Case Study: High Proof PR for The NEAT Agency

How NEAT Agency bottled their boldest ideas—and I gave them a product name that kicked like bourbon.

THE PROJECT

Jen Hartmann and her team at The NEAT Agency had a new offer: a PR strategy card deck packed with their best, most potent tactics.

Jen didn’t love the copy though, and it didn’t have a name… or tagline…

They needed someone to take the "bones" and make bourbon —something funnier, bolder, and dripping with their signature brand motif.

“We wanted Katie to make it more humorous and ‘on brand’—she did JUST that. The copy feels very me. Funny, bold, and topped with bourbon.” — Jen Hartmann

THE NAME

High Proof PR

There was only one choice, and it was this one.

NEAT had already distilled all their best strategies. I just needed to bottle the concept in something clear, clever, and catchy.

• “High Proof” = strong, effective, potent, whiskey-y 

• “Proof” = data, results, evidence 

• High Proof PR = bold claims, backed by receipts

The name isn't just catchy either, it's functional. It created a narrative/hook for every part of the deck: from stats and strategy to taglines and testimonials.

“I LOVE THE NAME. It’s VERY on brand for us. I can see why you get paid for this.” - Jen Hartmann

TAGLINES ON TAP:

To support the core concept, I pitched a handful of taglines to use in sales pages, social, or the deck itself:

1. Get your brand buzz on

2. Strategies that go down smooth

3. Because all buzz is good buzz

4. Buzz for your brand

5. Small batch strategies for a strong [brand] buzz

And because I physically could not help myself:

Bonus pun: “For a dram good time.” And then I humbly begged – “Please use it somewhere. Please.”

THE "SPECIAL CHARACTERS" - AKA ADD-ONS

This was more than a naming gig. I also edited the copy, suggested microcopy and label ideas to anchor the “proof” theme, and gave image suggestions for each of the strategies on the cards. To make sure NEAT’s boozy brand motif was consistent throughout.

COPY BEFORE & AFTER

Before:

Title: Finding podcasts to interview on Identify podcasts that have audiences that overlap with your brand’s customers.

After:

Title: Book your PR tour  Sex is cool but have you ever lined up several podcast interviews with perfect-fit shows whose audience demographics overlap with your brand’s customers?

THE PROOF (PUN VERY MUCH INTENDED!)

 “PEOPLE ARE DYING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THIS DECK.” 

“Shut the front door I love this.”

High Proof PR proves that when you mix strong strategy with strong storytelling, people don’t just skim. They sip.