients, but most importantly, it generates recognition for those who’ve served and sacrificed- the individual veteran, and their families alongside them.

There are lots of great ideas that companies are doing to recognize Veterans. Share them below and help us inspire others!

Giving Back During a Pandemic

by Josh

A lot of people are feeling helpless right now. We have been cooped up for months trying to do whatever we can to feel productive and hold on to some semblance of normalcy. With quarantine and social distancing protocols in place, non-profit organizations are also having a hard time keeping up with the need for their services. Many fundraising and volunteer events have been cancelled due to the global pandemic, but you can still get involved with virtual volunteering efforts.

We at 10 to 1 Public Relations took time to show how much we support the work that Teachers across the Valley are doing by writing virtual notes to a teacher through the Valley of the Sun United Way’s website. These cards will be sent to teachers and resource staff in the communities that Valley of the Sun United Ways closely works with and will remind our teachers how valued and appreciated they are. It’s an easy and fun team building exercise, which will make a huge impact to those receiving them.

In addition, our client Plexus Worldwide, a leading direct-selling health and wellness company, has been utilizing their paid volunteer time off policy to gather teams of employees together for virtual volunteer projects. At the start of the pandemic, Plexus joined HandsOn Greater Phoenix, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that puts volunteers to work where they are needed most. To show appreciation to medical staff on the frontlines, Plexus employees expressed their gratitude by sending heartfelt letters, cards, and emails to HandsOn Greater Phoenix, which handed them out to medical personnel who are working tirelessly to fight COVID-19. HandsOn Greater Phoenix is still collecting letters, you can contact them directly to see how you can get involved from home – a great idea for a family activity!

In addition, Plexus team members also recorded themselves reading their favorite children’s books for the children at Ryan House. Ryan House’s mission is to embrace all children and their families as they navigate life-limiting or end-of-life journeys. During this challenging time, Ryan House is limited on the number of children and guests they are able to have at their home, but they still want to continue to provide activities that they would normally have for the children. Click on the link or contact them directly to see ways you, your family, or your friends can get involved.

So how else can you help? After months of staying indoors, most people have gone through a DIY or home improvement phase. You can put that decluttering to good use by donating any clothing items, athletic equipment, furniture, office supplies, games, bedding, and other items to charities throughout your community. Collection bins are usually located at schools or near grocery stores, so you can either look up a location online or put the items in your trunk and keep an eye out for a donation bin.

You can discover the wide range of volunteer opportunities at Family Promise, a local Valley organization determined to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response. Some of their events include organizing a supply drive in your neighborhood, recording yourself reading a story, or helping someone write a resume. Other local organizations that could use your help are Cancer Support Community Arizona, St. Vincent de Paul, and The Salvation Army – Metro Phoenix, to name a few.

Afterall, just because we’re stuck inside, doesn’t mean we can’t give back.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by Josh

Chances are you’ll be seeing a lot more pink this month, as October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, and this year alone, an estimated 325,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S.

1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime

Our client, Plexus Worldwide, has been supporting women’s health since its inception, with its flagship product the Plexus Breast Chek Kit, designed for women to easily perform monthly self-examinations to help detect changes in their breasts. The company is supporting and recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pop-up giveaways in the month of October and as part of the Plexus Worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness Month Campaign. The “Pink Wednesday Pop-Up Giveaways” are a social media campaign designed to engage their community and create awareness about self-check breast exams.

Starting Wednesday, October 7, their “Pink Wednesday Pop-Up Giveaways” will occur every Wednesday in October. Followers can participate in their first pop-up giveaway on their Plexus Worldwide Brand Page on Facebook and every other week on their Plexus Worldwide Instagram account. All winners will receive a Breast Chek Kit, in addition to other prizes such as Kate Spade brilliant statements tri-prong stud earrings, Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Film Camera, Nike Brasilia Just Do It Mini Backpack, and Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earphones.

In addition, Ambulnz, an industry leading on-demand ambulance services provider, is drawing attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month by providing pink ribbon magnets for some of their 350 vehicles in their fleet across the country. In addition, they’re providing pink ribbon lapel pins for their employees to wear and encouraging them to educate themselves and their loved ones on the importance of breast health.

Like these companies, and so many others, October is the perfect time to think about breast health, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation is dedicated to providing educational information from understanding the importance of early detection, to knowing how to prepare for a mammogram. The Foundation has online resources and guides aimed to empower women and men with useful information. In addition to information, there are several different ways you can help, including becoming a community ambassador, sharing your story, or supporting local groups helping to educate the public. Either way, take a moment to read up on breast cancer and encourage the people in your life to do so as well, because when breast cancer is detected early, it can be treated more successfully.

Surviving the Election News Cycle

by Josh

With fewer than 50 days to go until the 2020 General Election, PR pros and casual news consumers alike will have noticed the continued focus on the election during each news cycle. Election-related stories will continue to be a major part of our daily news diet, even amidst a continuing global pandemic, raging wildfires in the west, discussions about social justice, and other pressing issues.

Local and national media alike have been doing a great job to help voters get the information they need to participate in the electoral process. This is despite documented outside efforts to spread misinformation about the election.

At 10 to 1 Public Relations, we’ve been doing our part to build confidence in the electoral process by helping our client Runbeck Election Services, an elections services company focused on delivering election printing, equipment and software solutions, explain the technicalities of how the vote-by-mail process works. This year, Runbeck is planning to print 15 million vote-by-mail packets, four times more than they produced in 2016, as demand for vote-by-mail soars as a safe method of voting during the pandemic.

