On Thursday, Sept. 7, The 100 Companies welcomed its newest member, Thompson & Co. Public Relations, with the official launch of The Alaska 100. The inaugural issue of the eNewsletter was sent out to over 17,000 Alaskans, featuring videos and stories on topics such as Alaska tourism, education and real estate, as well as a publisher’s column titled “The 907,” (named after the state’s area code) written by Jennifer Thompson, president/CEO of Thompson & Co. Public Relations, publisher of The Alaska 100.
“As in many other markets around the country, the media landscape in Alaska is changing rapidly. Alaskans want access to news that is digital, easy-to-consume and community-oriented, and The Alaska 100 brings that to their inboxes every other week,” said Jennifer.
“We are so excited to now have 14 members – to employ a little alliteration – from Denali to Dubai,” said Chris Schroder, president of The 100 Companies. “Together with a half dozen prospective members in the pipeline and with eight members renewing for a second year, we feel we are just beginning to see the outlines of the powerful PR network that shares not only content, but also revenue-producing strategies and client development techniques.”
Updates From The 100 Team
Editorial: Logos for Special Issues
Our members have shown wonderful creativity with creating logos for special issues. The Oklahoma 100 used one with an apple for its back-to-school issue, The New Orleans 100 issue on summer storms incorporated an illustration, and last year The Atlanta 100 had a bow on the logo for its gift guide issue. (see logos below) If you’d ever like to use a new logo for an issue, please send us the design a week ahead of time and we can switch it out for your issue.
Sales: The Arkansas 100 Podcast
Last month, Ghidotti Communications introduced a regular podcast to its portfolio of 100-word stories and 100-second videos it is publishing in The Arkansas 100. The podcasts are a series of audio interviews with leaders and influencers in the state and are hosted by Natalie Ghidotti, president of the member PR firm. Ghidotti Communications publishes the podcasts as a 100-second audio and 100-word story preview in The Arkansas 100 eNewsletter. Readers can click on a link and go to The Arkansas 100 website to listen to the entire podcast that runs between 30 and 45 minutes.
“I am personally a fan of podcasts, and have been for a long time,” Natalie said. “They’re convenient, and it’s easy to consume a variety of information while learning about so many things. It’s another medium of storytelling, and it’s an important part of our business. As a former journalist/editor, I am always interested and invested in interesting stories within our community and state.”
Ghidotti Communications produced three podcasts in August and the results have exceeded expectations at this early stage. “I’ve honestly been really happy with the feedback so far — a lot of positive comments regarding our guests, and also about our production value,” Natalie said. “Our very first podcast had more than 200 listeners and we’re getting more and more subscribers each day.”
For now, Ghidotti Communications is going to continue the podcast on a regular basis as an extension of its agency and to demonstrate an example of its thought leadership in content marketing. Eventually the podcasts will be part of its sponsored content packages and will be offered to clients as part of The Arkansas 100 brand.
“I think the podcasts present us as thought leaders and storytellers in the market, and they allow us to offer something of added value to current and prospective clients,” Natalie said. “In that sense it creates potential business opportunities for us.”
