Month: January 2025

As we kick of 2025 this month, Violet PR looks back on a big year in 2024 – one filled with election noise, changing global priorities and new opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) and tech space. In 2024, our team secured a whopping 1,679 earned media placements, reaching an estimated audience of 33 billion people worldwide.  

Here are the top 10 media hits that defined our year: 

USA Today: Kansas City small businesses thank Taylor Swift for economic boom: ‘She changed our lives’ 

Kansas City-based small businesses gushed about Taylor Swift’s economic impact, crediting her visits with significantly boosting their bottom lines. Violet PR coordinated a five-day trip for USA Today reporter Bryan West, arranging interviews and site visits to highlight the city’s Swift-inspired surge. Talk about shaking it off—and cashing in!  

Read the story here. 

Wall Street Journal: Topeka’s campaign to attract Hispanic residents

Topeka, Kansas, took the national stage with a campaign aimed at attracting Hispanic residents, including immigrants, to fill the city’s 4,000 open positions. Violet PR’s targeted outreach showcased the city’s welcoming attitude and bilingual school programs, ultimately leading to a Wall Street Journal feature. The article, “The American City With a Message for Migrants: We Want You,” captured how civic leaders are creating opportunities for newcomers. 

Read the story here. 

Forbes: Newark’s Renaissance

Newark’s ongoing transformation took center stage in Forbes with the piece, “A Thriving Ecosystem of Amenities Is Sparking Newark’s Renaissance.” Violet PR collaborated closely with the reporter, strategically spotlighting the city’s surging tech scene, vibrant arts community, and expanding infrastructure—key factors driving Newark’s revitalization. 

Read the story here. 

Die WELT: Pittsburgh goes global 

Recognizing Pittsburgh’s growing allure for European audiences, Violet PR orchestrated a reporter visit from Die WELT, one of Germany’s most influential newspapers. This in-depth coverage highlighted Pittsburgh’s economic transformation and cultural offerings, including its historic ties to German immigrants and modern-day partnerships with German firms. By coordinating interviews with business leaders, urban planners and community advocates, we showcased Pittsburgh as a hub for innovation, boosting the city’s image abroad.  

Read the story here. 

The BBC: Lehigh Valley’s global moment

Capitalizing on the Lehigh Valley’s location in eastern Pennsylvania, Violet PR’s pitches highlighted its economic renaissance as a burgeoning home for advanced manufacturers. These ongoing pitching efforts captured the interest of the BBC – one of the world’s most renowned, trusted media organizations. Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, was featured in a larger article discussing economic issues and sentiments ahead of the 2024 presidential election. 

Read the story here. 

Politico Tech: Oklahoma’s tech spotlight

Violet PR found an opportunity to position the state of Oklahoma as a leader in the technology, energy and advanced manufacturing spaces by tying the state’s economic development efforts to the election. As a result of ongoing pitching, our team secured a 15-minute interview for Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on the prominent POLITICO Tech podcast just prior to the Republican National Convention. 

Listen to the segment here. 

Bloomberg TV & Radio: Brooklyn Navy Yard reinvents the waterfront  

In June, Brooklyn Navy Yard CEO Lindsay Greene joined Bloomberg anchors to discuss the Yard’s transformative projects. This high-profile appearance underscored the Navy Yard’s growing reputation as a key NYC innovation hub, with more than 500 businesses. Violet PR’s strategy included aligning the Yard’s story with industry trends, ensuring that Bloomberg’s global business audience recognized the project’s significance for Brooklyn and the broader economy. 

Watch the segment here. 

Fortune: North Carolina gets a German boost

Fortune spotlighted North Carolina’s burgeoning German diaspora, fueled by multibillion-dollar corporate investments that are reshaping the state’s economic landscape. Violet PR’s collaboration with the publication involved orchestrating interviews that showed how multinational partnerships are driving workforce expansion and technology exchange. 

Read the story here. 

The Globe and Mail: Tariffs spark Buffalo’s boom

Capitalizing on a timely news hook around tariffs, Violet PR secured coverage for Invest Buffalo Niagara in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s leading news outlet. The feature highlighted Buffalo’s revitalization—from cutting-edge medical corridors to newly energized waterfront developments—positioning the region as a North American city poised to receive even more foreign direct investment from Canada. 

Read the story here. 

Cheddar: Pittsburgh takes off with airport overhaul

Cheddar featured the CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport to discuss the facility’s massive infrastructure initiative. With a new terminal opening in 2025, the coverage emphasized the region’s economic momentum, the airport’s role in advancing accessibility in travel, and how the airports of the future will incorporate the latest technology. 

Watch the feature here. 

Looking Ahead 

We’re proud of the results that have made headlines in the economic development sector—from landmark infrastructure investments to community-driven revitalization projects.  

So, what stories will dominate the headlines in 2025?  

Already, trends will include increased foreign direct investment, a renewed emphasis on workforce training and development, and of course, the impact of artificial intelligence. At Violet PR, our mission remains unwavering: to craft stories that help communities and organizations realize their fullest potential.

The 2025 news cycle is already in full swing!  The incoming administration – combined with the rise of artificial intelligence and independent content creators – are changing the news landscape perhaps more dramatically than ever before.  

With social media companies like Meta reversing its position on fact-checking, major employers like Walmart, Boeing and Ford dropping or scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs; and the new administration’s plans to increase tariffs, build more data centers and expand oil and gas drilling – business news coverage will certainly change in the months to come. 

Regardless of your political affiliation, economic developers seeking the spotlight will need to move fast and stay abreast of what’s current. Here are five important news trends to keep in mind this year: 

1. Traditional media will decline in influence as people turn to podcasts and individual content creators for information.

