Clients: Verizon Wireless

Guthrie/Mayes has been working for more than eight years on behalf of Verizon Wireless in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, in both the business-to-consumer and business-to-business public relations realms. In 2014 alone, Guthrie/Mayes garnered more than 1,600 stories in traditional and online media in the region regarding the Verizon Wireless network and its products, services and community relations efforts. Our daily efforts have reinforced our strong working relationships, not only with media, but also with civic leaders across Kentucky.

Many businesses work closely with Verizon to either develop solutions using Verizon’s network to meet their own needs, or to shepherd through the development process a connected product or service to be sold in the marketplace. The stories we often are telling through traditional, trade and social media, and via speaking engagements, conferences and special events, are focused on conveying not only the quality of the Verizon network, but also the expertise of Verizon Wireless personnel and the company’s infrastructure for guiding business customers in creating, refining and marketing their solutions.

Guthrie/Mayes has created and nurtured relationships with more than three dozen radio personalities on behalf of Verizon in Kentucky, demoing smartphones, tablets, connected accessories and other devices to them and working regularly with them to demonstrate how the devices can enhance their mobile lifestyles. These reporters then share on air their own true stories about how they use their devices in their everyday lives, making clear that they devices are loaned by Verizon.

Guthrie/Mayes plays a key role in Kentucky and Southern Indiana markets for HopeLine® from Verizon, the company’s philanthropic program which turns no longer used mobile phones, tablets and accessories that are donated by residents and businesses into support for domestic violence prevention and response. In 2014, we orchestrated a statewide HopeLine drive in coordination with the Kentucky Commission on Women, which helped us place nearly 500 collection boxes in state government offices across the Commonwealth. Donated devices exceeded our goal by 25 percent. Kentucky’s Governor, First Lady and Lt. Governor were among the officials who joined Verizon at news conferences to kick off the drive and to present a cash grant to a domestic violence organization recommended by Guthrie/Mayes. We are now planning Verizon’s 2015 HopeLine drive.