Cathy Ackermann, Ackermann PR’s founder and CEO, talked to WATE television in Knoxville to discuss promising signs on the local economic horizon. Watch the entire interview by clicking on the image below.
Cathy Ackermann appears on WATE (ABC) television August 18, 2010
Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com
Knoxville, Tenn. – Ackermann PR, Knoxville’s only Top 100-ranked public relations and marketing agency, today announced that for the first six months ending June 30, 2010, the firm generated 20 new account relationships and a 45 percent increase in revenues, 2010 versus 2009. The agency’s digital business strategies division contributed significantly to both increases.
“While we are extremely pleased and grateful for the increased business activity, these increases are most significant because they reflect what we see as the beginning of restored confidence and a return to economic health in the marketplace,” said Cathy Ackermann, Ackermann PR Founder and CEO.
“This resurgence doesn’t seem to be focused on any one sector, but rather across several industries. We are even seeing some resumption of activity in extremely depressed sectors such as real estate development. Two additional phenomena of the economic downturn is the number of new entrepreneurial start-ups we have seen and the requests we have received from non-profit organizations who are looking for strategic support to shore-up much needed fund raising efforts.”
Among the new clients are Pilot Corporation, Anderson Media Corporation, CityView at Riverwalk, HGTV, Tennessee Cancer Specialists, Wellness Centers of America and the Hearing and Speech Foundation. The large number of new accounts contributed 24 percent of the agency’s year-to-date revenue growth.
Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated firm providing strategic public relations, comprehensive marketing capabilities and digital consulting services. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves clients across the United States. It is the only East Tennessee PR firm listed on PR Week magazine’s list of the nation’s Top 100 firms.
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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com
Christine Eads
Christine Eads recently asked Ackermann PR’s Rick Laney to do a travel segment about East Tennessee for Sirius-XM Radio’s national talk show BroadMinded. Christine and her son came down from Washington, D.C. to East Tennessee for a few days and Rick had the opportunity to show them some of the best new resorts and attractions the area has to offer.
The interview includes Wilderness at the Smokies resort, the new Titanic Museum Attraction and WonderWorks. All three are clients of Ackermann PR.
The interview (which can be listened to below) has been divided into two segments. The first segment covers primarily Wilderness at the Smokies resort and the second segment covers mostly the Titanic Museum Attraction. Take a few minutes to listen in, even if you live here. You might be surprised at how people from other parts of the country respond to East Tennessee. You might want to take in some of the new local attractions yourself — they’re just down the road.
A special thanks to Christine Eads and the crew from Broadminded. We look forward to seeing them back in East Tennessee again real soon.
Wilderness at the Smokies segment
Titanic Museum Attraction segment
Interview is © Sirius-XM Radio’s BroadMinded.
Knoxville, Tenn. – Ackermann PR announced that Sarah Malak has been hired as an Account Executive. Malak brings several years of public relations experience, primarily in the hospitality industry, to the agency.
“We are excited to announce Sarah’s employment. Her experience in the public relations and special events industry is a perfect fit for our company,” said President and CEO Cathy Ackermann.
As Account Executive, Malak’s responsibilities include providing media relations, community relations, writing, coordinating graphic design services, special events coordination, advertising and other services on behalf of clients.
“Ackermann PR’s reputation in the public relations industry is a large part of why I came to work for the agency. Their level of professionalism and track record of clients is excellent,” said Malak.
Most recently, Malak served as the Senior Manager of Public Relations at the Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.
Ackermann PR is a full-service marketing and communications firm and is ranked as one of the top PR firms in the country by industry associations and publications. Clients include Ruby Tuesday, Clayton Homes, ALCOA, USEC, Honeywell, Radio Systems, East Tennessee Medical Group, TechLaw Group, B&W Y-12 and others.
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Media Contact:
Ryan Willis
(865) 584-0550
rwillis@ackermannpr.com
Knoxville, TN (December 30, 2009) – Ackermann PR, one of the nation’s premier boutique marketing and public relations firms, has bucked industry trends with what company CEO and President Cathy Ackermann describes as a “banner quarter.”
New client acquisitions for Ackermann include Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), AC Entertainment, HGTV, Cellular Sales, EDP Biotech Corporation, Titanic Pigeon Forge, Baseball LLC, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Moving Picture Books (Rivr Media), Pimento’s Café & Market, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Welty Building Company, and several other non-profit foundations and professional services providers.
In addition to these new partnerships, Ackermann has recently expanded its existing relationships with clients such as Ruby Tuesday, Berkshire Hathaway-owned Clayton Homes, CMSS, Wilderness at the Smokies and Radio Systems to include enhanced media relations and strategic digital consulting.
