Photo Credit: Sydney Rasch
Meredith Corning is a public relations agent for the wedding, fashion, tech and travel markets. Meredith has been working in the PR sector for nearly two decades and is a master at placing businesses in the public eye using her creative eye.
FWM: Tell us about your background working with fashion designers, hospitality, and media.
I started my freelance public relations career 11 years ago with a focus on representing local fashion designers in my area. Before that, I had always worked for other companies as part of their in-house PR and marketing teams. It was when I went out on my own that I started to realize the potential of national and international press for my clients. Before then, much of the media I worked at other companies had been local media only. Once I saw the many opportunities that are out there, I was hooked on a public relations career. I have always leveraged creating events for my clients as a means to gain press. This is inevitably what led me into an event planning career shift and my years of experience with a vast array of hospitality industry businesses.
FWM: You have a diversified portfolio from weddings to fashion, to tech. Why are clients coming to you today?
The event planning that I started incorporating into my PR freelance career led me into creating a wedding planning service. I had PR clients on the side for many years as I grew my wedding planning business even up until 2019 when I got too busy for public relations. Then 2020 came along with all kinds of new things to consider moving forward. This is when I decided it was time to start phasing out the wedding planning side which at this point had taken over all of my time and move back to a PR-focused business with event planning as merely an extra bonus for my PR clients only. The internet has changed so much in the past 10 years that as a hospitality business owner myself, I had to figure out how to use tech as a way to propel my own brand. I became one of the most sought-after planners in my state, and that was a direct result of my understanding of SEO, the value of media placement and storytelling via tech outlets. I can now use these skills that I honed in my own company to build up others.
FWM: What are your strengths as a PR expert?
I am absolutely an expert in wedding PR as my most focused niche. To niche down even more writing in various capacities for the wedding market is my major strength, whether that comes in the form of ghostwriting, blogging, writing articles, pitching, or storytelling of any kind.
FWM: Tell us about your expertise in Influencer PR.
My current clients are most interested in local micro-influencers that can speak directly to their ideal market in a more intimate way. This takes a ton of research to figure out who we want to work with and how their brand falls in line with the message we are trying to convey about the client’s business. Then it’s simply a matter of finding a way to collaborate with the influencer that makes sense for both parties.
“To stay competitive in the wedding market, businesses must take action to stay relevant.” How are you helping clients?
It’s not enough to throw a website up and hope for word-of-mouth business because of how wonderful you are anymore. Companies truly have to think outside the box and expand their digital footprint. This is where I can help. Pushing out consistent content whether that is frequent blog posts, articles published across both local and national or international media, Youtube shows and spin-off content from all of these mediums is a recipe for success. I also love for my clients to break ground with unique projects that are interesting and get people talking such as hosting events, partaking in styled photo shoots, attending or adding value to networking events or a host of other tricks I have up my sleeve.
You are a multi-winning event planner. What have you enjoyed the most?
On the wedding planning side, meeting families that I would have never met otherwise is hands down the best part. You are an integral part of someone’s special day going off without a hitch and it is a big responsibility, but seeing the happy faces on your wedding clients is a huge reward. On the event planning side, I enjoy the creativity and freedom that comes with it. I have been trusted on so many occasions to go make something amazing happen, and that’s a great feeling for a creative person to run with.
“Meredith certainly knows her stuff – you can never go wrong seeking out her services for PR. We started getting brides flying in from other states to visit our couture bridal store.” Tess Mann, Owner and Fashion Designer Couture By Tess Bridal, Cookeville, TN
FWM: Your clients have been featured in prominent magazines including Vogue, Exquisite Weddings, Southern Bride, and more. Can you share a few client stories?
One time we produced a Breakfast at Tiffany’s-inspired styled shoot with my bridal gown store and designer client, Couture by Tess Bridal. It got featured in Southern Bride magazine. It was a theme I had always wanted to play with, so that is one of my favorites. Later, I was working with an engaged couple where the groom had proposed to the bride in front of Tiffany & Co. in New York on a family trip. Lo’ and behold, I had the opportunity to explore that theme again, but this time with a real wedding. It was featured in a local magazine.
One of my most recently booked PR clients, Vibrant Occasions Catering, has seen drastic results with the intensive work we have been doing for the last seven months. On our conference call this morning, they expressed that their bookings have doubled in price since our short time working together and they attribute the growth directly to the work we have been doing.
FWM: How are you making tech sexy?
It seems like for the past ten or fifteen years, all these drop dead gorgeous female celebrities will tout that they were a nerd growing up. This self-deprivation continued into the fashion blogger and influencer community and now it’s totally sexy to call yourself a nerd. If we can take that word and make it sexy, then we have a good foundation for creating a swoon-worthy tech industry persona. Smart is the new sexy!
FWM: Share your exciting projects over the next few months.
We just had the Fleur de Muse, virtual fashion and floral design show hosted by my lovely PR client, Althea Wiles with Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio and J Althea Creative, on August 8, 2021. As more business is being conducted online, even live events are being rethought as a medium for this new technologically advanced modus operandi of delivering experiences. The creative design industry has caught onto this trend with top designers such as Stella McCartney opting for virtual fashion shows over in-person runway events as she mentioned in an interview with Vogue last October of 2020. While other social events like weddings are opting for a hybrid model mix of in-person and live streamed events for those guests who cannot be with the couple on their special day.
With social media playing such an active role in our daily lives, it seems only natural to merge experiences into convenient options for people. As a more custom and environmentally-friendly choice, the movement pledges to slow down – from the materials used to the commitment to reduce waste to the way design is crafted and presented. Quality over quantity are our words du jour.
Join our team as we dedicate this virtual design show to the design industry who are inspiring us by thinking outside of the box. Always look to the artists to reflect what is happening in real time with a bit of optimism and whimsy.
