Lauren Hickman has joined Priority Marketing as a public relations manager to assist in planning and executing earned media strategies for the firm's clients and partners.

Hickman provides strategic public relations and media relations counsel to for-profit and nonprofit clients. Her copywriting responsibilities include drafting news releases, contributed articles, guest opinions, blogs, awards submissions and additional editorial content. Additionally, Hickman pitches stories to reporters and editors, prepares key messages and talking points for clients, coordinates news conferences and media tours, leads media training sessions and crisis communications, and facilitates interviews with print, television, radio and online media.

Priority Marketing's portfolio of public relations services includes copywriting, media pitching, internal and external communications strategy, community relations, awards nominations, reputation and issues management, speech development, crisis communications, media training, event promotion and more.

Before joining Priority Marketing, Hickman was an executive producer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where she managed a team of three visual media managers to create and share video content across multiple platforms. Hickman's prior roles include news producer for WPLG in Miami, WTVT in Tampa, WLWT in Cincinnati and WCBI in Columbus, Miss.

Hickman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication (multimedia journalism), with a minor in psychology, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

About Priority Marketing

Founded in 1992 by Teri Hansen, APR, Priority Marketing's portfolio of professional services includes public relations, brand development, web services, social media, creative services, media buying, video production, digital marketing, event planning and more. As Southwest Florida's largest full-service firm, Priority Marketing has grown to include more than 65 savvy creatives and mastermind strategists who partner with clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including hospitality and tourism, retail, health care, senior living, construction, legal, aviation, financial, education and government, as well as charitable organizations. The firm has been honored at the local, state, national and international levels with prestigious awards while providing more than $6 million in discounted and pro-bono services to local nonprofits. For more information, please call 239-267-2638 or visit PriorityMarketing.com.