Lauren Reed is the founder and President of REED Public Relations, a full-service PR and communications agency based in Nashville, Tennessee. REED works with multi-unit franchise locations, hotels, bars and restaurants, senior living facilities, and other consumer and professional services clients. The agency's core values — Measurable results, Action-oriented, Passion for excellence, Fresh approach, Straightforward, Give back — are painted as a mural on the office wall. During the pandemic, REED launched the COVID-19 Hotline, offering free 30-minute sessions to small business owners nationwide, was featured in the New York Times, and posted its best year of revenue.
The Interview
Q: Tell us about REED PR. What makes the agency unique?
A: REED PR is a full-service PR and communications agency based in Nashville. Our team is made up of creative and dedicated marketing professionals who really care about our clients. We specialize in building strong relationships — many of our clients have partnered with us for more than five years. We live by a set of core values: Measurable results, Action-oriented, Passion for excellence, Fresh approach, Straightforward, Give back. We painted them in a huge mural on our office wall. We work extensively with multi-unit franchise locations, hotels, bars and restaurants, and senior living facilities — taking global and national brands and making them accessible to local communities.
Q: Your experience owning a small business during COVID-19?
A: COVID-19 was scary and stressful. At REED, 40% of our clients walked away or paused services within two weeks of lockdown. We launched the COVID-19 Hotline. Small business owners nationwide were invited to schedule a complimentary 30-minute session with a REED team member. We offered crisis management, media pitching, marketing, and community relations to help over 30 business owners weather the storm. Every member of our team participated. We were featured in the New York Times. Our efforts helped us secure several new client projects — our best year of revenue yet.
We also made a conscious decision to temporarily move away from consumer work that was paused and into professional services and senior living. We partnered with hundreds of skilled nursing homes across the country. The pivot stuck — we still work with a significant number of senior living and professional services organizations.
Q: Other charitable giving initiatives?
A: "Give Back" is one of our core values. I started REED PR's Be The Good program — funds mission trips for deserving individuals to do volunteer work around the world. We've sent people to serve in Slovenia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and many other countries. We fund about 10 trips a year, including several for REED employees. The program is funded by a portion of profits from client revenue.
Q: Favorite emerging trend in PR?
A: Micro-influencers — those with less than 50,000 followers. This group has access to a highly engaged fan base. Followers are dedicated and very invested in the content being shared, which means micro-influencer partnerships show consistently higher-than-average returns. My advice: carefully vet the influencers, then tailor everything to the individual. Followers can sniff out a cookie-cutter campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lauren Reed is the founder and President of REED Public Relations , a full-service PR and communications agency based in Nashville, Tennessee. REED works with multi-unit franchise locations, hotels, bars and restaurants, senior living facilities, and other consumer and professional services clients. The agency's core values — Measurable results, Action-oriented, Passion for excellence, Fresh approach, Straightforward, Give back — are painted as a mural on the office wall. During the pandemic, REED launched the COVID-19 Hotline , offering free 30-minute sessions to small business owners nationwide, was featured in the New York Times , and posted its best year of revenue. The Interview Q: Tell us about REED PR. What makes the agency unique?
A: REED PR is a full-service PR and communications agency based in Nashville. Our team is made up of creative and dedicated marketing professionals who really care about our clients. We specialize in building strong relationships — many of our clients have partnered with us for more than five years. We live by a set of core values: Measurable results, Action-oriented, Passion for excellence, Fresh approach, Straightforward, Give back. We painted them in a huge mural on our office wall. We work extensively with multi-unit franchise locations, hotels, bars and restaurants, and senior living facilities — taking global and national brands and making them accessible to local communities.
Q: Your experience owning a small business during COVID-19?
A: COVID-19 was scary and stressful. At REED, 40% of our clients walked away or paused services within two weeks of lockdown. We launched the COVID-19 Hotline. Small business owners nationwide were invited to schedule a complimentary 30-minute session with a REED team member. We offered crisis management, media pitching, marketing, and community relations to help over 30 business owners weather the storm. Every member of our team participated. We were featured in the New York Times. Our efforts helped us secure several new client projects — our best year of revenue yet. We also made a conscious decision to temporarily move away from consumer work that was paused and into professional services and senior living. We partnered with hundreds of skilled nursing homes across the country. The pivot stuck — we still work with a significant number of senior living and professional services organizations.
Q: Other charitable giving initiatives?
A: "Give Back" is one of our core values. I started REED PR's Be The Good program — funds mission trips for deserving individuals to do volunteer work around the world. We've sent people to serve in Slovenia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and many other countries. We fund about 10 trips a year, including several for REED employees. The program is funded by a portion of profits from client revenue.
Q: Favorite emerging trend in PR?
A: Micro-influencers — those with less than 50,000 followers. This group has access to a highly engaged fan base. Followers are dedicated and very invested in the content being shared, which means micro-influencer partnerships show consistently higher-than-average returns. My advice: carefully vet the influencers, then tailor everything to the individual. Followers can sniff out a cookie-cutter campaign.
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.