“While we’ve certainly been impacted by the challenging economy, we’re pleased to be finishing up 2009 with what has been a truly exceptional quarter for us,” said Cathy Ackermann. “We’ve added clients in every area of our operations, and we are especially happy with the growth of our digital and social media division, which has really taken off for us this year. We’ve made several great new hires in recent months, and we are enthusiastic about the potential for an even stronger 2010.”
Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated firm providing strategic public relations, comprehensive marketing capabilities and digital consulting services. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves clients across the United States.
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Media Contact Cathy Ackermann or Katie Granju
Pictured (L to R): Cindy Hill, Kelly Davis, Myra Hair, Janine McWilliams, Barbara Nicholson and Kate Mast pose with the first place Race for the Cure award presented to Alcoa.
ALCOA, Tenn. – As part of Alcoa Inc.’s annual Worldwide Month of Service program, 177 local Alcoa Inc. employees and family members participated in the 2009 Race for the Cure, taking first place in the Extra Large Team Division, raising more than $17,000.
The Oct. 24 Race for the Cure event was just one of local Alcoa employees’ 2009 Month of Service activities held this fall. Efforts to generate proceeds included the Race for the Cure BBQ and Fundraiser, t-shirt sales and the “Cook for the Cure” live auction. The BBQ, sponsored by the Tennessee Alcoa Women’s Network, raised more than $7,000, and the live auction hosted in Alcoa’s Knoxville office raised nearly $2,000.
“We’re proud and honored to be presented with this recognition,” said Kevin Anton, vice president, Alcoa Inc. “A lot of employees and their families put their hearts and souls in raising funds this year. Breast cancer is a disease that touches all of us in one way or another, and being able to give back and support such a worthy cause in this community where we live and work is a key value for us.”
Alcoa President and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld recently congratulated the record 23,000 Alcoa employees who took part in the company’s 2009 Worldwide Month of Service – volunteering in 800 community events to support those in need and invest in the sustainability of our planet.
Numerous services projects by the 360 (up 59 percent from 2008) local Alcoa employees helped benefit more than one dozen nonprofit organizations. Alcoa employees volunteered for 15 local events and activities from painting and cleaning on Alcoa Day at the Knoxville Zoo to recording business textbooks for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, a nonprofit effort to help students who cannot read print material effectively.
Through the collective hours of volunteer work by Alcoa employees, 1,579 service hours were contributed to the community—the equivalent of one person working 40 hours a week for 10 months.
The annual Worldwide Month of Service program brings together Alcoa’s global workforce to make a positive difference in the communities where they live and work – this year partnering with nearly 1,900 non profit community organizations across 23 countries.
Despite the challenging year, employee involvement in the company-wide initiative soared in 2009 – demonstrating a commitment to working in partnership to meet the challenges of the economic downturn and addressing priority community concerns such as climate change.
Month of Service is the centerpiece of year-round volunteer efforts by Alcoa employees, who last year gave 705,000 hours of voluntary service – the equivalent of more than 350 people working full-time.
About Alcoa’s Tennessee Operations
Alcoa’s Tennessee Operations is the world’s largest producer of rolled aluminum can sheet for beverage cans. It has been in operation in Blount County, Tenn. since 1913 and currently employs approximately 1,200 East Tennesseans in its Blount and Knox County locations.
About Alcoa Foundation
Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in the countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation’s grants address global and local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages Alcoa’s ACTION and Bravo! programs which recognize the volunteer efforts of employees with grants to the organizations they serve. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com under Community.
Editorial Contact: Christy Newman
(865) 977-3358
Crystal Cardwell, Chief Operating Officer of Ackermann PR
Knoxville, Tenn. — Longtime Chief Financial Officer Crystal Cardwell has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Ackermann PR.
“Crystal has been a critical part of the company for more than 25 years,” said President and CEO Cathy Ackermann. “This promotion acknowledges and formalizes a role she has really held for sometime.”
“I appreciate the confidence Cathy has shown in me and allowing me to grow with the company,” said Cardwell. “It’s a great group of people who do terrific work.”
In her new role Cardwell will oversee day to day operations and focus on productivity and profitability.
“That’s key to our continuing to thrive in tough economic times,” said Ackermann.
Cardwell, a Knoxville native, is married to Ken Cardwell. They have two grown daughters.
Ackermann PR is a full-service marketing and communications firm and is ranked as one of the top PR firms in the country by industry associations and publications. Clients include Ruby Tuesday, Clayton Homes, ALCOA, USEC, Honeywell, Radio Systems, East Tennessee Medical Group, TechLaw Group, B&W Y-12, Cellular Sales, HGTV and others.
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Media contact Mike Cohen (865) 584-0550 mcohen@ackermannpr.comKnoxville, Tenn – Ackermann PR announced that Shane Rhyne has been hired as the company’s Digital Communications Associate. Rhyne brings a background in print, broadcast, and digital media to the company’s expanding services in digital and social media.
