Spool

Welcome (back) to team Spool, Austin McClelland! 👏 🎉 That’s right, Austin was a Spooler back in our formative years and we could not be more excited for his return. Austin re-joins us as a VP of PR & Earned Creative, dividing his time between leading client accounts as well as working alongside our VP Creative Director (the talented Colin Ofloy) as an earned creative and strategist. We knew we needed someone with deep earned and media engagement experience to work in tandem across account and creative teams so that earned engagement layer is embedded within everything the agency touches -- and we also knew there was no one better for the role than Austin!

Yesterday, a few of our resident media relations experts attended a pitching and networking event hosted by Publicity Club of Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field. Tommy Derken, McKenzie Jester and Steph Ford spent the afternoon connecting with fellow PR professionals and gaining valuable insights from reporters (ok, and they may have had a little fun on the field, too). Here’s what they learned: - Developing relationships with media goes far beyond sending a pitch to their crowded inbox and taking the time to build rapport is important - Highlighting the story behind the story is crucial—writers seek that emotional connection and enhanced storytelling aspect - Using keywords in subject lines such as the key topic combined with a phrase like “expert source” helps writers easily search for and find relevant emails for their stories A huge shoutout to Tweed Thornton for hosting an incredible event! 🎉 And a heartfelt thank you to all the reporters and producers who took time out of their busy schedules to share their invaluable insights! Christine Flores Ava Martin Evrod Cassimy Mike Berman

We spent yesterday afternoon with Nallely Suárez Gass and Kevin Reilly from Drop Needle Drinks Company and a few of our favorites at WGN-TV's Spotlight Chicago sipping on our favorite new sparkling wine-based cocktails. Sarah Jindra & Ji Suk Yi couldn't pick a favorite between Modern Mimosa, California 75, and Berry Rose Sparkler -- but to be fair, neither can the Spool team! Check out the full segment here, and then go try a can (or three!) for yourself: https://lnkd.in/gEvFv_66

We welcomed McKenzie Jester to the Spool team last week, and to say we are excited is an understatement. McKenzie is a true media relations maven and has hit the ground running. We can't wait to see more of her creative thinking, commitment to curiosity, and positive energy! We're so glad you're here, McKenzie!

Yesterday was a big one at Spool. While furniture was being assembled on the 7th floor of 205 W. Wacker in our new office (!) our team was preparing to host some of the best and brightest in our industry for an afternoon discussing the opportunities, pitfalls, exploration and caution of AI in the work we do. Thank you to all our panelists, to our esteemed guests Paul Holmes and Diana Marszalek from PRovoke Media and to everyone at Spool who helped make this a great, first event in our new work home on Wacker. If you missed it, Jack Hiltner wrote a great overview with key insights from the three panels which you should check out.

On April 25, we hosted our “Communicating in the Machine Learning Era” panel with PRovoke Media to discuss the impact and implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the marketing, communications and creative industries. Featuring Paul Holmes moderating and Holly Fisher Skillin, Charlie Baldwin, Shilpa Gadhok, Justin Kaufmann, Chris Perry, Bradley Akubuiro, Colin Ofloy, Brian Cason, Alan T. Kercinik and Alan Parker. Here are the takeaways:

The countdown is on! Join us one week from today as we gather industry leaders in marketing, creative, PR, and communications to explore how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of an AI-driven landscape. Come for the discussion, stay for the networking at this special event hosted by Spool and Paul Holmes of PRovoke Media. For more info or to register, click here: https://lnkd.in/guQp-xmn

This one is too sweet not to share! Celebrate a decade of our client Fresh Thyme Market with us as they hunt for the perfect birthday cake. We're on the lookout for Midwest bakeries to create a delicious, better-for-you cake crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The grand prize includes $5,000 for your business, $5,000 for your local food bank, and a mentorship program with industry pros! Click this link for more info or to enter by the April 26 deadline: https://lnkd.in/gmjhjp6q

In case you missed it, the new season of Top Chef recently premiered! Season 21 features new host Kristen Kish and team experiencing the rich flavors and heritage of Wisconsin alongside Wisconsin cheesemakers. During last week’s episode, the Cheftestants used award-winning cheeses from Wisconsin to create a dish for the elimination challenge.  In honor of the episode airing, Suzanne Fanning of Wisconsin Cheese sat down with Cristine Struble from Foodsided to tell the story of the farms, culture and people that make America’s Dairyland such a magical place. Click the link below to learn more:

Nothing like waking up on a Tuesday morning and seeing our very own Catherine Merritt on the Inc. Magazine 2024 #FemaleFounders 250 - a list of the most creative and inspiring women in business! In 2018, Catherine set out to create something different. Her vision was a place where creatives and PR practitioners of all backgrounds could come together and create impactful work for clients who were as excited about the power of PR as the people making it happen - all while prioritizing the health and wellbeing of her team by creating a culture where everyone is expected and enabled to live full lives outside of the office. Building something that challenges the status quo while forging a new path in an industry that’s hard to change is no easy feat, but Catherine has made it happen (while upholding our values at every turn). The team and clients here at Spool can tell you all about what it's like to experience the "Catherine Merritt magic" firsthand - it inspires us, pushes us, changes us and makes us all better. There is no one more deserving of this award than her. Catherine, on behalf of all of us here at Spool, CONGRATULATIONS - we are so proud of you! Check out the full 250 list here: https://lnkd.in/d_2CzDy