10to1PR Wins Two National Awards including “PR Agency of the Year” and “Most AI Ready Agency”
Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations (10to1PR), a public relations firm offering strategic communications services that are targeted, compelling, and achieve clients’ goals, earned two 2024 national industry awards from the Bulldog PR Awards. The two awards include a Gold Award for the Most AI Ready Agency and a Bronze Award for the Midsize PR Agency of the Year category. Bulldog PR Awards is the only public relations awards program judged exclusively by journalists to celebrate the best and brightest in the industry.
The AI award was given based on 10to1PR being at the forefront of Deepfake Crisis Management and spreading awareness about digital deception and the threat of AI-generated deepfakes to businesses across all industries. The company offers a free digital deception guide on the 10to1PR website and provides business owners with strategies to protect their company from AI threats and inform those who do not have access to PR or reputation management resources.
“AI can be a useful tool to assist companies everywhere, but in the wrong hands, AI can be just as harmful to businesses as it is helpful,” said Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations. “We’re grateful to be recognized for our efforts to help companies prepare for and protect themselves from Deepfakes, and for the Bulldog PR Awards to once again name us Midsized PR Agency of the Year.”
In the last few years, 10to1PR has been named PR Agency of the Year in several international, national, and local competitions, and has earned dozens of awards in various categories celebrating the work of this talented team on behalf of its clients. Earlier this year, Newsweek named 10to1PR to its list of America’s Best PR Firms in five categories.
The Bulldog PR Awards is connected to Bulldog Reporter which has been providing news, best practices, and insights to PR and communications professionals since 1980. Filled with insights on topics critical to PR pros and communicators, including media relations, crisis communications, influencer marketing, and more, the Bulldog Reporter email newsletter offers compelling and relevant articles, plus timely updates about journalist moves and agency news.
10 to 1 PR has a new team member: Drip the Beta Fish. Drip has become the beloved office pet, greeting our in-office team members every morning, blowing bubbles in support of our work, and offering general encouragement.
Drip’s Origin Story
Earlier this year, some 10 to 1 PR team members met to brainstorm ideas for April Fool’s Day. The group landed on the idea of surprising 10 to 1 PR President Josh with an easy-to-care-for office pet. Our resident fish enthusiast, Madeleine, secured the fish and the team surprised Josh for what was dubbed ‘April Fish Day.’
Get to Know Drip
Curious about our fishy friend? Here’s a bit more about Drip:
Where does the name Drip come from?
Drip was named for the 10 to 1 PR philosophy that our regular PR wins for our clients are like drips out of a faucet that contribute to a client’s positive brand reputation–slowly but surely, each drip accumulates to an overflowing bowl of water.
Where is Drip’s office?
Drip has his very own desk and works amongst one of our office’s trophy display cases, where he has a great view of the entire office. He is very curious about all of the colors and reflections he sees.
What kind of computer does Drip use?
While the rest of the 10 to 1 PR team uses PCs, Drip has his very own Mac computer.
What kind of work does Drip specialize in?
Drip is a very productive member of the team, blowing an inordinate amount of bubbles every day. The bubbles collect at the top of his bowl, indicating he is pleased with his work.
Drip’s Next Adventure
What’s next for Drip? We’ll share a progress report on Drip and his contributions to the 10 to 1 PR team at a later date. Stay tuned!
10 to 1 PR Sweeps Public Relations Category at American Marketing Association Awards
10 to 1 Public Relations won all three awards in the public relations category at this year’s American Marketing Association Phoenix Chapter (AMA Phoenix) Spectrum Awards. The Spectrum Awards are the premier marketing awards program in the state and a testament to the incredible talent and groundbreaking campaigns that hail from across Arizona.
10 to 1 PR won all the public relations awards, which recognized developing successful local public relations campaigns, national public relations campaigns, and effective press kits.
Sweeping the public relations category underscores the effectiveness of our mission to dominate local market and national industry media. Thank you to the American Marketing Association for recognizing our teams efforts to create and execute strategic public relations campaigns that deliver meaningful results for our clients.
Josh Weiss, President and Founder, 10 to 1 Public Relations
Here’s a summary of the winning public relations campaigns:
National Public Relations
Category Description: This category honors public relations campaigns that target a national audience and focus on building relationships with national media and influencers.
