Tara Dowdell
Founder, president
Tara Dowdell Group
Q: In an age when anyone, anywhere, at any time can disseminate information, how can a modern-day public affairs or public relations firm break through the noise and deliver the message of its clients to the masses?
Tara Dowdell (Tara Dowdell Group): A good PR firm takes the time to identify the right message for the right audience and the right media outlets to reach them. An effective PR strategy is not one-size-fits-all. It’s about understanding the audience you want to reach. Sometimes, a social media campaign may be more impactful than a television interview and vice versa.
Q: What are you doing now that you may not have been doing one, three, five years ago?
Tara Dowdell (Tara Dowdell Group): Since 2020, we’ve hosted dozens of virtual press events and webinars, which continues to be a dominant trend, particularly for smaller and midsize organizations. Virtual media events offer the advantage of cutting down on time and cost and are more accessible to members of the media, who are busier than ever. It’s become one of our most requested services.
Q: What is your best sales pitch to a potential client who currently is not using a PR/PA firm?
Tara Dowdell (Tara Dowdell Group): We’re experiencing a radical transformation in the way we consume content, and that requires a considerable amount of time, attention and expertise. Many who need PR services don’t have the time to keep up with this constant change. Our job is to track media trends and leverage them to share your story in the most effective way.
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