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Gavin Zivoder  In an industry as oversaturated as public relations, finding a reliable firm to represent your business is like Batman trying to stop the Joker—it takes time. But when a firm conducts its own public relations as if the company depends on it (spoiler: it does), it gains an edge.
With a core belief in providing quality care since 1996, Akhia started by doing things differently, putting people and integrity first. Primarily working with manufacturing companies, Akhia has spent decades honing its ability to identify audience needs, address problems and respond effectively. Today, Akhia practices outstanding public relations marketing themselves while building strong relationships with clients. Humanization of Business Akhia avoids a purely transactional mindset, focusing instead on building relationships with the public through emotional engagement. "Ben Thinking," a weekly post on Akhia’s website, features CEO Ben Brugler sharing industry insights with humor and a casual tone. This authentic approach builds trust and presents leadership as approachable. Employees also contribute through blog posts and podcasts, reinforcing Akhia's commitment to internal culture and external reputation. Corporate Social Responsibility At Akhia, a paid day off might mean volunteering in the community. Staff participate in volunteer time off (VTO) twice a year, giving back to organizations of their choice. Akhia also provides financial support to communities in need, youth programs, diversity initiatives and vulnerable groups, ensuring social responsibility and ethical care. “You’re seeing that we have transparency and our brand does have a human element to it,” said Akhia CEO Ben Brugler. “We’re essentially demonstrating the things we want to bring to our clients. These are the standards that they should be working to and should be expecting from us.” Visit Akhia’s website, and every page tells a new story of authenticity, humanization, community efforts and personality—marketing themselves through public relations and looking darn good while doing it.
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Julia Greco The city of Kent is always bustling with people. Whether that be a Kent State student, a morning commuter or an active community member, the one thing most of these people need in their lives is coffee.
Since 2007, Scribbles Coffee Company has supplied this need. Bringing fair-trade organic coffee to Kent, this women-owned, family-operated business sources coffee beans from all over the world, including Uganda, Peru, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. Scribbles hand-crafts each drink ordered, from the dedicated employees personally roasting the coffee beans, to the friendly barista pouring you a cup. In terms of public relations, Scribbles is a winner. Practicing sustainability Scribbles succeeds at creating mutually beneficial relationships with its publics by maintaining sustainable practices within its supply chain and product control and giving back to the community. Sustainability is important in terms of public relations practice because it betters the reputation of the business. When Scribbles practices sustainability for its brand, it increases consumer demand, enhances its reputation and differentiates itself from competitors. Effective efforts towards sustainability can also increase the support from key stakeholders and investors. Supporting the community When Scribbles has wasted coffee grounds, it does not throw them away. Instead, Scribbles donates grounds to community members to use for compost, bath products, fertilizer and natural dyes for Kent State textile students. Not only does Scribbles give back to its community directly, but its sustainable roasting practice ensures that its customers get a quality drink every time, which ensures a great benefit to the business with return-customer satisfaction. Scribbles doesn’t just promote its coffee; it tells a story through its brand values by having a long-term vision of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and community support. By: Hannah Wagner As a college student, it’s normal to be stressed, have ups and downs and concerns about where you will end up post graduation. You may start off freshman year thinking you know exactly what you want and how to achieve it, but then senior year rolls around and you aren’t sure if the original path you paved for yourself is still the right one. How do you overcome being unsure or uncomfortable in the point you’re at in life?