The Campaign: To meet credit unions’ ever-evolving needs, AVANA Companies launched AVANA CUSO (a Credit Union Service Organization), formerly Extensia Financial, in 2023. 10 to 1 PR was integrated to amplify the rebrand and increase awareness and education on the benefits of the CUSO. This became an opportunity for 10 to 1 PR to establish AVANA CUSO as a leader amongst other CUSOs, educate credit unions looking to partner with a CUSO and attract new partner credit unions.
Results: The goals of placing a story in a national finance outlet, a national credit union outlet, and a local Phoenix outlet were all met. In credit union industry outlets, the AVANA CUSO announcement press release was repurposed and shared in CUInsight and Credit Union Times. The press release announcing the hire of COO Chad Witcher was also repurposed into stories in CUbroadcast and CUInsight. The most successful thing our team achieved was leveraging the partnership between Sunlight FCU and AVANA CUSO. In the credit union industry, our team secured an opportunity to record a podcast episode with a representative from Sunlight FCU and AVANA CUSO on one of the leading credit union industry podcasts, CUbroadcast. The partnership details were discussed in the podcast episode and how AVANA CUSO works to diversify Sunlight FCU’s portfolio outside its local market by still serving low-income populations in particular. Alongside the podcast episode, we secured a story written by a credit union reporter at a national finance publication, American Banker.
Press Kit/Sales Kit
Category Description: This category honors a comprehensive set of materials that support and promote a brand or product to the media. Examples include a press kit for a new product launch or a sales kit for a tourism destination.
The Campaign: A global semiconductor equipment supplier, ASM, was planning a new North American headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, due to the growth the industry has experienced. ASM contracted with 10 to 1 Public Relations to develop a public relations campaign to share this news of their expansion plans with local, national, and industry media. A large part of this work was creating a press kit for the launch event.
The press kit included the following materials:
Fact Sheet – 10 to 1 PR started with the creation of an extensive fact sheet. This allowed 10 to 1 PR to gather all of the most relevant information, key talking points, background and history, and more. 10 to 1 PR was able to confirm accuracy with the client and prioritize they key points.
Press Release – 10 to 1 PR then utilized the fact sheet to draft a press release draft that would be shared with media that attended the event as well as those who were out of state or could not attend. This would be a more formal representation of the desired messaging and also include quotes from ASM executives and key community partners.
Visuals – 10 to 1 PR was able to secure renderings/images of the new ASM headquarters. This was important to help journalists understand and communicate what the new headquarters would look like for their specific audiences.
Results: 10 to 1 Public Relations was successful in executing the event press kit and exceeding expectations with their public relations campaign to drive stories about ASM’s expansion with local, national, and industry media. 10 to 1 PR generated over 100 media features in national outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo!, Reuters, Bloomberg; industry outlets such as Semiconductor Engineering, Semiconductor Digest, Computer World; and local outlets such as all the major local TV stations, local NPR, the Arizona Republic (Arizona’s newspaper of record); and others. These stories were all considered very positive and incorporated ASM’s story into the larger story of economic and technological growth in Arizona and the U.S.
Local Public Relations
Category Description: This category honors public relations campaigns that target a local audience and focus on building relationships with local media and influencers.
The Campaign: In July 2023, Unical Aviation relocated its global corporate headquarters from Los Angeles, California, to Glendale, Arizona. 10 to 1 PR was integrated to amplify the benefits of moving to Arizona and establish Unical Aviation as a leader in the aerospace market.
The objectives of this project included amplifying positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and establishing Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market. The goals indicated at the beginning of this project included targeting the local Arizona publications to aid in Unical Aviation’s new hiring initiatives and the aviation industry publications to elevate Unical Aviation as a leader in the industry.
Results: For the internal communications strategies, goals and objectives were met, as our customer, vendor, and internal communication documents were shared with the appropriate audiences, assisting in Unical Aviation’s goals of amplifying positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and establishing Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market.
Goals and objectives were also met for the external communication strategies, as our team was able to secure media placements in local media for the formal announcement of the move to Arizona, including the Phoenix Business Journal, ABC15, Daily Independent, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Glendale Arizona, AZ Big Media, West Valley View, Glendale Star, and Glendale Independent. We also secured placements in the Los Angeles market, LA Business First, and an industry publication, Connect CRE.