Whether it was the Joe Rogan Experience or Call Her Daddy, the 2024 presidential race played out on podcasts more than ever before. (In fact, Trump declined traditional media opportunities – including a prime-time slot on 60 Minutes – and conducted more podcast interviews instead.) In 2025, podcasts will continue to grow in influence, and you and your spokespeople should be prepared for this conversational type of interview. In addition, starting your own Substack or Medium page and posting long-form articles regularly on LinkedIn are exceptional ways to get your news out. You should also encourage community members to share positive stories and accurate information about your region on social media.

2. Mainstream news outlets will be stretched with fact-checking duties to distinguish themselves with editorial credibility.

This week’s announcement by Mark Zuckerberg that Meta platforms are ending their fact-checking programs follows a trend started by Elon Musk on X. This means journalists with mainstream outlets will need to spend more resources fact-checking online information – and reporters may have less time to cover enterprise stories about your region. But perhaps more importantly, mainstream media outlets will want to see data and sources to back up your pitches and news releases – so make it easy for them. In addition, your economic development organization (EDO) will want to have a fact-checking system in place to monitor and correct any misinformation about your region in real time.  

3. Broad acceptance and focus on new U.S. policy directions.

During the first Trump administration, there was significant questioning and pushback from mainstream news outlets and thought leaders about policies related to energy, the environment, immigration and tariffs. This time, given the popularity of right-leaning policies around the world, covering topics like DE&I initiatives and sustainable technologies will be less of a priority. Instead, business journalists will be seeking out “made in America” manufacturing stories, artificial intelligence (AI) advances, and supply chain and reshoring news. 

4. Sectors like hyper scale data centers, manufacturing, and oil and gas will be more widely covered.

To follow on trend number three, prepare to promote your heavy manufacturing clusters, oil and gas companies, aerospace and defense businesses, and construction of all types – green or not. And Trump’s announcement this week about data center investments means more growth in this sector to support AI technologies – so be ready to communicate your position around these somewhat controversial project types. 

5. AI may upend the very meaning of “news.”

Though we can’t predict exactly how it will play out, artificial intelligence will have more of an impact on how news is produced and distributed than ever before. Publishers seeking to save money will likely lean on it more heavily to curate news. In addition, the rise of photo and video AI tools will make deepfake visuals more difficult to spot. Since AI bots typically scour the internet for content, your EDO should regularly publish data-driven infographics, economic news trends, business investment updates and visuals on your website. Be sure to regularly release blog posts and videos that tell your community’s story from a factual perspective to help educate the growing number of generative AI tools. 

*********************************

April Mason is president and founder of Violet PR, a public relations agency specializing in economic development.

At Violet PR, the future is not something that happens to us; it’s something we create. So, as we head into 2025 and celebrate our 15th anniversary in business, we are proud to reveal our evolved brand, which now better tells the story of how we write the future.

Our new brand identity isn’t about a new logo or color palette; it’s about doubling down on what sets us apart: a deep expertise in economic development, centered around a data-driven approach to storytelling and a steadfast commitment to helping our clients navigate an increasingly complex media landscape.

Our refreshed brand resonates with the spirit of resilience and innovation that defines our work. It also represents a promise to the communities, businesses and organizations we serve. We’re looking fearlessly at the challenges ahead and ensuring the stories worth telling break through the noise.

Here’s what influenced our rebrand:

• Resilience in the Face of Complexity

When the pandemic challenged industries around the world, our agency confronted uncertainty with creativity, nuanced messaging and rapidly adapting strategies. Knowing that all news coverage was suddenly COVID focused, we dug deep and acted quickly to find examples of supply chain strategies, retail business support programs. real estate and design solutions, and enhanced public safety measures. In short, Violet PR turned the challenge into an opportunity for our clients – generating favorable coverage in publications including Inc. Magazine, Financial Times, for Topeka and Good Morning America, the Today Show, Cheddar and the New York Times for the Pittsburgh airport.

• A Data-Driven, Female-Powered Firm

At Violet PR, a certified woman-owned small business, we understand the importance of bringing unique perspectives to communications. Our team uses numerous third-party sources, from the U.S. Census Bureau to the World Bank, to lend credibility to our pitches, crafting narratives that resonate with reporters. Data is more than a talking point; it is a cornerstone of how we help shape stories — ensuring our clients’ news reaches the right audiences with clarity and credibility. In an era where fake news and spin is more prominent in the world’s collective conversation, we choose to distinguish ourselves as “truth tellers” and operate an ethically-centered public relations agency to serve the highly volatile news media world.

• Leading the Way in Economic Development PR

As community leaders rethink their approach to growth, talent attraction and city design, Violet PR is focused on helping our clients position themselves favorably through storytelling. Few communications agencies understand how to bring complex economic and design narratives to life as effectively as we do. Our refreshed brand signals an even deeper commitment to the economic development industry, doubling down on our role as a key partner for cities, states and countries as they shape their skylines – and their futures.

What Our New Brand Means

With this renewed focus as we enter our 15th year in business, our clients can expect even sharper insights, more inventive strategies and a pursuit of unmatched excellence in telling their stories to the world.

The essence of Violet PR remains the same: we continue to stand for bold thinking and setting an ever-higher bar for generating news coverage for our clients.

Yet with this rebrand, we’ve refined our ability to tell powerful stories that stand out, resonate and drive the most meaningful results. As we step into the future — and look to the next 15 years for our agency — we do so with immense pride and excitement for the change, growth and creative opportunities that lie ahead.

We invite you to check out our new website at www.violetpr.com for more information or contact us at hello@violetpr.com.

Let’s write your next chapter together…