About Us
Building Businesses Since 1972
Welcome to A. Brown-Olmstead Associates (ABOA), a premier public relations and marketing agency with over 54 years of success in Atlanta, across the U.S., and worldwide.
Under the leadership of Amanda Brown-Olmstead, our esteemed CEO and a distinguished Public Relations Industry Fellow, ABOA has earned accolades for its contributions to the PR industry.
Discover how our expertise in strategic communications, brand positioning, and media relations can elevate your brand.
Georgia’s Premier Boutique PR Agency.
Brown Olmstead Associates (ABOA) was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 1st, 1972. It is one of the longest-serving agencies in the southeast. In fact, it was the first full-service public relations firm founded by a woman in this market and has been run by Amanda Brown Olmsted as CEO since its founding. The agency has distinguished itself as clever, assertive, purposeful, driven, and results-oriented, using the tagline, “We measure our success by that of our clients.”
Amanda, along with the agency’s team, has been heavily involved in the development of the public relations industry, with her being a professional accredited Fellow as part of the Public Relations Society of America (APR, Fellow, PRSA), one of the few hundred in the industry. Through PRSA, she has held officer positions within the organization, such as chair of the Counselors’ Academy, which includes public relations agency leadership as its members from across the country. Through her many years on the Honors and Awards Committee, the agency has been inspired to set a high standard for every client with programs worthy of awards and recognition.
While ABOA’s CEO personally oversees all the agency’s clients and programs, which number in the thousands, it is the exceptional talent nurtured within the agency’s ranks over the years that provides the execution. Once the largest independent firm in the market, Brown Olmstead transformed the agency into the boutique firm it is today. This change was driven by Brown Olmstead’s desire to dedicate her time and expertise directly to each client the company serves. This is an idea-generation firm committed to helping clients achieve their goals, using every tactic possible and practical to gain the recognition, visibility, and results each client deserves.
Award-Winning Firm
ABOA has earned over 70 prestigious awards for its outstanding public relations programs. Notably, the agency has received the highly esteemed Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), recognizing campaigns that deliver measurable success for clients. Many of these accolades were awarded for high-profile international initiatives, including the Goodwill Games and the International Ballet Competition.
Throughout its history, the agency has become known for its generous service to community and civic participation. This has allowed the firm to develop an extensive network of contacts in business, government, civic, social, and consumer groups and individuals.
Please review our extensive list of clients elsewhere on this site.
Recognized for Community Involvement
Our record of providing community involvement includes the following:
- Town Hall Meetings for Georgians for the Brain Train.
- The “Pure Water is No Pipe Dream” campaign for the City of Atlanta.
- The Goodwill Ambassador program for the Goodwill Games.
- “Speak Truth to Power” reading in conjunction with Martin Luther King birthday weekend at Ebenezer featuring Sean Penn, Lynn Redgrave, Alfre Woodard, and Pearl Cleage.
- Participation of Bart Conners and Nadia Comaneci to promote Step-Aerobics, a national program.
- The Atlanta/Savannah Harbor Breakfast Forum promoting the Savannah Ports Authority.
- The grand opening of 200 Peachtree tied to the 30th Anniversary of Leadership Atlanta.
- Adams outdoor campaign and “You Don’t Know Me from Adam.”
- Street Smart Technology launch of parking meter payment by cell phone.
- Development of a book for The J. Mack Robinson College of Business Hall of Fame Program.
- Creation of “Georgian Terrace Hotel: A Centennial Salute to Atlanta’s Modern Classic,” by Julie Hairston for the Georgian Terrace Hotel’s 100th anniversary.
The “New Cyclorama Will Turn You Around” campaign and re-opening event
In the late 1970s, the agency was retained to re-open the Cyclorama in Grant Park during the term of Mayor Maynard Jackson. Many in city government were concerned about how the message about this museum, which focused on the Civil War, would play in Atlanta. ABOA developed a campaign entitled: The “New Cyclorama Will Turn You Around.” The campaign framed the Civil War as a necessary step to bring about racial justice. The theme proved so powerful that on the opening day with Mayor Jackson, the city council and other VIPs in attendance, representatives from over 60 media outlets covered the event.
These are only a few concepts that led to extensive community involvement and generous media coverage and awards. We can apply similar concepts and so many others.
Networking
Because of the many years worked in the Atlanta market, Amanda has become known for networking and giving back on behalf of her firm and her clients.
Honors, Recognition, Board & Committee Participation
• Honors
- International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame
- YWCA “Academy of Women Achievers”
- PRSA George Goodwin Award
- PRSA Georgia Chapter Phoenix Awards
- PRSA Georgia Awards of Excellence
- PRSA Silver Anvil Awards
- UGA Public Relations Hall of Fame
- Ball State National Professional of the Year (2002)
- Lifetime Achievement Award Ole Miss (2024)
- Ann Cramer Lifetime Achievement Award Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Outstanding Young People of Atlanta
- Membership in Leadership Atlanta
- Atlanta City Council lifetime achievement proclamation
- One of 300 PRSA Industry Fellows
- Women Who Mean Business Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Gold Medal in New York Film Festival
- Lifetime Achievement Award, Atlanta Business Chronicle
• Chair
- Chair of Counselor Academy division of PRSA
- IWF Georgia Chair
- Garden of Eden Botanical Ball Chaired twice
- Young Careers Division of High Museum of Art (founder)
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens
- Salute to Women of Achievement co-chair
- Chair of downtown section of MAC
- Founder and Chair of Young People of Atlanta
- Muscular Dystrophy Association of Georgia
- Eco Benefit Georgia Conservancy
• Boards
- Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Central Atlanta Progress (35 years)
- Georgia Conservancy
- IWF local and international
- Atlanta Regional Business coalition
- Alliance for Christian Media (lifetime member)
- Georgia Chapter of the International Association of Retarded Citizens
- Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Hunter Jumper Classic
- High Museum of Art
- Georgia Forward (still)
• Committees
- Fundraising Committee for Centennial Olympic Park’s Brick Program before the Olympics
Event Management
Throughout our 53-year history, we have excelled in creating clever themes for events, creating exceptional photo opportunities, media attention, VIP participation, and memories. A. Brown Olmstead Associates has been recognized for its execution of special events, including ribbon cuttings, galas, groundbreaking, topping outs, anniversaries, etc.
Our record of providing community involvement includes the following:
- Town Hall Meetings for Georgians for the Brain Train.
- The “Pure Water is No Pipe Dream” campaign for the City of Atlanta.
- The Goodwill Ambassador program for the Goodwill Games.
- Participation of Bart Conners and Nadia Comaneci to promote Step-Aerobics, a national program.
- Town Hall Meetings for Georgians for the Brain Train.
- The Atlanta/Savannah Harbor Breakfast Forum promoting the Savannah Ports Authority.
- The grand opening of 200 Peachtree tied to the 30th Anniversary of Leadership Atlanta.
- Adams outdoor campaign and “You Don’t Know Me from Adam.”
- Street Smart Technology launch of parking meter payment by cell phone.
- Development of a book for The J. Mack Robinson College of Business Hall of Fame Program.
- Creation of “Georgian Terrace Hotel: A Centennial Salute to Atlanta’s Modern Classic,” by Julie Hairston for the Georgian Terrace Hotel’s 100th anniversary.