Personally, I’ve had many ups and downs throughout my college career and changed my path, hobbies and plans numerous times. My whole college experience has been filled discomfort. As graduation approaches in May, the pressure became stronger to nail down what I actually want to do with my life. After weeks of thinking and analyzing what is important to me and where my passion lies, I’ve been able to get a better understanding of what I want, and I want to share some advice and steps I took with other students to help them if they’re going through a similar situation. It’s okay to be uncomfortable When I started my college career, someone gave me the advice to “get comfortable being uncomfortable,” and that really stuck with me. You grow the most when you are out of your comfort zone, and just because things may not be going as you planned doesn’t mean you are as off track as you think. Learn to be okay with being uncomfortable, and take advantage of tackling the situation to grow as an individual Write down your goals and values One big thing I did when I was having what I’d like to call my “Quarter life crisis” is to write down my goals in life and things I valued. For example, I wrote down goals I’d like to accomplish by the time I was 25-30 and what values I wanted and, more importantly, didn’t want in a career/job opportunity. This really helped me narrow down what I cared about. Find where your passion lies In my opinion, everyone can learn how to do a job, but not everyone can grow a passion for it. No matter what it is you’re struggling with, you need to understand if you’re doing something just because it’s working or convenient for the moment, or if it’s something you’re passionate about. I’m not talking about quitting your part-time serving job that pays the bills because you don’t aspire to work in a restaurant. I mean if you’re actively participating in a student organization, full-time career opportunity or volunteering at a nonprofit because you think you have to but you dread going to it every time…stop! Focus on prioritizing what gets you excited, what you spend your free time learning about and what doesn’t feel mundane to you. With that being said, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and finish out that internship you just can’t stand or lead a fundraising activity you may not have wanted to. Make sure to appreciate the experiences you have and learn something from them, while also growing and tailoring your next experience to be something you’ll enjoy more. Network in areas you’re considering Maybe you’re just completely lost and can’t figure out where to begin. The key to overcoming this is talking with others who are in areas that you enjoy! For example, if you’re undecided between going into sports or nonprofit PR, or staying local or moving out of state, talk to people who have been in your position before. Ask them how they tackled it and what challenges and rewards they faced along the way. This helps give you a better guide for expectations. Maybe you think Washington D.C. would be the best place to live, but a friend that just moved there hates the fast-paced life. This gives you an inside perspective on what to expect without having to make big decisions and realize it wasn’t what you thought when it may be too late. Use your network! Side note: PRSSA Kent has a huge network of PR professionals that are around the country; utilize them to help you figure out your own life! Don’t put others first I’ve always struggled with feeling guilty about hurting others’ feelings, but as a young college student you really must prioritize yourself. Close relationships can play a huge role in your life and be a strong supporter, or opposer, of your life choices. For example, if you daydream about living in New York but your family doesn’t want you to move, don’t let that diminish your passion. If your significant other is staying local and you want to take your dream job in California, you should put yourself first. These decisions are hard and not as easy as it sounds, but you can’t let others make life choices for you - you must make them for yourself. I’m a firm believer in attempting to try something I feel strongly in and fail, than never trying at all. You can’t be afraid to fail; you are your own best friend and you know what’s best for yourself, so believe in your decisions and back them up with your goals and values. Overall, getting through college and planning out your life is difficult. You will be confused, uncomfortable and stressed, but you will get there. Surround yourself with people that support you and you will make it, I promise! If you’re going through an uncomfortable time, you can reach out to Hannah, Web and Social Media Manager, at [email protected] for more advice or just to grab a cup of coffee and chat. By: Vanessa Gresely
This past summer, I did a fashion public relations internship in New York City. It truly had not felt like I had been in the concrete jungle for two months, but time flies and suddenly I was at the end of it. Coming to New York I would have never thought I would feel the way I do now. It turns out my love for the city wasn't as always true as I thought it was. New York is beautiful. The possibilities are endless, there is something on every corner and the connections you can make there are amazing -- but the city life is not for me. After living in the city, the one word that comes to my mind is hectic. Trying to grocery shop, walk down the street or get to work or class feels a lot more tiring trying to go about daily your life. I'm not saying I am not willing to put in the work, but that all that kind of work isn't a part of the life I wanted. My whole life I dreamed of being a city girl where I would work in the fashion industry and make waves. Now, I think I would rather make waves in a different way. The fashion industry is intense and so are the people, but I am not. Everyone is often stressed and I have seen this stress dealt with in the wrong way. Now, I understand that not everyone's the same, but here in New York, everyone is trying to get to the top and I am just not in this life for a competition. I never would have thought I would feel this way, but I think I am just made for a simpler life. One that doesn't involve corporate or even the fashion industry. I love fashion but I think I just may be more into wearing it than working in it. I don't surround myself with fashion media, or media in general. I realized I don't keep up with fashion news as timely and I'm not interested to do so. Everything is so fast paced and I just want to live my life at my pace. Everyone is different and I believe in the law of attraction, and I have the choice to make my life anything I want. I come from a place where people farm and grow their gardens and I always thought I would never want that but now I earn for that. I think I would be much happier living that way than the city or corporate way. I don't want my work life to be my whole life. The cons of living in the city have outweighed the pros for me. I just like to breathe and for me, I can't find that there. I don’t hate New York in anyway and I still love fashion, but my mindset has has changed a lot from my experience. I was given a great learning opportunity and now a new mindset to look into different work endeavors. Contact Vanessa Gresely, intercampus liasion, at [email protected] |
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