Our Story
Our Story
LOCAL EXPERTISE ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Unified Strategies Public Relations™ is an international network of Public Relations and marketing communications professionals, born out of a strong desire to provide clients with cost-effective solutions for all their communications needs.
We are dedicated to providing you with the best possible Public Relations services in markets throughout North America and Europe, and offer access to all traditional and social media platforms, locally and internationally.
USPR is grounded in integrity – the very cornerstone of our existence. With more than 30 years service in Public Relations, founder Bob Schiers has a track record of award-winning excellence. Whether it’s counseling the CEO of a major corporation or working with frontline retail clerks, Bob takes the same approach in providing honest, workable Public Relations solutions to organizations of every size.
No long-term contracts. No vetting agencies in multiple markets. No multiple agency invoicing. No hassles; just great service and outstanding results.
Member agencies of USPR, represent some of the most talented, creative and progressive Public Relations firms worldwide. Whether you are looking for support for a local initiative or an international opportunity, USPR provides you with turnkey PR solutions for all your needs. Do you have a single-store grand opening? We’ve got you covered. Rebranding an entire regional, national or international store chain? We’ve got you covered. Need help launching a new product or service in one market or throughout North America? We’ve got you covered.
Each member is an independent agency that works closely with fellow agencies to provide local expertise and international coverage for all your Public Relations needs.
At less than half the cost of most national Public Relations firms, USPR provides your business with flexibility; local, regional, national and international expertise; and senior-level counsel for virtually all of our services.
Make the most of your communication dollars by connecting with USPR – the PR network built on integrity, trust and results.
IN MEMORY OF USPR CO-FOUNDER
SUSAN ESKRIDGE HAMBURG
1957 - 2022
Unified Strategies Public Relations Network lost a dear friend and our co-founder, Susan Lane Eskridge Hamburg, on July 19, 2022. Susan passed peacefully following a courageous three-month fight with a severe brain infection and abdominal cancer.
As co-founder and CEO of USPR, Susan helped build and launch a dynamic network of Public Relations and Marketing Communications professionals from around the world. Her leadership and vision brought about many firsts in the profession including never-before-seen group plan contracts with some of the industry’s best-known service providers for media monitoring and contact databases, business lead generators, and business contact services. These first-of-their kind group plans offer USPR members deep discounts on plans that might otherwise be unaffordable to small, independent agencies. A fierce negotiator with a gentle heart, Susan was beloved by all with whom she worked.
Born and raised in Louisville, Susan grew up in the Fern Creek area and loved recalling childhood days that seemed from another era. She also loved rooting for her Kentucky Wildcats (they can do no wrong), and praising nearly all dogs, especially her last two rescue dogs – Rocco and Scout – who provided her with endless laughs.
Susan adored Elvis. Susan saw him in Louisville concerts twice and she even tried to chase after his plane after one concert.
A 1975 graduate of Fern Creek High and a 1979 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Susan founded a successful communications, promotions, and events management company, Hamburg Media, while managing franchise-opening events in her spare time, while still holding down a regular 40-hour job.
After working on several national campaigns with brands recognized around the world, Susan later co-founded USPR Network with longtime friends and colleagues Bob and Cora Schiers. Bob has since assumed the reins at USPR as CEO, and Cora is now President of the company.
Susan’s close friends, including her dear Alpha Xi Delta sisters, called her “Skridge,” and those friends and colleagues now recall her as smart, funny, determined and kind. She was preceded in death by her father, Harry Eskridge, by 3 years, and by her mother, Marjorie (Standiford) Eskridge, by three days.
Susan is survived by her husband of 41 years, Jay, of Orlando; brother, Keith (Kathy); sister, Elizabeth; nieces, Melissa and Emily; nephew, Matthew (Alice) and grandniece Scarlett Marjorie, all of Louisville.
