ABOUT – McFarland PR and Public Affairs

Who we are.

Biography

McFarland PR and Public Affairs is an award-winning public relations and public affairs agency dedicated to identifying, building and maintaining win-win relationships with our clients and their publics. We know if you have solid relationships, results and prosperity follow. That’s why we invest in every relationship by promoting dialogue and action. Founded in 2012, we’re located in the heart of Indianapolis’ Fountain Square.

Industries

McFarland’s staff knows its industries — government, healthcare, transportation, energy and sports marketing. Our experience across these industries has been realized through every branch and strategic function of the public-relations profession. From broad geographical marketing and advertising campaigns, to public affairs and public education, media relations, issue and crisis management to market and public-opinion research. Peruse our case studies, which give a small sample of where we’ve been and what we can do.

Government

We get government, from the inside out. Our experience in government spans the gamut – from research to policy and regulatory education to geographically broad public-outreach campaigns.

Healthcare

Our staff has worked on the inside of global healthcare, giving us hands-on experience with the day-to-day challenges healthcare faces, as well as the regulatory stringency inherent in the industry.

Transportation

Road, rail and air – we cover them all. From airports and rail roads to tolling and infrastructure, McFarland has worked eye-ball deep in many facets of each of these transportation categories.

Energy

McFarland has worked with energy producers and associations across the gamut of energy issues, from rate cases, to regulatory hearings, to energy-policy education, to blackout activation and environmental impacts.

Sports Marketing

McFarland’s expertise in sport marketing includes helping young athletes to launch careers, veteran athletes to launch books, and schools and communities to talk about Title IX issues.

IT’S A PR THING Podcast

McFarland also produces the IT’S A PR THING podcast, the show that helps you build relationships that build business. We’re bringing you a better understanding of what public relations is, and how it can drive your business in ways you never knew it could.

LISTEN NOW

Advising & Coaching Sessions Available Daily

We set aside three, half-hour advising and coaching sessions Mondays – Thursdays for businesses who simply need some experienced insights, ideas or counsel on how to manage their PR issues, opportunities, efforts and teams. No contract or retainer required. Learn more.

Our Founder

Founder Stephanie McFarland — **Stephanie McFarland**

Stephanie is senior issue-management consultant and president of McFarland PR & Public Affairs, Inc., with nearly 30 years of deep public-relations expertise honed in pressure-intense private and public organizations. Stephanie has served in public-relations capacities and leadership roles with Indianapolis Power & Light Co., Eli Lilly, Sallie Mae, the Indiana Department of Revenue, and various state government agencies. She has led a number of high-profile public-relations/outreach initiatives, and intensively consulted on many more – such as the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0), the Indiana Toll Road bankruptcy filing, the Indiana State Fair rigging collapse, and the original Indiana Tax Amnesty program. Stephanie has received more than a dozen awards for the outcomes of her work, and commendations from state and industry leaders. She is an accredited public-relations professional, author, former university instructor, and certified crisis-communication professional. She holds her master-of-science degree in communication management from Syracuse University in New York, her accreditation in public relations through the Public Relations Society of America, and has completed continuing education in public-dispute management with Harvard University and in incident crisis-communication management with the National Safety Transportation Board.