10 to 1 Public Relations Clinches Two Hermes Creative Awards
10 to 1 Public Relations was recognized with two Hermes Creative awards. Both recognize 10 to 1 Public Relations’ expertise in public relations campaigns. These awards acknowledge 10 to 1 PR’s success in executing multi-level campaigns that deliver results to support client goals.
Hermes Creative Awards is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) and is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of traditional and emerging media. Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals.
“At 10 to 1 PR we believe that a successful communications campaign should share our client’s story in a targeted compelling way that supports the client’s goals. We share our client’s stories the way they should be told and the recognition we’ve received is a testament to the hard work and dedication it took to develop and execute these campaigns.”
Josh Weiss President and Founder of 10 to 1 PR
Here’s a summary of the winning campaigns that were recognized:
The Situation: Unical Aviation, Inc. is a leading provider of aircraft parts and components to the global commercial aerospace market. In July 2023, Unical Aviation relocated its global corporate headquarters and parts warehouse at the recently built Falcon Park 303 in Glendale, Arizona. Alongside the move to Arizona, Unical Aviation set a goal to hire for dozens of new positions in Arizona across many departments, including warehouse, finance, aircraft repair, human resources, IT, and more.
Our Results: 10 to 1 PR amplified positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and established Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market. 10 to 1 PR secured media placements in local media for the formal announcement of the move to Arizona, including the Phoenix Business Journal, ABC15, Daily Independent, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Glendale Arizona, AZ Big Media, West Valley View, Glendale Star, and Glendale Independent. We also secured placements in the Los Angeles market (the previous location of the headquarters), LA Business First, and an industry publication, Connect CRE. Industry publications were included as well; Aviation Week, MRO Management, and the local publication Arizona Digital Free Press. These placements included key messaging objectives, positioning Unical Aviation as a leader in the aviation industry, and elevating a new hire announcement to recruit and retain employees.
The Situation: The campaign we spearheaded focused on changing perceptions among young people and their parents through career exploration with a new initiative from The Rosendin Foundation (TRF), Rosendin’s 501c3. The Rosedin Foundation hosted a free summer camp called TRF Camp Build for middle school boys and girls at their training centers and prefabrication warehouses in five cities. For one week, dozens of students in each city learned hands-on skills from construction experts using professional-grade power tools, materials and computer systems.
Our Results: In every market, 10 to 1 PR got reporters to come to TRF Camp Build to share stories in local, industry and business media that showcased the incredible skills of these children. TRF Camp Build was a huge success for the campers and the industry. Our efforts secured 96 unique TV, newspaper, digital, and magazine stories that ran in all five markets (Phoenix, Austin, Anaheim, Nashville and Sherman, TX). We also landed national stories with the construction industry and business magazines. In total 10 to 1 PR secured over 350 earned media stories with consumer, business and industry media outlets across a wide spectrum of mediums including television, newspaper, radio, and digital. This does not include press releases posted on a news wire, sponsored posts, or marketing of any kind. Our earned media results came from 10 to 1 PR’s stellar pitches, media relationships, award nominations, and well-crafted thought leadership articles. In addition, we used TRF Camp Build to win regional awards for community service, a leadership award for the camp director, and industry giant ENR Magazine gave Rosendin’s CEO the Southwest Legacy award.
Celebrating Women’s History Month by Honoring the Women Who Made Us (AKA Our Moms)
To celebrate Women’s History Month our team members each took a few minutes to write a summary describing women who inspire them in their daily lives and why. The survey results showed that every team member found inspiration from their mom. Moms influence people’s daily lives, and it’s the women of our family histories who ultimately helped shape our futures.
Drawing inspiration from mothers has a direct correlation to Women’s History Month, as it is an acknowledgment of the influence that women have on each other and how that influence is carried through generations. Below are some of our team member’s brief explanations as to why their mom inspires them and why they look to their mothers as role models.
Madeleine Williamson
My mom is my biggest role model. One of the greatest lessons she taught me is how to set goals and how to work to accomplish them. Watching her determination to try new things and challenge herself with new adventures has always inspired and motivated me to pursue my own goals. Currently, she is helping me train for my first marathon and is so supportive that she decided that she will train too and run it with me.