CONTACT BOB SCHIERS, or call 888 214 9444
Services
Services
Members
Members
360pr+ Charter Member new york & massachusetts
Anglin pr charter member oklahoma
am:pm pr CHARTER MEMBER Oregon
BLUE OCEANS PR CHARTER MEMBER LITHUANIA
E. Boineau & Company charter member south carolina
BPR INTERNATIONAL CHARTER MEMBER OHIO
carson stoga COMMUNICATIONS CHARTER MEMBER illinois
ckp CHARTER MEMBER DALLAS-FORT WORTH, san antonio, el paso, corpus christi & permian basin
boardman davis communications CHARTER MEMBER Vermont & NEW HAMPSHIRE
kathy day public relations virtual CHARTER MEMBER Alaska
ENCANTO CHARTER MEMBER ITALY
face it! charter member poland
AGPR CHARTER MEMBER state of KANSAS & KANSAS CITY, MO metro
COMMPOSITION CHARTER MEMBER IDAHO & MONTAna
hastings & pleadwell CHARTER MEMBER hawai'i
in.mode marketing charter member Kentucky
JAMES KORENCHEN PUBLIC RELATIONS CHARTER MEMBER NEW MEXICO
CHEMISTRY PR and MULTIMEDIA CHARTER MEMBER MISSOURI
GIRLPOWER MARKETING CHARTER MEMBER LOS ANGELES & ORANGE COUNTY CA
MELISSA LIBBY & ASSOCIATES CHARTER MEMBER GEORGIA
mckeeman COMMUNICATIONS CHARTER MEMBER north carolina & Tennessee
the meredith group CHARTER MEMBER SAN ANTONIO
Barbara Nash & associates CHARTER MEMBER ALABAMA
OBI CREATIVE CHARTER MEMBER NEBRASKA
IL STRATEGA CHARTER MEMBER Louisiana & Mississippi
PROFILES, INC CHARTER MEMBER MARYLAND
pushkin pr CHARTER MEMBER Colorado
rinck advertising charter member maine
ras associates co-founder & President Philadelphia, Southern NJ & DELAWARE
social t media CHARTER MEMBER Michigan
finesse public relations CHARTER MEMBER WISCONSIN
TERRANOVA CHARTER MEMBER ISRAEL
torchia communications CHARTER MEMBER canada
seedling communications CHARTER MEMBER austin & HOUSTON
WIXHILL Charter member united kingdom
Experience
Experience
A HALF-CENTURY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERIENCE
The founders of USPR™ have spent their entire careers working in the communication and media fields. Combined, they have led their own firms for nearly a half-century, and have worked for some of the nation's most well-known brands. They've planned and managed world record-breaking events, coordinated media tours for spokespeople, celebrities and top executives and led teams on national marketing campaigns, consistently landing stories for their clients in some of the nation's most popular news outlets.
“Unified Strategies takes the new playing fields of social media and old fields of traditional Public Relations and promotions to just the right place together. Strategically smart, tactically quick, with crystal clear implementation. If you want results, ROI you can boast of, ask Bob Schiers and colleagues to take on your assignment or ask them what they’d do to engage, delight and make your enterprise memorable. Bob and team achieve with integrity, accuracy and shameless kindness. I’ve counted on the team for more than 15 years. I can’t imagine doing my job without them. ”
“Over the years, I have come to know Bob Schiers and Susan Hamburg as excellent Public Relations consultants, insightful marketing communications partners and skilled on-site managers for events and product initiatives that I managed in prior positions at two Fortune 500 companies. Both Susan and Bob are always energetic, reliable, results-driven and creative in their approaches to goals. They’ve been on a number of my project teams and now that they are teaming up together, I would only expect their combined efforts to grow in strength.”
“I’ve known and worked with Susan and Bob for many years during my career in communications and marketing at three global companies. I always knew I could depend on them to turn in top-rated work and excellent results in a wide range of marketing and communications initiatives. From pre-event publicity to managing media on site during informational and promotional activities, Susan and Bob are superb professionals, personable people and always pushing for the best outcomes. I always know I can count on their enthusiasm and skills!”
“Very few things give me more joy than saying nice comments about people I have worked with and respect. The USPR team are everything you could want in a PR agency. Kind, responsive, effective and fun to work with whether you are in crisis mode or on a long-term project. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to hire them.”
Awards
Awards
AMONG THE BEST IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
The founders of the USPR Network have been on the winning team of clients receiving five Silver Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for developing some of the most effective Public Relations and marketing programs in the nation. The Silver Anvil Award is the PRSA's single highest honor for excellence in Public Relations. Below are just a few of the major Public Relations & Marketing awards we've received:
Silver Anvil for Excellence in Marketing Consumer Products Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages for the 7-Eleven campaign promoting The Simpsons Movie
PR News Platinum Awards Mark of Excellence for Event Marketing for 7-Eleven's The Simpsons Movie
IABC Gold Quill Award of Excellence for Cabot Creamery Cooperative's World's Largest Mac & Cheese
IABC Bronze Quill Award of Excellence for Cabot Creamery Cooperative's World's Largest Mac & Cheese
Silver Anvil for Excellence in Marketing Consumer Services for the launch of XM Satellite Radio. This award was given to XM Satellite Radio and Andrews Communications Inc. and PainePR, with PRConsultants Group and Allyn & Company
ADDY Award for excellence in printed materials and business video
Finalist for Pulitzer Prize in feature writing, 1984
Silver Anvil Best of Show for launch of XM Satellite Radio
Silver Anvil for New Product Launch for the Titanic Video Release on behalf of Blockbuster
Silver Anvil for Community Relations/Business for Operation Chill on behalf of 7-Eleven
PRSA Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence Award for Community Relations for 7-Eleven Operation Chill
APEX Awards for Walt Disney World in Business Communications Excellence
Grand Eagle Award for the Best Non-Theatrical Video, presented by CINE (Council on International Non-Theatrical Events)