Platinum PR provides economic development and tourism-based organizations with creative and strategic solutions for their communications, marketing, and event planning needs–utilizing classic forms of media as well as the latest technology.
Originally started as a one-person operation, Platinum PR has since grown into a boutique public relations firm with a team of professionals and outside contractors who are both local and worldwide.
Over the years, they’ve invigorated the identities of small businesses, associations, and educational institutions across the United States with our expertise in communications, social media, marketing, economic development, and tourism.
Take a moment to learn more about what they do here.
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Meet Platinum PR
How did you get into the PR world and what do you love about what you do?
Platinum PR CEO Sandy Dubay (formerly Sandy Sponaugle) first became interested in economic development while in college at Shepherd University. After graduation, she got a job working inside economic development at the county level in West Virginia and Maryland. A few years later, a friend planted the seed about starting her own business. When her daughter Tabitha was born in 2001, it was the perfect opportunity and she started working with clients from home. Nineteen years later, Platinum PR has grown into a team of creative professionals serving clients all over the Mid-Atlantic Region and beyond.
Platinum PR is community-driven and we do this work because we deeply care about helping communities to be successful. We’re passionate about taking a creative, outside-of-the-box, collaborative approach, which allows us to create unique, customized solutions for each project we work on.
We’re known by our clients for going the extra mile, and we value the relationships we have with our clients, business partners, team, and all who are a part of the Platinum PR family. Diversity, equity, and economic inclusion are important to us, and we work to be a part of the solution, whether that’s through the initiatives we create or through the ways we support our clients.
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Why is being a business owner in Frederick so awesome?
Frederick is a special place to live and do business because of the community and the willingness to support one another.
Rather than looking at one another as competition, there’s a feeling of collaboration and partnership. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with local printers, writers, journalists, photographers, bloggers, and other freelance journalists. We enjoy supporting local businesses and freelancers and engaging in those relationships.
We’re currently sharing office space with Octavo Designs, a graphic design company we’ve collaborated with since Platinum PR began. Sharing a conference room cultivates an atmosphere of creativity, connection, and collaboration.
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What makes your business unique?
As a PR and Communications business specializing in working with economic development and tourism-based organizations, we’re in a unique niche — and we love it!
Having worked inside of economic development, Sandy has always brought an insider point of view and in-depth understanding of the needs that these types of organizations have.
We stay current on trends in the tech world, social media, online marketing, and within the economic development and travel/tourism industries, and we enjoy creating customized strategies based on our clients’ needs, budgets, and community’s unique personality.
At Platinum PR, one thing that we do best is creative problem solving and adapting and moving forward with technology.
As we work with many different organizations that offer similar services as one another, we find solutions that are unique for each one of them. We come up with ideas that are not only different, but are also appropriately on-brand for our clients and their communities.
We’ve also been really good at adapting during COVID and helping our clients to embrace platforms such as Zoom. We’re very hands-on with each of our clients and we love helping them to achieve their goals and visions, step by step.
It’s a great joy to know that our work with our clients has a great ripple effect, supporting local businesses and local communities to thrive and prosper.
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How does Platinum PR support the local community?
During last year’s holiday season, we launched the “8 Weeks of Giving” Campaign.
Each week, a different Platinum PR team member highlighted a way to give to the community. This included donating to a local food bank, shopping at local businesses, eating at a local restaurant and posting a review, and supporting a local nonprofit.
We encouraged our newsletter readers and social media followers to join along with us and to support their communities and local businesses during the holiday season and all year long.
In addition to campaigns like this, our team members are involved in many community organizations, such as the Downtown Frederick Partnership, Leadership Maryland, Maryland Economic Development Association, International Economic Development Council, various local Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, and the Shepherdstown Rotary Club.
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What exciting things can we expect from Platinum PR in the future?
We’re excited to be launching The Frederick Factor podcast!
The Frederick Factor is our passion project where we tell the stories of the many diverse people that make Frederick County so special. Along with the website, FrederickFactor.com, where we share these stories, we’ll be releasing a series of podcast episodes telling these stories as well.
Our first season is focused on highlighting many amazing underrepresented people in our community.
Sandy is also the volunteer chairperson for the George Delaplaine Distinguished Citizen Award Event, a fundraiser of Boy Scouts of America which honors our friend Sue Hough (also the owner of Octavo Studios, which we partner with) as the 26th recipient of the George Delaplaine Distinguished Citizen Award Event. It’s a great cause and will be a great celebration.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.