Dana Cobb is the founder and CEO of The Vokol Group, a Texas-based PR agency specializing in arts and entertainment, lifestyle, consumer, and nonprofit clients. Cobb's background includes nearly a decade with Dodger Theatricals marketing Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows in the early 2000s before returning to Texas to start a family and build The Vokol Group.
The Interview: Lifestyle, Entertainment, and Consumer PR
Q: Tell us how this specialty came into focus for you and your agency.
A: My background is in arts and entertainment PR and marketing. I worked on Broadway with Dodger Theatricals for close to a decade — marketing Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows throughout the early 2000s — before moving back to Texas to start a family. In addition to arts, events, and nonprofit clients, at The Vokol Group we are well-diversified by having a firm foundation in business-to-consumer projects, which has proved vital in 2020.
Q: What drives you and has shaped your professional outlook?
A: Solving puzzles feeds me. The bigger the challenge, the more compelled I am to work with new ideas, more people, and unusual concepts. Promoting arts, entertainment, and lifestyle brands plus more than a decade of nonprofit marketing foundationally informs my approach to both emotional and economic impact in each business's communication. I call it my "JD Power and Associates" Test: If I tell you how great I am, it's bragging. If someone else tells you how great I am, it's proof.
Q: Advice for those just coming into PR?
A: Watch people — communication begins with how people act with one another, in front of audiences, on Zoom meetings. Sometimes more can be learned by a glance or pause than a 15-minute explanation. Have a high standard of communication and presentation in person and online. Watch how and what you put in the public domain — tone can be misinterpreted and even the best of intentions can backfire if delivered improperly.
Q: How has the world of celebrity and creative events impacted your professional experience?
A: I have been involved in celebrity PR for more than two decades and have wonderful stories about the kindness and influence that comes with being a role model in pop culture. My experiences in the performing arts with creative campaigns have driven audience and ticket sales for some big names in live entertainment. It is a strange time to be working in event PR, but the challenge has made a positive change in how we can be resourceful, creative, and bold.
Q: A parting thought?
A: I have been a lifelong "collector of people." The connections and relationships you forge in your 20s can lead to the most impactful career move in your 40s and 50s. If you genuinely keep up with people — friends, colleagues, mentors, employers — you will find more ease and access to success long after you first meet.
Dana Cobb is the founder and CEO of The Vokol Group , a Texas-based PR agency specializing in arts and entertainment, lifestyle, consumer, and nonprofit clients. Cobb's background includes nearly a decade with Dodger Theatricals marketing Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows in the early 2000s before returning to Texas to start a family and build The Vokol Group. The Interview: Lifestyle, Entertainment, and Consumer PR Q: Tell us how this specialty came into focus for you and your agency. A: My background is in arts and entertainment PR and marketing. I worked on Broadway with Dodger Theatricals for close to a decade — marketing Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows throughout the early 2000s — before moving back to Texas to start a family. In addition to arts, events, and nonprofit clients, at The Vokol Group we are well-diversified by having a firm foundation in business-to-consumer projects, which has proved vital in 2020. Q: What drives you and has shaped your professional outlook?
A: Solving puzzles feeds me. The bigger the challenge, the more compelled I am to work with new ideas, more people, and unusual concepts. Promoting arts, entertainment, and lifestyle brands plus more than a decade of nonprofit marketing foundationally informs my approach to both emotional and economic impact in each business's communication. I call it my "JD Power and Associates" Test: If I tell you how great I am, it's bragging. If someone else tells you how great I am, it's proof.
Q: Advice for those just coming into PR?
A: Watch people — communication begins with how people act with one another, in front of audiences, on Zoom meetings. Sometimes more can be learned by a glance or pause than a 15-minute explanation. Have a high standard of communication and presentation in person and online. Watch how and what you put in the public domain — tone can be misinterpreted and even the best of intentions can backfire if delivered improperly.
Q: How has the world of celebrity and creative events impacted your professional experience?
A: I have been involved in celebrity PR for more than two decades and have wonderful stories about the kindness and influence that comes with being a role model in pop culture. My experiences in the performing arts with creative campaigns have driven audience and ticket sales for some big names in live entertainment. It is a strange time to be working in event PR, but the challenge has made a positive change in how we can be resourceful, creative, and bold.
Q: A parting thought?
A: I have been a lifelong "collector of people." The connections and relationships you forge in your 20s can lead to the most impactful career move in your 40s and 50s. If you genuinely keep up with people — friends, colleagues, mentors, employers — you will find more ease and access to success long after you first meet.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
