GULFPORT, MS October 4, 2017 — The Focus Group, a full-service advertising and public relations in Gulfport, Miss. has announced the return of Allison Buchanan in a new role as CEO.

A Coast native, prior to returning to The Focus Group, Allison served in Oxford for 19 months as CEO of New Media Lab, LLC, parent company of HottyToddy.com, Experience Oxford Magazine, the Holiday Market at the Jefferson, the National Graphene Association and GrapheneEntrepreneur.com. While in Oxford, she also taught “Campaigns” as an adjunct instructor in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at the University of Mississippi.

“I am thrilled to be back,” Buchanan said. “We have all acquired new skills and experiences during our time apart, and I look forward to blending it all together at a time when we are in a strong position to take this company to the next level.”

In addition to experiencing a high-growth period during her previous, five-year tenure, The Focus Group won over 40 Addy Awards and 14 Public Relations (PRAM and SPRF) awards for work performed during her last 12 months. Allison also served eight-years on the Biloxi School Board, holding roles as president and secretary and was involved in numerous other organizations on the Coast.

Allison was president of Buchanan Group, a marketing communications firm based in Biloxi prior to first joining The Focus Group in 2011. She had served before that as a product line manager at Fortune 500 company Ecolab, Inc., in St. Paul, Minnesota and is credited with conceiving, developing and launching the company’s highly successful Oasis® product line, which is sold to hotels, restaurants and institutions around the world.

Early in her career, she served in sales, management and marketing roles with Pillsbury Corporation in Dallas and Houston, Texas and with Berkshire Corporation in Denver, Colorado and Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Allison graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Mississippi with minors in Art and University Scholars. She was in the Ole Miss Hall of Fame, was ODK “Leader of the Year,” and served as national president of the Intercollegiate Association for Women Students.

“This is the perfect time for Allison Buchanan to become The Focus Group’s next Chief Executive Officer.  She is a very strong leader, and she knows our business,” said Creative Director Cecelia Shabazz, who was part of the original team when The Focus Group started in 2010. “Exponential change is happening in the our industry every day, and our next CEO needed to be one that could thrive in a highly dynamic environment, capable of accelerating what is working and disrupting what needs to change to stay ahead for our existing and future clients.“

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The Focus Group is an award-winning advertising and public relations agency based in Gulfport, Mississippi. Founded in 2010, the agency offers a full-range of services from traditional advertising and public relations to cutting edge digital marketing strategies. The agency has won over 100 ADDY awards at the local, regional and national level from the American Advertising Federation, along with multiple top awards from the Mississippi and Southeastern Public Relations Associations. For more information about The Focus Group’s services and award-winning team, please call (228) 832-3667 or visit www.focusgroupms.com.