A Client Q and A with Ruth Griggs, owner of RC Communications, and president of the Northampton Jazz Festival
I have worked with Ruth Griggs for nearly a decade, partnering with various clients and creating a range of materials together—from press releases to blogs to social media content. Recently, Ruth offered some thoughts on what it’s like to work with me and what value I add to her marketing team.
What is the work or mission of your organization?
RC Communications is a strategic marketing company, and through it, I work with a variety of creative partners. These colleagues help me execute the marketing plans I develop for my clients. I also lead the Northampton Jazz Festival, overseeing the board’s activities and managing everything from securing sponsorships to marketing and PR.
When did you begin working with Janice, and in what way?
I started to work with Janice in 2012. She first worked with me as a PR specialist for a nonprofit client in Springfield that serves individuals with disabilities, called Pathlight. Janice developed stories about how the organization was transforming individual lives, and she wrote and distributed press releases to the media as well. We continue to work together. Janice does all the PR for the Jazz Festival.
What specific services did she provide for you or your clients?
She does everything from writing website content to press releases, ads, brochures—anything that has to do with writing. She has offered her services to benefit my clients since we first connected and worked together on Pathlight projects. We have worked together for dozens of clients, on many projects.
What was the quality of Janice’s work?
Very high. Especially when it comes to press releases. She is a master at knowing the proper strategy to employ and in composing a press release that will gain attention in the media. She has relationships with some of the local editors who help gain attention as well.
Did press releases Janice wrote for you or your clients attract attention from the media?
Yes, definitely. She is very good with getting picked up in print in The Springfield Republican, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and BusinessWest—and also on their digital news channels.
What value did her other content creation efforts bring to your clients?
The best example stems back to our work for Pathlight. Janice taught me the concept of repurposing content, which is very powerful in the world of marketing. In marketing, you have to repeat messages over and over again before they sink into your audience. Janice was very effective at taking a success story about a Pathlight client and repurposing it for the organization’s website, as a press release, for annual reports, and on social media. That type of repurposing is the heart of marketing.
Who in your various audiences benefited from the work and in what ways?
Any client who had Janice write a press release for them benefitted. When that press release was picked up in the media, that turned into more tickets sold, more people showing up at an event, more buzz in the community, more volunteers and donations. When Janice’s releases get picked up, they raise awareness.
Do you consider Janice a partner in your marketing and public relations efforts?
Yes. Janice is a trusted and reliable partner. I depend on her to guide me on what to do with a certain press concern. I can strategize with Janice, and I can trust her judgment. Why? Because she has been a newspaper reporter. She has been an editor. She knows what will interest the media and what won’t. She has incredible knowledge, judgment, and experience with the press to guide me on what to do and what not to do when it comes to a press release. She is my go-to PR person.
