who we are

FIRM OVERVIEW
Write Ideas, Inc., is a Maryland-based public relations firm with more than two decades of results for a wide range of clients. We put our clients' news and product promotions on the air, on radio, on television, in newspapers and magazines, and online to attract attention and to drive customer traffic. We create and implement millions of dollars in value-added promotions and publicity each year.

The firm's founder and president, Amy Smith, has engineered our company's success for the past 20 years. Smith's background in publishing, journalism and sales provides a powerful combination so clients maximize success in their public relations campaigns. Central to her business philosophy is service. On time and on target, our work is focused for success.

We are a boutique shop, giving clients access to senior level, seasoned public relations professionals throughout their campaigns. We use our small business approach for big business results. In other words, we are detail-oriented, creative and passionate about our work. Your success is our success, and we have volumes of case studies to share that demonstrate our vast media placement and creative radio promotion history.

Our firm has a well-developed media database that results in highly tuned, customized media lists by campaign. A systematic follow-up system leads to results for clients, and coverage reports are available upon request to demonstrate the success of our pitching efforts. Additionally, our firm has daily, results-oriented promotional relationships with every radio station in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md. We offer nationwide service through our charter membership with PRConsultantsGroup.com, a nationwide network of public relations professionals. We offer regional expertise and can combine efforts with other markets to instantly assemble a team to effectively manage a nationwide campaign.

ABOUT US
Prior to starting Write Ideas, Founder and President Amy Smith worked at Family Circle magazine and DDB Needham Worldwide Advertising. She received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's highly acclaimed Medill School of Journalism. There, she spent three years as the Advertising Manager of The Daily Northwestern, and placed first in the William Randolph Hearst Writing Competition, a national writing contest honoring excellence in journalism. She graduated with honors. Absolute accuracy is a hallmark of Medill's journalism instruction. Smith brings this expectation to her work at Write Ideas so that clients are represented in a professional and well-respected manner; therefore increasing success and media coverage. Write Ideas is a member of Public Relations Society of America, a Charter Member of the PRConsultantsGroup.com, a nationwide network of PR professionals, and a member of the Independent Public Relations Alliance.

HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS

Public Relations Awards:
Write Ideas was part of a national effort four times when a collection of local campaigns won the coveted Silver Anvil award. The award is issued by the Public Relations Society of America and is revered as the nation's most prestigious award for excellence. Some of the winning campaigns were as follows:

	1997: 7-Eleven's Operation Chill. Note: Our local campaign was a media home run! In Baltimore, we successfully attracted all four Baltimore TV networks (NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC). In D.C., we placed articles and photos in The Washington Times, six local community papers, and achieved coverage on WTOP, WPGC and WKYS radio.
	1999: Blockbuster's New Product Launch of Titanic on video. Note: Our local campaign, detailed in Blockbuster case study, attracted $336,000 in media and promotions coverage and included securing a 600-seat Spirit of Washington cruise for contest winners to "Get that Sinking Feeling."

Member:

• Public Relations Society of America and local National Capital Chapter
• PRConsultantsGroup.com
• Independent Public Relations Alliance
• Washington Independent Writers (also former Director of Business Writers and Consultants Group)
• Northwestern Medill Club of Washington
• Local elementary school PTA

Publishing Experience:
Smith has been published in numerous national/trade, financial, real estate and local publications. A complete list is available upon request.

We have a solid team of associates with niche-specific expertise in event planning and management, writing/editing, and more. Each team is customized to meet our client's specific needs, and our results speak for themselves!