In the past few months, we’ve helped connect Runbeck to local and national media to explain how vote-by-mail is a safe and secure process which can be trusted by the voters to deliver legitimate results. Here are just a few recent stories featuring Runbeck:

As we have been working on these stories, we believe there is really one way to survive the oncoming onslaught of election news coverage as we get closer to November 3. Make sure you are paying attention to trusted and verified sources on the election.

Here in Arizona, according to the Arizona Secretary of State, you must register to vote or update your voter registration on or before Monday, October 5 to participate in the 2020 General Election. If you plan to vote by mail, you must request a ballot or join the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) on or before Friday, October 23. It is recommended that you mail back your ballot as soon as possible and not after Tuesday, October 27. If you still have your vote-by-mail ballot after October 27, you can drop it off at a voting location or drop box before 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3.

All Arizona voting information can be found at Arizona.Vote, or visit Vote.org for other state-specific voting information, deadlines, and instructions.

Because one thing is for sure: You can’t complain if you don’t vote.

By Erica Fetherston, Sr. Account Exec. at 10 to 1 Public Relations

Video Series: Public Relations Tips To Get Through COVID-19

by Josh

As the novel coronavirus has spread across the globe, business as we have known it has been upended. While we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19, there are things companies can be doing to position themselves to withstand the pandemic, help the community, and ultimately come out of this crisis stronger.

Public relations can play a role in delivering on these goals. 10 to 1 President Josh Weiss has created a video series of brief videos to give you ideas on how you can best position your company utilizing basic public relations and crisis communications tactics.

You can check out our video series below or on our YouTube page.

PR & COVID-19: Share Your Expertise

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4rCj5Sf89oY%3Ffeature%3Doembed

PR & COVID-19: Find Opportunity for Every Story

https://youtube.com/watch?v=atS6Rv0KRDs%3Ffeature%3Doembed

PR & COVID-19: Walk Through Your Warehouse

https://youtube.com/watch?v=emdFN9dWdA0%3Ffeature%3Doembed

PR & COVID-19: Pivoting The Right Way

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pnpAuAJ82Dg%3Ffeature%3Doembed

PR & COVID-19: Follow The Leader

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3eroAMKpMNM%3Ffeature%3Doembed

PR & COVID-19: Be Honest With Your Customers

https://youtube.com/watch?v=E0drKp1XgoM%3Ffeature%3Doembed

More videos will be added on a regular basis – stay tuned!

It’s OK to Be Strategic About Corporate Social Responsibility

by Josh

Guest blog written by Toby Cox

Strategy and authenticity are often viewed as opposing forces in the business world, and it’s not difficult to see why: Businesses, by definition, are for-profit organizations with a primary goal of generating revenue.

Because of this, companies and CEOs who give back to the local community are often unsure of how to tell others about their good deeds.

“One of the biggest challenges that I see from a public relations side is that a lot of companies are committed to corporate social responsibility and are doing it for the right reason, but they don’t promote it enough,” said Josh Weiss, CEO of 10 to 1 Public Relations, one of the leading PR firms.

Many companies fear seeming boastful and inauthentic if they talk too much about their socially-responsible policies or how they give back to the local community.

In the name of humility, however, they’re doing themselves and their community a disfavor.

It’s actually OK to be strategic about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and here are 3 reasons why:

CSR Can Elevate Your Brand

All companies will face criticism eventually and, unfortunately, it takes a lot of positive things to make up for one negative. However, companies can collect these positive stories and draw on them when they need to.

“We believe that it takes 10 good things to be said about a company to make up for 1 negative,” Weiss said. “You have to build up a goodwill bank of positive stories to protect and inoculate yourself.”

Promoting your dedication to CSR and giving back to the local community doesn’t have to be a huge campaign every time. It could be as simple as a photo with a caption shared on social media or as in-depth as a feature story.

“All of these little stories add up and can have a huge impact,” Weiss said. “It’s like drips out of a faucet. If you collect the water, you can use that water any way you need it going forward.”

Customers Want to Support Companies That Share Their Values

A recent study by Clutch shows that people are likely to support or boycott companies based on their brand values.

Seventy-five percent of people (75%) are likely to start shopping at a company that supports an issue they agree with.

Conversely, 59% of people are likely to stop shopping at a company that supports an issue they disagree with.

People tend to view their buying decisions as an extension of their beliefs.

When they see a company promoting their CSR endeavors, they won’t see it as overly self-promotional. Rather, they’ll notice the company helping the local community and associate its brand with social responsibility.

Strategic CSR Benefits the Local Community and Cause Your Company Supports

The cause your company donates resources to actually needs you to be strategic.

When you choose a cause that aligns with your brand and then promote your work in giving back to that cause, you are raising awareness for the cause itself and the organization(s) you’re working with.

“We often tell clients that it’s about their power as a company to promote those other organizations,” Weiss said. “If you’re collecting food for a food bank, don’t view it as promoting what your employees are doing for your company’s benefit. Think about how the company is helping promote that food bank.”

When companies approach CSR strategically, everyone wins – the company gets good coverage, consumers see the company positioned as a socially-conscious brand, and the cause/organizations its supporting gets extra coverage, boosting people’s awareness.

You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Authenticity for Strategy

Being strategic about CSR doesn’t mean having to sacrifice authenticity.

You can preserve authenticity by identifying your brand’s values and then choosing a cause that not only closely aligns with those values, but is also one you and your company can stand behind, unwavering.

“There’s nothing wrong with corporate social responsibility being a strategic decision, but it should also be one that you strongly believe in and are willing to stand up for,” Weiss said.

Strategic corporate social responsibility benefits not only you and your brand, but also your customers and the cause you’re supporting.

About the author: Toby Cox is a content writer and developer at Clutch, a B2B research and reviews firm, where she covers topics relating to public relations.