Already positioned as the go-to agency when it comes to grassroots marketing to the African American community, Jazzmyne Public Relations recently raised the bar, appointing new media pioneer Edrea Davis, director of strategic communications and advocacy.  From a satellite office in Atlanta, Davis will oversee all online campaign initiatives, agency president Makeda Smith announced today.

 "The virtual world has become an integral component in reaching the masses," said Smith, who founded the Los Angeles based company in 1988.  "I am pleased to have Edrea onboard. Her ability to strategically integrate new media into the communications plan coupled with her expertise managing civic and environmental campaigns, will expand Jazzmyne's capacity tremendously."

While most agencies shy away from grassroots campaigns, opting for fewer "major" media hits, Smith says her agency will continue to utilize all possible media to effectively reach the public.

"It is called public relations," Smith said, citing the massive turnout in Jena, LA as a perfect example of an effective grassroots campaign. "The new arm of the agency will concentrate on building relationships with prominent Bloggers and maximizing social networking sites like YouTube and Myspace."

 "Advances in technology present new opportunities along with challenges," adds Davis. "These days you can't just write a press release and pitch offline media. Publicists have to be able to produce and disseminate digital audio and video as well."

Davis, who served as tour publicist for Jazzmyne in the early 90's, has a wide range of experience in communications. From overseeing the production of million-dollar commercial spots, to utilizing digital media to publicize events in Switzerland, South Africa and The Netherlands, she has remained on the cutting edge of new technology.

In 2000, Davis made history coordinating a laptop-toting technology crew through Arizona for the first online elections ever. She also directed all communications efforts for the highly successful Unity '04 Voter Empowerment Campaign comprised of 150 of the nation's most prestigious civil and human rights organizations.

"Blogs, social networking and bookmarking sites can be your best friend or your worst enemy," says Davis, the founder of DogonVillage.com, one of the oldest Black portals and author of the bestselling novel, Snitchcraft.  "Jazzmyne will focus on managing our clients image on and off line."

Specializing in publicity, media management and management consulting, for  20 years now, Jazzmyne has consistently boasted a client base that competes with the majors. From gangsta' rappers to celebrities to special events, Jazzmyne has been instrumental in launching and maintaining several highly visible publicity campaigns.

As the sole owner of Jazzmyne, Smith's personalized approach to the vast and hectic world of public relations has proven not only successful but also solid. Clients have included the Tonight Show's bandleader, Kevin Eubanks; actor, Dorien Wilson; and comedian J. Anthony Brown, co-host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, just to name a few.

"Makeda's glass is always full. Her vision for her clients is always far reaching and expansive.  It's a blessing to work with her again," adds Davis.