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.
City of Scottsdale Proclamation Makes October 1 (10/1/22) 10 to 1 Public Relations Day
Proclamation Honors 10 to 1 PR’s 10th Anniversary
Scottsdale, Arizona (September 29, 2022) – Scottsdale-based strategic communications firm 10 to 1 Public Relations was honored to learn that City of Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega signed a proclamation naming October 1, 2022 (10/1/22) as 10 to 1 Public Relations Day. The recognition comes as 10 to 1 Public Relations celebrates its 10th anniversary.
10 to 1 PR President and Founder Josh Weiss in the company’s Scottsdale office
“While 10 to 1 Public Relations represents companies across the U.S. and the world, we’ve always proudly called Scottsdale our home,” said Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations. “For Mayor Ortega and the City to recognize our 10th anniversary with this proclamation means a lot as it recognizes not only our growth but also our commitment to our community.”
Founded in Scottsdale in 2012, 10 to 1 Public Relations has grown from a solo practice to a team of a dozen full-time employees. The company recently moved into its fourth Scottsdale office, necessitated by the company’s continued growth, even through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
10 to 1 Public Relations has won various awards in recent years including several PR Agency of the Year awards from International, national and local organizations. It is the 2021 winner of the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics, and the 2019 honoree for the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce’s Sterling Award. Clients include Intel, Rosendin, Plexus Worldwide, FirstBank, Runbeck Election Services, SFE, Risas Dental and Braces, Worzalla, Air Pros USA, and others.
Text of Proclamation:
Whereas 10 to 1 Public Relations was proudly founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2012 and is now celebrating its 10th anniversary; and
Whereas 10 to 1 Public Relations’ founder and several of its staff have been active participants in Scottsdale commissions, board and organizations including the Scottsdale Transportation Commission, Scottsdale Leadership, the Greater Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society benefiting Scottsdale’s award-winning McCormick Stillman Railroad Park, Partners for Paiute Neighborhood Center and more; and
Whereas 10 to 1 Public Relations has successfully encouraged several of its locally based clients to become active participants in Scottsdale organizations and charitable causes; and
Whereas 10 to 1 Public Relations has earned numerous international, national, statewide and local awards including as PR Agency of the Year, the Scottsdale Chamber Sterling Award in 2019 and the Better Business Bureau’s 2021 Torch Award for Ethics; and
Whereas the City of Scottsdale recognizes the contributions and civic pride that 10 to 1 Public Relations has in this community,
Now, Therefore, I, David Ortega, Mayor of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, do hereby proclaim October 1, 2022, as 10 to 1 Public Relations Day
About 10 to 1 Public Relations
For nearly a decade 10 to 1 Public Relations (10 to 1 PR) has been offering public relations services that are targeted, compelling, and achieve our clients’ goals. 10 to 1 PR’s creative plans and messages are distinctive and memorable with original, highly relevant approaches to storytelling that break through the noise and grab the attention of media outlets and target audiences. 10 to 1 PR offers a variety of services including media relations, product launches, crisis communication management, awards submissions, trade show media, and more. Learn more about 10 to 1 PR’s extensive services and success stories at 10to1pr.com.
Written by Tristan Chavez, PR Coordinator, 10 to 1 Public Relations
Public relations is storytelling. Sure, there are technical definitions that capture everything that public relations (PR) is – but at its core, PR is just telling stories about companies and their people. Storytelling is an art. Good storytellers can elicit the imagination of their listeners, inspire others to make a positive change, and can shape the way people interpret the world. There is a powerful influence that good storytellers hold, and no one was more influential in his craft than Vin Scully.
Vin’s Legacy in Baseball
Vin Scully was a long-time sports broadcaster, most known for his 67 years of calling Los Angeles Dodgers baseball games dating back to 1950. Vin had a way of calling games that brought baseball to a different level. Watching the Dodgers wasn’t as simple as just watching a baseball game. When Vin was in the booth, he was in the game and in the moment. It was a shared experience between him and the fans. Not many people get to experience what it’s like to play in Major League Baseball, but Vin had a special talent that brought fans into the game.
Over his long, hall-of-fame career, Vin had a plethora of legendary calls. On plays that would already be engraved into baseball history, Vin could take that moment and make it iconic. His use of metaphors and puns, the way his words would flow, and his ability to tell a story entangled within the game combined with a strategic use of silence that would allow fans to feel the excitement of the crowd made some of the best moments in baseball history.
I grew up in southern California, in a classic Dodgers, Lakers, and Raiders fan house. Hearing Vin Scully call baseball games was almost part of our daily routine. Without even realizing it, Vin would play a part in what I would aspire to be and make an impact on how I write stories in my career.