CREDENTIALS - Amy Smith

Previous Full-time Marketing/Sales Experience:

• Export Today magazine (National Advertising Manager)
• Family Circle magazine (Account Manager)
• DDB Needham Worldwide Advertising (Assistant Account Executive)
• The Washington Post (Advertising Sales Assistant)
• ANPA News (Advertising Director, created first advertising program)
• The Daily Northwestern (Advertising Manager)
• National Institutes of Health (Editorial Assistant)

Journalism Awards:

• William Randolph Hearst Foundation Writing Contest (First place in nation for feature writing; First place in national competition among finalists)
• Quill and Scroll's National Writing/Photo Contest in two divisions: Feature Story and Advertising Campaign
• Maryland Press Women's Newswriting Contest (Second Place)

Distinctions:

• Instructor of freelance writing, negotiation strategies at First Class, Inc.
• Invited speaker on publishing/advertising strategies at University of Maryland (Maryland Scholastic Press Association Convention) and Columbia University (Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention)
• Invited speaker at National Press Club on Business Writing
• Graduate, Managing Your Own Business course (AWED, May 1995)

Member:

• Washington Independent Writers (also former Director of Business Writers and Consultants Group);
• Public Relations Society of America;
• American Women's Economic Development Corporation;
• Northwestern Medill Club of Washington

The first Northwestern student to take home the "college pulitzer" in a nationwide writing competition, Smith's success was featured in an alumni publication.

• PRConsultants Group Launches National Network: Public Relations Professionals Nationwide Have Joined Forces. Write Ideas to Represent Maryland, D.C., Virginia, and Delaware. Click here to read the article.

PRConsultantsGroup.com
PRConsultantsGroup is a nationwide group of PR consultants providing public relations and marketing communications services to a wide range of clients for several years - including retail, finance, business-to-business, real estate and development, non-profit, travel and tourism, entertainment, professional services, high-tech and food and beverage. We are experts in each of our geographic areas, so when you work with PRConsultantsGroup, you access personalized and targeted service in each market with the broad reach of a national agency.

Of course, the primary reason to work with public relations professionals is results. We encourage you to view our website at www.prconsultantsgroup.com, to see results attained as a team for such global leaders and national clients as Blockbuster, 7-Eleven, Labatt USA, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Levi's and Barnes&noble.com. Whether you seek local support for a nationwide media tour, effective promotions in selected markets, or media relations by local experts, the PRConsultantsGroup is your solution for marketing with national strength and local power.

The organization links carefully selected professionals, who are either with smaller agencies or are sole practitioners, to work together on a national basis, as well as to lead accounts on a local level. "As experts in each of our markets, we can provide clients who access PRConsultants with personalized and targeted local service with the broad reach of a national agency," said Amy Smith, president of Write Ideas, Inc. in Rockville. "Each member is a seasoned practitioner, so clients are confident in our abilities and are impressed with our focused approach."

Community Partner List & Highlights
Connecting an event to a community organization is a powerful way to increase attendance and media coverage. Finding the right partner takes marketing and negotiation skills to ensure that the fit makes sense and more importantly, that both parties benefit. Write Ideas has engaged or worked with the following community organizations on behalf of its clients:

• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Boys and Girls Club (national and local)
• Children's Hospital (D.C.)
• Children's Miracle Network
• House of Ruth
• Johns Hopkins Medical Center
• Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic
• Maryland Food Bank
• MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund)
• Miss America Foundation
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
• Reading is Fundamental
• Salvation Army
• United Negro College Fund
• United Way
• Wishbone (PBS show)

Also, throughout metropolitan D.C. and Baltimore:

• local fire and police departments
• police athletic leagues
• Chambers of Commerce
• Mayors and city officials
• hospitals and medical organizations
• homeless shelters
• schools and libraries

Business Partner List & Highlights
Connecting two businesses in a promotional campaign can result in a diluted or a heavier concentrated message. When done right, collaboration can be extremely successful for both parties. Write Ideas has successfully engaged or worked with the following business partners on behalf of its clients:

• AT&T
• Baltimore Orioles
• Baltimore Ravens
• Baltimore Sun (Sunspot.net)
• Baskin Robbins
• Bowie Baysox
• Coca-Cola
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Frederick Keys
• Legg Mason
• Maryland Lottery
• Mechanic Theater
• Mountain Dew
• NASCAR
• Pizza Hut
• Planet Hollywood
• Spirit of Washington
• University of Maryland Terps
• UPS
• Washington Power