NEWS

Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2009)---Merrick Towle Communications (MTC), one of the largest advertising agencies in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region, today announced that Donna Hodge has been appointed to director of engagement, according to Glenn Towle, chief operating officer and partner of the firm. Hodge joined MTC earlier this year as media director.

"Donna's appointment to head our recently formed engagement department more accurately reflects today's marketing reality of "engaging with a client's target audiences rather than pushing sales messages at them," said Towle.

The MTC engagement department, that replaces the agency's media department, is charged with taking a much broader view of connecting with a client's customers than the traditional media services structure that continues to be the norm in the majority of advertising agencies around the country.

"We are responsible for building relationships with our clients' consumers, whether through traditional media vehicles such as paid advertising or through the interactive and social platforms that has the exciting capabilities of allowing them to engage in conversations with the brand," Hodge said. In addition to Hodge, the department also includes two engagement strategists.

One of the new department's first campaigns was for MTC client Metro Properties, Inc. and the grand opening of the Allegro, its luxury apartment building in Columbia Heights that included sponsorships, events, e-mail strategies, social media tools including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, community blogs and traditional media relations.

Hodge, who joined the agency earlier this year as the firm's media director, has more than 16 years of marketing and media experience with advertising agencies such as Adworks, LM&O Advertising and ROI Advertising, Inc. in the Washington, D.C. market, as well as advertising agencies in Atlanta, Chicago and New York.