“Adding Shane to our staff allows us to continue building on our established leadership in developing innovative branding and marketing opportunities for our clients,” said President and CEO Cathy Ackermann.
The Ackermann PR digital and social media division has represented a rapidly growing segment of the firm’s work during the past quarter. In recent months, Ackermann has added a significant number of new clients, representing a wide variety of industry sectors, including tourism, hospitality, entertainment, sports, healthcare, manufacturing, and nonprofit.
“Shane’s marketing and media background made him the ideal choice as we made plans to expand the division,” said Katie Allison Granju, Social Media Director for Ackermann PR. “Shane is well known in Tennessee’s blogging community for his work on successful social media initiatives, and we are pleased to be able to offer his talents on behalf of our clients.”
Rhyne is a steering committee member of the Knoxville Social Media Association and an active community blogger. He has worked previously as the public relations and marketing director of the East Tennessee Historical Society, and as an online community manager with the E.W. Scripps’ branded social network for pet enthusiasts. In addition, he has worked as a radio news journalist and station manager, and as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers, as well as on a project with the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alex Haley to document the author’s childhood.
Rhyne is a native of Clinton, Tennessee, and studied journalism and broadcasting at the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He lives in Knoxville with his wife, Ruth Sapp.
Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated marketing communications firm providing strategic public relations and marketing. It is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves clients across the United States.
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Media Contact
Katie Allison Granju
(865) 584-0550
kgranju@ackermannpr.com
Knoxville, Tenn. - In advance of the Adoption Tour, a 433.7 mile bike ride across the state of Tennessee, Harmony Adoptions has hired Ackermann PR for media relations and marketing communications support. Based in Maryville, Harmony Adoptions is an adoption agency that provides support and education for families. Their mission is to share life, love and joy through adoption.
Nearly 400 children in Tennessee are in state custody right now, waiting to be adopted. Harmony Adoptions sponsors a variety of programs, from those concerning recruitment of adoptive parents to ones supporting families who have already adopted.
The Adoption Tour, scheduled for the second week in October, is by far the largest event sponsored by Harmony Adoptions. Eighty-five riders, each one connected to adoption in some way, will ride 433.7 miles, from Johnson City to Nashville to promote adoption awareness.
In its 5th year, the Adoption Tour is a collaboration of organizations including Harmony Adoptions, Tennessee Department of Children Services, Youth Villages, and many others. The tour officially begins on Monday, October 5th at 7:00 a.m. in Johnson City. As riders and support crew make their way from Johnson City to Nashville, they will be stopping along the way for celebrations in Blount County, Cleveland, Chattanooga, and Columbia to honor adoptive families, pledge their support to those who have adopted and commit themselves to helping those children who still need a permanent home.
In all, there are nine celebrations throughout the tour route , with the largest crowd expected in Nashville as the cyclists hit mile marker 433 in Bicentennial Park. For more information on the Adoption Tour, visit www.adoptiontour.com or follow the riders on Twitter @adoptiontour.
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Media Contact
Amelia Daniels
(865) 584-0550
adaniels@ackermannpr.com
About Ackermann PR
Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated marketing and communications firm in Knoxville, Tenn., providing strategic public relations, proactive and responsive service, and exceptional value. Services include branding, media relations and training, public affairs, crisis communications, digital media strategies, graphic design and market research. For more information, visit our website at www.ackermannpr.com.
Knoxville, Tenn. – Ackermann PR announced today the launch of AckermannWire, an online news feed about Ackermann PR’s clients, the industry and the agency. AckermannWire.com will serve as a resource for reporters and editors, as well as a branded social media distribution channel for Ackermann’s work on behalf of its clients.
“New media platforms have changed public relations as we know it, and traditional methods are no longer sufficient to tell our clients’ stories,” says Cathy Ackermann, president and CEO of Ackermann PR.
AckermannWire is updated in real-time as business news happens, with information on everything from new product launches and personnel announcements to charitable initiatives and crisis communications. One of the most recent stories on the Wire is about the launch of Taxi on Demand, an innovative start-up company led by former Vol basketball player, Dane Bradshaw, and represented by Ackermann PR.
“Our company’s digital and social media division is growing rapidly,” explains Ackermann. “With AckermannWire, we’re continuing the process of integrating our online expertise into every area of our operations.”
Ackermann PR is a full-service, integrated marketing and digital communications firm with a 27-year track record of providing strategic public relations, proactive and responsive service, and exceptional value.
Connect with Ackermann PR online:
http://www.twitter.com/ackermania
Media Contact
Amelia Daniels
(865) 584-0550
adaniels@ackermannpr.com