Here's a small sampling of the communications campaigns we've launched. 

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Communities for People, Inc. 

CHALLENGE- BRAND AWARENESS

A leader in foster care services in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Communities for People, received a tremendous gift. There are nearly 40,000 non profits between these two states and Patriots Tight End, Hunter Henry, chose Communities for People (CFP) as his charity of choice. Hunter paired up with United Healthcare to give away $15,000 worth of new sneakers to youth in foster care. The problem? CFP didn’t have the internal expertise or bandwidth to know how to leverage this terrific promotional opportunity. As a board member for CFP, they called on Hynes Communications for some PR chops.

Solution

A PR event was clearly needed where Hunter Henry would be handing out approximately 100 pair of new sneakers to CFP’s foster children. Kelly and the CFP team strategized on local facilities to host the event and selected nearby Dean College in Franklin, MA. Dean College was terrific to work with in helping to coordinate the gym, parking, sound system and food, making it super convenient for all involved. Kelly collaborated with United Healthcare’s advertising agency to put the finishing touches on the press release and strategize media outreach and follow up. CFP staff deftly coordinated the arduous task of confirming 100 kids’ shoe sizes and earmarking the appropriate tennis sneakers for them. Kelly made sure that we had a designated professional photographer and videographer to capture the moment.

Results

WHDH attended the event and ran a story during its morning newscast. 

New England Cable News and NBC 10 Boston ran the story during its evening and morning newscasts.

In print/digital, the Franklin Observer published a brief write-up the next morning.

… And almost 100 smiling kids!

By Hunter Henry choosing Communities for People as his charity of choice, he has heightened awareness of the needs of the foster children of Communities for People and shined a light on this “invisible” population in our communities. Through the generosity of both Hunter Henry and United Healthcare, CFP’s foster children felt that they were seen and not invisible while getting some of their most basic needs met. Shoes are expensive for any kid these days, but more importantly, this expression of kindness and caring was priceless.

The Community Foundation for MetroWest

CHALLENGE- THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The Community Foundation for MetroWest sought to amplify the success of their high-dosage tutoring program in Framingham and Milford schools. The program had yielded impressive results, but the impact was not widely recognized.

Solution: To increase awareness and highlight the program's effectiveness, we collaborated with community partners to develop a compelling narrative. A key strategy was to secure placement of a Letter to the Editor in the Boston Globe. By positioning the Executive Director as a thought leader in education and community impact, we aimed to reach a broader audience and inspire further support for the program.

Results: The Letter to the Editor was successfully published in the Boston Globe, significantly increasing visibility for the Community Foundation and its tutoring program. This accomplishment elevated the organization's reputation and generated positive media attention. By sharing the article on social media and the Foundation's website, we further expanded the reach of the message and engaged a wider audience.

Eyespot

CHALLENGE- CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

An independently owned and operated eyewear retailer, EYESPOT, knew they had to differentiate their brand and drive customer engagement. With online and chain store competition increasing, the retailer sought to rebrand itself as an upscale eyewear boutique serving New England.  

Solution

As our brand awareness campaign began, a natural event—the solar eclipse—was soon to occur. My approach was to create a media pitch that outlined the importance of using industry-approved glasses to safely view the natural phenomenon. In being opportunistic to the media craze surrounding this event, I wrote targeted digital and print media stories to educate, inform, and build consensus on the need to visit the local store to purchase the safety-approved glasses that were in scarce supply.

Throughout our campaigns, we worked hard to achieve another goal-- to transition EYESPOT'S eyewear inventory to feature high-end, exclusive, and sophisticated eyewear. I orchestrated a public relations campaign that included the store’s website, social media channels, networking events, advertising campaigns, blog posts, in-store events and press releases to maximize our communications efforts.

The Barn Family Shoe Store

CHALLENGE- BRANDING AND AWARENESS

A 70-year-old brick and mortar retail institution, The Barn Family Shoe Store, realized that in order to keep competitive in today’s challenging retail environment, it had to reinvigorate its brand awareness and strengthen its marketing efforts. The retail icon had faced stiff competition from increased online shoppers, yet still had a viable business model, a loyal following, and a well-respected brand that needed to evolve in order to thrive in the marketplace.

Hynes Communications analyzed "The Barn's" communications channels and discovered that it lacked a dynamic brand identity across all of its marketing channels including website, email marketing, advertising, social media, and community relations.

Solution

I created a cohesive, effective brand awareness and marketing campaign by analyzing the existing communication strategies aimed at the store's current and potential customer base and factored in the store's future business goals. I then crafted a short and long-term marketing campaign that has continued to transform the company’s communication channels to sharpen our brand identity,  keep customers engaged and informed and stimulate revenue.  

“Kelly is an exceptional marketing professional with a list of abilities that go beyond marketing. She is a team player and also a leader who understands the management teams’ goals and the customers’ mindset and is able to successfully deliver results. Her high PR/Marketing IQ and sense of style continually help define our brand while increasing revenue from her creative programming. Because of Kelly’s excellent inter-personal skills, she is able to get buy-in from vendors for new programs and events that she creates and executes, making her services a win-win for our collective goals.”

Cindy Carrigan, Owner & Controller,  The Barn Family Shoe Store   

Results

Within a short period of time, the store achieved extraordinary results through this multi-channel marketing approach:

·      By designing and writing copy for the company’s new website, the store realized an 518% spike in website page views in the first year

·      Email marketing subscribers (Constant Contact) increased by 140% in first two years of Hynes Communications' engagement

·      Social media followers increased by 263% in one year

·      The store has continued to receive multiple awards for “Best Shoe Store” in the region

LGA, CPA’s and Business Advisors

CHALLENGE- MARKETING

One of Massachusetts’ fastest growing accounting and professional services firms recognized the need to become a thought leader in the industry and bolster its brand as a dynamic, client-centric firm. While the CPA firm had an in-house Marketing Specialist, the executive leadership team decided that they needed the expertise and management support of an out-sourced Marketing Director to achieve their goals. They knew it would take a series of fast-paced, extensive marketing campaigns driven by an experienced consultant.

Solution

My approach focused on developing a one-person team into a full-service “Marketing Department.” While our team stayed lean, with only two marketers, we collaborated to create a consistent internal and external marketing campaign that reflected the company’s core values and specialized services. As a team, we created and executed blog posts, email news campaigns, social media posts, press releases, website content updates and a testimonial video which became the catalyst for lead generation and business development programs.  

“Kelly successfully helped us move our focus from marketing and branding to lead generation and business development activities and became part of our LGA family while doing so!”

                                                      John Geraci, Co-Managing Partner

                                                      LGA, LLP

Result

After several months of sharpening the firm’s core values and messaging, our internal and external marketing campaign realized stellar results. While we had a lean marketing team of two, we managed to move the needle on several critical marketing solutions:

·      Transformed internal and external communication programs and processes which strengthened employee and customer engagement

·      Instrumental in orchestrating Client Appreciation Open House event resulting in an exponential increase in email subscribers

·      Helped differentiate the firm from the competition. LGA climbed in BBJ Rankings from #46 in 2013 to #29 in 2018