PR Opportunities in Athens
The See Spark Go headquarters are located right by UGA!
By Ellie Hamrick
The Classic City is infamous for many things, especially the University of Georgia and the community that surrounds it. Athens boasts everything from one of the top public universities in the nation to a vibrant music scene to a thriving restaurant scene, but what you probably didn’t know is that Athens has ample opportunities for UGA students pursuing degrees in public relations. Among a host of other notable and successful PR firms, See.Spark.Go and Kaptiv8 are Athens staples when it comes to PR.
See.Spark.Go was co-founded in 2007 by husband and wife Andy and Brittany Thoms. Both mega UGA fans, the Thoms’ wanted to start their dream company in their dream city: Athens. So what makes See.Spark.Go special? Isn’t it just another PR firm?
The firm differentiates itself from other firms in Athens and the Atlanta area by putting an emphasis on storytelling. While a lot of PR firms want to get you from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible, See.Spark.Go slows down and focuses on the client’s story instead. The company prioritizes the client’s story to such an extent that on the See.Spark.Go website, the company’s employees are called “storytellers” instead of employees.
About a year ago, co-founder Brittany Thoms came to UGA and spoke to the Career Explorations in Journalism class with Dean Davis. Brittany was so happy to tell the class all about See.Spark.Go, and you could see that she was very passionate about the company she and her husband have built. As mentioned on the company website, Brittney mentioned in class that she believes enthusiasm is an integral part of effective PR and storytelling. She also mentioned that “you can do anything in PR” and “enthusiasm wins”, which again is something that distinguishes See.Spark.Go from other PR firms not just in Athens but in the country. See.Spark.Go frequently hires interns from UGA and is currently accepting applications for summer internships right now. So, if you need an internship this summer, look no further than Athens.
The next Athens PR firm that is a great opportunity for Athens PR is Kaptiv8. Founded in 2011 by Grady alumna Gabe Brauer, Kaptiv8 also focuses on brand representation through storytelling and collaboration. Although Kaptiv8 is more of an advertising/marketing firm than a PR firm, integrated communication is very prominent and nowadays it is better to have a plethora of advertising, marketing and PR skills. Prior to starting Kaptiv8 in 2011, Brauer worked for a highly respected marketing firm in Seattle, where he worked on projects with notable companies such as Microsoft, Dell, and AT&T.
Similarly to See.Spark.Go, Kaptiv8 also puts their client at the forefront of their project in order to ensure that their story is communicated effectively. With clients like UGA, Golden Pantry, and UCLA Health, Kaptiv8 continues to make a name for itself and put Athens on the PR map. With Brauer graduating from Grady and Kaptiv8 having UGA as a client, it is clear that Athens is an integral part of Kaptiv8’s essence and vice versa.
See.Spark.Go and Kaptiv8 are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PR opportunities for UGA students in Athens. Lucky for us, Athens is teeming with PR firms and other businesses that are just as easy to love as The Classic City herself.
