Jenna Thomas, Senior Director of Digital PR and Social Media Marketing, Nebo
Before Jenna Thomas joined Nebo in January 2013, it had never won any PR awards. In 2014 alone, however, she garnered PR awards and nominations from Atlanta Marketer of the Year, the ADDYs, Horizon Interactive, SoMe Social Media, Ragan’s PR Daily, In2 SABRE Awards and PR News’s Platinum PR and Agency Elite Awards.
Thomas has generated 250+ million impressions, 2,000+ earned media placements and countless positive brand mentions for clients as diverse as the Eames Foundation and LiviRae Lingerie. Her PR prowess has saved a cultural landmark, helped shelter dogs get adopted and improved body image for women everywhere. Where Thomas goes, agencies and clients grow.
One example of her excellent work came in the form of Choose ATL, a campaign to brand Atlanta as a digital hub and explain why it’s America’s best place to live, work and start a family. Nebo wanted a grassroots movement to shine a light on Atlanta’s story, but lacked the budget for celebrity endorsements and flashy campaigns. Thomas led the way, forming a taskforce of key local influencers; board members include leaders from organizations like Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Turner Broadcasting. They provided in-kind donations of time, talent and resources to help the effort.
To kick off the campaign, Thomas coordinated a launch party at Atlanta Tech Village, which shared the space gratis. 300+ of Atlanta’s elite attended, including 20+ targeted media invitees. Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and Lisa Bobb of Coca-Cola were among those who gave speeches, and outlets like AP, Examiner.com, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CBS Atlanta and 11Alive ran stories.
Under Thomas’ leadership, the initiative gained overwhelming support from major brands, startup leaders, government representatives and nonprofit organizations, leveraging the city’s pride and spreading the word. In three months, the campaign surpassed all expectations, including 45 million+ earned media impressions; 400+ media placements; 10,000+ views of the Choose ATL video; and 1600+ Instagram photos using the #ChooseATL hashtag.