Last night Planit, a Baltimore-based communications, marketing and interactive agency, was awarded two “Best in Maryland” Awards by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Maryland Chapter for strategic public relations campaigns. One for Sheetz, one of America's fastest-growing, family-owned and operated convenience store chains and the other for Charm City Bluegrass Festival, Baltimore’s annual award-winning folk and bluegrass festival.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by fellow public relations professionals for our work with Sheetz and the Charm City Bluegrass Festival,” said Ashlene Larson, public relations and social media director at Planit. “This recognition showcases our team’s creativity, dedication and passion for generating earned media coverage for our clients.”
Planit was awarded the “Best in Maryland” award in the Events and Observances category for the development and execution of a strategic public relations campaign introducing the Sheetz brand and new Sheetz Cafe concept to the Charlottesville, Virginia market. Inclusive of a pre-opening tour, influencer and community outreach, food drops to local media and UVA staff, and targeted post-event media outreach to continue buzz after the opening, the campaign generated over 14 million earned media impressions and drove over 200 attendees to the grand opening. Additionally, media coverage included important key messages developed in the messaging platform that were critical to introducing the brand and new concept such as “Open 24/7/365,” "Made-to-Order® Food” and “Ultimate One-Stop Shop.”
Planit was also awarded a “Best in Maryland” award in the media relations category for driving a 15% increase in ticket sales for the Charm City Bluegrass Festival. Since 2015, Planit has been tasked with securing press coverage from local, regional and trade media in order to generate awareness and drive ticket sales for the festival, as well as communicating a strong brand messaging platform expressing the vision and passion behind the event. Through an integrated campaign focused on media relations, Planit has helped the Charm City Bluegrass Festival successfully grow every year, recently expanding to a two-day festival that was named “Best Festival In Baltimore” by Baltimore Magazine Readers’ poll in 2015. Open to all communications professionals who work in Maryland, the Best In Maryland Awards are presented annually to public relations practitioners who, in the judgment of their peers, have successfully addressed a communications challenge with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. PRSA Maryland models the Best in Maryland Awards after PRSA’s Silver and Bronze Awards.For more information about PRSA MD’s Best in Maryland Awards and a complete list of last night’s winners, visit prsamd.org.
About Planit
We’re Planit. A strategic, digitally minded agency that leads revolutions for national and global clients. Whether that’s through digital media, non-digital media, PR, social or the “next big thing”—if it isn’t bold, creative, and smart, we’re not doing our job. That’s why clients including Sheetz, Kleenex® Facial Cleansing, Dunbar, Barclays, Sagamore Development, Heavy Seas, and Boordy Vineyards continue to trust Planit. And that’s why we continue to receive stellar industry recognition, from the EY Entrepreneur Of the Year® Award to Advertising Age’s Small Agencies of the Year and Best Places to Work.