Lauren Dietrick
Two women in my life who inspire me are my mom and my sister. Their compassion, strength, and positivity inspire me to show up as the best version of myself. They are the first people I call when I need anything, from advice on adulting to unpacking the latest episodes of the shows we are watching.
Jamie Killin
My mom is my greatest role model – she is a semi-retired aeronautical engineer who grew in her career during the 1980s and 1990s when there were few female engineers, and continued to excel in her career even while balancing the demands of being a wife and mother. Not only is she skilled in her trade, she was a great manager and is the first person I go to when I need advice on how to be a better leader. Most importantly, she is a loving wife, a generous friend, a caretaker for her aunt, and a great Mom who’s never too busy to help me prune my roses, figure out my taxes or talk wedding planning. I just wish I would have inherited her math skills!
Rachael Clifford
A role model in my life is my mom. She is a hard worker who cares deeply for her family. She inspires me to practice empathy toward others and has helped me better understand the importance of fostering a positive environment and supporting those around me.
At 10 to 1 Public Relations, we close our office between Christmas and New Year’s Day to give our team a well-deserved break after working diligently for our clients all year long. (Of course, we were on call to assist clients in need during that week in case of an emergency, of which there were a couple that we swiftly handled.)
We asked the team to report on what they were up to over the break, here is a snapshot of what a few of them shared:
Madeleine
Over winter break I flew to Santa Clara, California to celebrate my mom’s 50th birthday. While I was there I visited Wilder Ranch State Park, a relaxing area known for its beautiful hiking trails and and seal watching spots.
Madeleine Williamson, Sr. PR Coordinator
Rachael
I went on a hike and saw a coyote.
Rachael Clifford, Sr. PR Executive
Jamie
Over break I did a lot of home projects including having turf installed in the yard. My dog Piper was so excited!
Jamie Killin, Account Supervisor
Josh
I spent the holidays working hard for all our clients to resolve crises and coordinate interviews.
Josh Weiss, President
Erica
I went to visit the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, France, with my in-laws.
Erica Fetherston, Vice President
Joanne
I had an amazing time with my family celebrating Christmas and my daughter’s birthday on Christmas Eve.
Joanne Sgro-Killworth, Account Supervisor
Laura
Introduced my niece to conveyor belt sushi- she introduced me to mochi ice cream.
Laura Slawny, Vice President
Lauren
Went to watch some St. Louis hockey with my family and saw the Blues win an exciting game against the Dallas Stars!
Lauren Dietrick, Sr. PR Coordinator
Carolina
Had fun helping my nieces and nephews with their gingerbread houses, it was very competitive.
10 to 1 Public Relations Wins Its Third “PR Agency of the Year” Award in 2023
Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations (10to1PR), a strategic communications firm servicing clients in various industries across the country, has won its third PR Agency of the Year award of 2023. The most recent was awarded at PRSA Phoenix’s annual Copper Anvil Awards held on October 12, 2023, where the company earned six additional awards for successful public relations campaigns and tactics on behalf of its clients including media relations, corporate social responsibility, community relations, internal communications, public affairs, and special events.
Earlier this year, 10to1PR was named PR Agency of the Year by the International Titan Awards, and Mid-Sized PR Agency of the Year by the Bulldog PR Awards which recognizes the top PR agencies across North America.
“It’s a tribute to our talented staff that their efforts have earned three unique PR Agency of the Year awards within the same year including an international organization, a major national industry award, and now this Phoenix area local award. This further motivates us to continue expanding our reach to serve more clients on a national scale, demonstrating our commitment to delivering strategic communications that exceed our client’s expectations.”
Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations
10to1PR was selected as the Agency of the Year due to its overwhelming list of accomplishments on behalf of its clients and its impressive growth in the last few years.
Erica Fetherston Promoted to Vice President at 10 to 1 Public Relations
Erica Fetherston
Scottsdale-based strategic communications firm 10 to 1 Public Relations announced the promotion of Erica Fetherston to Vice President.
Fetherston first joined 10 to 1 Public Relations in 2018 as a PR Executive and has been repeatedly promoted due to her talent in creating and executing strategic communications plans and PR campaigns that deliver results for clients in various industries. She also plays a key role in developing and implementing policies and procedures to optimize efficiencies for the growing firm and inspiring and mentoring her co-workers. Most recently, she held the title of Director.
