Above the Fold: Moving BIPOC-owned businesses to the top of media

Amy Hammond | Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Screenshot from PRESS PR + Marketing

PRESS PR + Marketing of Tampa has launched Above the Fold, a community initiative, with the goal of ensuring BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) stories are heard. As PRESS PR + Marketing Director Krystin Olinksi describes it, the initiative seeks to amplify those voices through actionable steps. The price tag is right for all who apply.

“The Above the Fold toolkit is completely free to participants,” Olinski says.

Those participants can expect advice and guidance from a boutique firm that counts such counsel as their specialty. The initiative launched June 17, and since then, feedback has been positive. To help these specific stories land "above the fold,'' a step-by-step approach is being prescribed.

Above the Fold includes three categories; each takes a business through specific steps. A communications toolkit, one-on-one strategy sessions, and community spotlights get top billing. Companies that commit to the process are guided through the multiple elements and educational tools meant to foster success.

Take press releases, for instance. The communications toolkit offers step-by-step instructions regarding how to craft an effective one. During one-on-one sessions, specific organizational goals are set; external communications strategies are identified. Rounding out the toolkit is the community spotlight section, which shines that proverbial light on BIPOC businesses that deserve acclaim in Tampa Bay.

Gain media coverage. Communicate with customers. Inspire brand loyalty. They’re all aspirations businesses hope to achieve; Above the Fold seeks to customize each organization’s path and highlight those making a difference.

“In addition to the toolkit, we’ve partnered with the Tampa Bay Chamber and its Minority Business Accelerator,” Olinski says.

PRESS PR + Marketing will host a workshop with the group to discuss marketing and public relations strategy; one-on-one meetings will be scheduled as necessary. If the stories and voices of BIPOC-owned businesses are raised as a result, victory will be declared.

Custom toolkits for businesses located outside of Tampa Bay are available upon request. For more information or to apply, visit about Above the Fold.

Read more articles by Amy Hammond.

Amy Hammond is a freelance writer and author of children’s books that encourage the next generation to attend college. When not indoctrinating youth about the necessity of higher education, she enjoys exploring the paradise that is her St. Petersburg home. She holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida and a Masters in Secondary English Education from the University of South Florida. Her work has appeared in such venues as the Tampa Bay Times. Children’s Book Titles by Amy Hammond include: When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Gator; When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a ‘Nole; When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Bull; When I Grow Up, I’m Bama Bound; When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Tiger.