I knew early on that I wanted to be a professional communicator. Although, I spent a long time trying to figure out how exactly I would fit into the communications world. Of course, I would eventually find myself in organizational communications and public relations, I did consider broadcasting and journalism in hopes to tell stories the way Vin did. After listening to him call games day after day, I was able to pick up on some things that I hope to use in my professional career.
What Communicators Can Learn from Vin
There is a lesson that public relations professionals (PR Pros), and anyone who writes for that matter, can learn from Vin Scully. In the same way that he spoke in the booth, writers can share experiences, not just stories, with their readers. PR Pros can show empathy in their writing, connecting with their audience rather than just giving them information.
Of course, everyone remembers the iconic calls Scully had in his long career, but it was his ability to take an otherwise boring game on a random day and turn it into something worth watching that made him special. Likewise, PR Pros can take an everyday story and turn it into something exceptional. Consider different angles in your stories and how they might fit in with relevant topics. Be creative and think about how a regular news release might have a fun twist to it.
There will never be another Vin Scully. His impact on baseball and its community will live on forever. His storytelling was unmatched and his way of bringing fans into the game was indescribable.
There may never be another Vin Scully, but the next great storyteller might just come from the lessons he left us.
Honorable Mentions
There are too many iconic Vin Scully calls to include them all in an article. There are plenty of articles that cover Scully’s calls of some of baseball’s greatest plays, although none of them cover some of his best stories told throughout games. Here are some of my favorites.
by Mayra Vasquez Chavez, PR Executive at 10 to 1 PR
Let’s play a quick game of two truths and a lie:
I was the first person in my family to go to college
I have been in the same room as First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden
I helped secure over 50 local broadcast and print features for one announcement in under 48 hours
Could you guess the lie? I’m sure you’ll get it by the end of your reading.
Since joining 10 to 1 PR just over one year ago, I’ve gotten to support or lead campaigns that make a positive impact on our clients across the country. Seeing the results has always been my favorite part of the job. I knew it was going to be no different when Intel and Maricopa County Community Colleges District partnered together to build a skilled, diverse workforce through their new semiconductor manufacturing Quick Start program at Mesa Community College. Through the accelerated program, students are prepared with important career-ready skills in two weeks.
I felt especially connected to this project because I’ve experienced the benefits of community college firsthand. When I was in first grade, I got to see my older sister walk across the stage and get her diploma. She was the first person in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree because community college made it possible for her to get there. I even sacrificed my summers during high school to take classes at Chandler Gilbert Community College and earn credit through a scholarship program so it would also be possible for me to earn my bachelor’s degree. Community colleges deserve more credit (no pun intended) for their affordability and accessibility.
During our previous meetings it was decided that the press release announcing the program would be ready for distribution in late March. But suddenly late Friday afternoon, we learned the process had to be rushed through because an extremely special guest came into the mix. Here’s a hint: She’s the most famous community college professor and married to the President of the United States of America.
Although I always feel confident in my talent and writing skills, I would be lying if I said I was not absolutely terrified of sharing my draft with Intel and MCCCD which would also be reviewed by the press team at the White House.
Before the White House sent their formal invitation to media later in the night, I was tasked with calling every station in Arizona and highly recommending that they should set aside a crew for Monday afternoon for an event they would not want to miss… without revealing exactly what or who that was. Saturday was filled with editing the release and getting closer to a final version to be distributed on Monday after the event. I also got to attend a meeting working through the logistics on Sunday. Because of the late weekend notice, I called stations again Sunday morning to ensure they did not miss this incredible opportunity. I also worked closely with other PR teams to assist with media who wanted to RSVP after the deadline or did not receive the information they need to get to attend.
When the day of the event finally arrived, I was tasked with helping check in media and continue editing the draft. Finally, after numerous versions we had our finished product hours before the distribution was set to happen. Lastly, I got to witness Jill Biden’s empowering speech and hear Intel’s Quick Start program be announced to the world live before finally distributing the release and images moments after.
If you told me a year ago that I would write a press release for one of the biggest companies in the world, I would not believe you. If you told me a year ago that I would be in the same room as the First Lady of the United States promoting her involvement at a media event I helped coordinate, I would also not believe you. But after March 7th, I can now say that both statements are indeed true and the experience was incredible.
A Passion for Storytelling: Michelle Bolden of 10 to 1 PR
In this series, we flip the script and put 10 to 1 PR team members in the interview seat. Get to know Michelle Bolden, PR Coordinator at 10 to 1 PR:
Tell us a little about yourself.
I recently graduated from Arizona State University with my BA in Communication. Creative expression is my safe space so naturally I’ve always loved writing and storytelling. Some of my passions are music, health and wellness, and trying new things.
What song would you sing during karaoke?
Emotions by Mariah Carey
What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
I’m a self care enthusiast so I would say doing activities that make me feel happy and recharged like practicing yoga, spending time in nature, reading, and listening to music.