“Erica’s talent is on display every day generating results for our clients and serving as a mentor and role model for other members of our team,” said Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations. “Erica has played a direct role in our firm’s growth and success in recent several years and we’re excited for her leadership within our company to continue in the years to come.”
“It has been a rewarding experience to be a part of 10 to 1 Public Relations’ continued success, both for our clients and internally for our highly talented team. I appreciate that I have been offered so many opportunities to challenge myself professionally, and I look forward to this leadership role at one of the preeminent PR agencies in the Valley.”
Erica Fetherston, Vice President, 10 to 1 Public relations
Fetherston also currently serves as Immediate Past President of the local Public Relations Society of America chapter, and is one of a dozen international members of the current IPREX Emerging Leaders Academy. 10 to 1 Public Relations has experienced exceptional growth in the last five years, nearly tripling its client list and quadrupling its staff. The firm has seen demand from businesses and organizations in various industries due to its consistent success in generating thousands of media features and bolstering the reputations of its clients year after year. 10 to 1 Public Relations works with clients in various industries, including finance, health and wellness, professional services, real estate, manufacturing, construction, technology, transportation, government service, nonprofit, and others.
Companies will face a new type of crisis because of AI. They aren’t prepared.
Companies aren’t prepared for the risk they may face from AI-generated Deepfakes. These scenarios aren’t farfetched, and they’re quite easy to produce and create chaos.
A fake AI-generated video showing your company leader stating that your big new product is going to be delayed by months, leading your stock price to drop so that short-sellers can make a killing before you even start to mount a defense.
A fake AI-generated image of key staff committing a crime appears just as the selection committee is choosing the winner of an important bid, creating enough doubt that they select your competitor instead.
A fake AI-generated audio recording where your company President appears to be on the phone making racist and inappropriate comments, creating a staff and customer uproar.
In an AI crisis, quick response and defense remain crucial, but now, providing verifiable proof is equally essential. Mere denial won’t suffice, as the content appears incredibly realistic. Demonstrating evidence is a vital component of your defense strategy. However, trying to explain the falsehood on your own can be time-consuming and ineffective during a crisis. Instead, opting for an independent, third-party forensic review or a formal report from a reputable Deepfake Detection software company can bolster your defense significantly. An AI expert’s independent explanation carries undeniable weight and credibility.
The challenge lies in the limited availability of companies working on Deepfake Detection software. Additionally, many of these companies restrict their products to government or university research, while others focus on enterprise clients, like insurance companies, for fraud identification.
Our team invested significant effort in researching and securing agreements with highly reputable Deepfake Detection software companies capable of conducting immediate reviews. We also managed to find AI Deepfake industry experts willing to provide their personal insights to the media and the public, exposing the deception.
Take action now and arrange your team and Deepfake Detection software or forensic experts. Waiting until you’re in the midst of a crisis leaves no time.
10 to 1 Public Relations Named PR Agency of the Year in International Competition
Also Wins Top Award in Crisis Management Category
Scottsdale-based strategic communications firm 10 to 1 Public Relations was recognized by the 2023 Bulldog PR Awards, the only international PR awards program judged exclusively by journalists, as the Midsize Agency of the Year. 10 to 1 PR was also awarded the top recognition in the Best Crisis Management category.
“We saw so many excellent examples of PR pros elevating their clients’ messages and using their platforms for good. I think more than anything, they showed the true value of a PR practitioner,” said Christopher Elliott, author, consumer advocate, nationally syndicated columnist, and veteran Bulldog PR Awards judge, in the 2023 Bulldog PR Awards press release.
“These awards are special to our firm because they are judged by the people that we work with every day: journalists from across the country. As a traditional public relations firm focused on protecting and elevating the reputations of our clients, we thank the Bulldog PR Awards for honoring our team’s work over the last year.”
Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations.
Bulldog Reporter has been providing news, best practices, and insights to PR and communications professionals since 1980. Filled with insights on topics critical to PR pros and communicators, including media relations, crisis communications, influencer marketing, and more, the Bulldog Reporter email newsletter offers compelling and relevant articles, plus timely updates about journalist moves and agency news.
