Heron Agency Announces Two New Hires and Three Staff Promotions

Heron Agency, a full-service public relations, social media, marketing, and advertising lifestyle communications firm, announces the addition of two new team members and three promotions within the company.

Hired as Executive Vice President is veteran Broadcast and Public Relations Executive Nancy Davies. Nancy joins the Heron Agency after nearly 11 years as Vice-President of Chicago-based Salmon Borre Group, a PR/Marketing Communications agency for consumer lifestyle products and brands. She brings an expertise in crisis communications, media training, event project management, and impactful national and local media placements for entertainment, toy, food, candy, and travel/hospitality clients. A graduate of University of Cincinnati with a BFA in Broadcasting (now Electronic Media), she's previously worked as an award-winning news producer and on-air talent for television stations in Cincinnati, OH, Lexington, KY, Honolulu, HI and Chicago.

Also joining Heron Agency as Senior Publicist is Sarah Ficek, most recently of Paramount PR in Chicago, where she focused on technology, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, and retail brands. Ficek has secured successful placements for clients in local TV, online and print media including the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, ABC, FOX, WCIU, WGN and NBC. She has also secured national placements in a variety of acclaimed print and online outlets including USA Today, YAHOO!, Mashable, Good Housekeeping, and The New York Times. Sarah attended Columbia College of Chicago where she studied Marketing Communications.

In addition, Lianne Hedditch has been elevated to Executive Vice President, from Vice President. In her 11th year with the Heron Agency, Lianne manages a team working on accounts that include The Marriott Theatre, Le Méridien Chicago - Oakbrook Center, The Westin Nashville hotel, and SafeHouse - a spy-themed restaurant and bar - opening soon in River North. Lianne received her Master's Certificate in Integrated Marketing from the University of Chicago and her Bachelor's at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Illinois Meetings & Events Magazine.

Emily Potts has been promoted to Senior Publicist from Publicist. Before joining Heron Agency in 2015, Emily served as an Assistant Media Planner at OMD, working on the national PetSmart account. She received her Bachelor's degree in Advertising Management from Michigan State University, where she was a member of the MSU Advertising Association.

Holly Gustavson, Marketing Specialist, has been promoted to Marketing Manager. Holly handles all contests, promotions, sponsorships and barter advertising opportunities for the agency working with organizations such as Ticketmaster, American Express, WTTW and more. She has secured numerous fun opportunities to increase word of mouth including arranging casts performing anthems at the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games, mega mall appearances, tastings in high rise buildings, and executing events for Chicagoland concierges. Holly has been a member of the Heron team for seven years.

"We couldn't be more delighted to have two such talented people as Nancy and Sarah join our dedicated team," according to Noreen Heron, President & Founder, Heron Agency. "The continued success of Heron Agency is due to the hard work and successes of our employees. It's this dedication to excellence that's also led to the promotions of Lianne, Holly and Emily; each go above and beyond, providing the highest standard of service to our clients and marketing partners."

Heron Agency executes dynamic, comprehensive integrated marketing campaigns for a variety of broad spectrum of corporate, hospitality and entertainment clients. The agency focuses on creating strategic initiatives that reach specific audiences, build brand exposure, and increase revenue. Founded in 2001 by Noreen Heron, the firm is known as a one-stop-shop that provides creative public relations services, targeted advertising strategies, digital marketing, grassroots marketing efforts, SEO consulting, and innovative social media practices. The agency prides itself on cultivating successful long-term relationships with clients and collaborative partners.

A pioneer of new communication and digital technologies, Heron Agency was the first agency to create an e-mail database to directly target a diverse demographic of individuals and groups in the Chicagoland area, which has now grown to include over 50,000 contacts. It was also the first to launch a YouTube channel to showcase the talents of its clients. The company's unique combination of dovetailing strategic PR campaigns with grassroots marketing efforts creates results that are truly measureable in terms of profitability for their clients. The entrepreneurial agency is now expanding into brand activation, brand representation and management, influencer and blogger engagement, experiential marketing and data analysis.

Heron Agency has represented over 150 clients nationally such as Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Le Meridien Hotels, Wischermann Properties, Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel, the Wit Chicago, Smirnoff Vodka, The Chicago Office of Tourism, Marriott Theatre, The Taste of Chicago, the Harlem Globetrotters, Massage Envy, The World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, Blue Plate Catering, the Chicago Wolves, the Champions Challenge (McEnroe, Bjorg, Agassi), The Highland Games, Geja's Café, David Feherty's Troops First Foundation, and several National Tours. Over the 16 year history of the agency, they have represented artists such as Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Wynonna Judd, Louis CK, The Beach Boys, Jerry Seinfeld, Martina McBride, Michael Feinstein, Jewel, and Andre Rieu.

For more information on Heron Agency, call 773.969.5200, visit www.heronagency.com, or follow their Facebook,Twitter and Instagram pages.

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