Winning Mindshare: How PR Can Drive Business Investment
In today’s hyper-competitive market for business attraction and expansion, perception often shapes reality. How do company executives, site selectors and real estate investors view your community—and how can you influence those impressions?
This session will explore how economic development organizations can use strategic public relations campaigns to get on decision-makers’ radars. We’ll discuss practical tactics like positioning your region as “project-ready,” placing thought leadership pieces in targeted industry news outlets, and hosting in-market media visits. You’ll also learn how to align messaging with current industry trends and use earned media as a tool to highlight your community’s assets.
Importantly, we’ll cover the latest approaches to monitoring and analyzing how your place is being perceived—so you can adjust public relations strategies in real time. Walk away with actionable insights on how storytelling and smart media engagement can shape market perceptions and strengthen your economic development organization’s competitive edge.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how PR tactics can directly support business attraction by influencing perceptions of a community.
- Learn practical tactics to position your region as “project-ready” – from thought leadership placements to in-market media visits.
- Develop actionable ideas to align messaging with current industry trends (i.e., “newsjacking”) to strengthen your region’s competitive edge.
- Gain insights into monitoring and analyzing how your community is perceived in the media and among decision-makers, and how to adjust strategies accordingly.
About the Speaker
April Mason
April Mason
With 30 years of experience marketing places and a talent for crafting compelling narratives, April founded Violet PR in 2010. Passionate about working with civic leaders, economic developers and entrepreneurs, she is dedicated to helping communities thrive and grow.
An expert in economic and real estate development, April has led public relations campaigns for states including New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Georgia and North Carolina, as well as metro areas such as Newark, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Savannah and Kansas City. She has orchestrated hundreds of media interviews for governors, mayors, CEOs and industry leaders, elevating the profiles of cities, states, developments and organizations.
April is proud to have earned the coveted Silver Anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) as the nation's "Best Boutique PR Agency," along with Bronze Anvils for media relations campaigns on behalf of the Greater Topeka Partnership and Newark Symphony Hall. Violet PR was recognized as an Inc. 5000 firm in 2024 and named one of Inc.'s “Best Workplaces” in 2023. A frequent speaker at industry conferences, April is a recognized thought leader, having been named one of NJ Biz's “Best 50 Women in Business” in 2023 and 2020.
Prior to relocating to the New York metro in 1999, April directed award-winning media and marketing campaigns for the Kansas City Area Development Council, an organization she works with today. She holds an M.S. in Journalism and Marketing Communications from the University of Kansas and resides in South Orange, NJ, with her two daughters. Originally from Oklahoma City, April enjoys visiting family and exploring the city's revitalized downtown.
