Our Partners

At Rainmaker Communications, our main objective is to offer our clients the services and assets of a traditional agency, minus the high costs associated with working with “The BIG GUYS”. In order to develop a strategic and multi-tiered approach to your marketing needs, we’ve partnered with some of the most highly respected independent practioners and industry veterans throughout Arizona, providing our clients with all the tools they need to help drive awareness and sales of their product offerings.

Jackie Wright President – Rainmaker Communications Lead Strategist | Public Relations | Marketing | Promotions | Community Relations Jackie’s career spans more than a decade in communications, having served on all sides of the marketing, public relations and advertising desk. Prior to establishing Rainmaker Communications in the Phoenix market, Jackie held several senior level positions with local agencies and corporations including Best Western International Hotels, Barclay Communications, Crammer-Krasselt Public Relations and Off Madison Ave. Her agency experience has allowed her to work with such organizations as; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Westcor, Streets of New York Restaurants, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Take Charge America and Animal Planet TV. Prior to moving to Phoenix in 2005, Jackie held the position of Regional Manager of Public Relations and Marketing for Macy’s Department Stores in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this capacity, she ran B2C marketing, public relations and advertising initiatives for several Macy’s locations, resulting in sales and volume increases of up to 65%. Jackie began her career with General Motors as a Communications Analyst and thereafter joined Grant Thornton L.L.P., one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S., as a Marketing Coordinator. Additionally, Jackie is a member of the Phoenix chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the American Marketing Association where she serves as Vice President of Communications for the Phoenix chapter.

Steve Bast Marketing Research | Market Segmentation | Consumer Research A smart integrated marketing outreach program is a good idea on its own because when you think about it, marketing communications is really about persuasion! It is persuading a target audience to think something, believe something, feel something or do something. However, one can augment the impact of persuasion by spending some time and resources up front on perception. Enter Nucleus Marketing Lab and its founder, Steve Bast. After working in marketing from an ad agency perspective, client-side perspective and academic perspective, Nucleus Marketing Lab was born with the simple credo that, indeed, Perception Precedes Persuasion. While it serves as an alliterative tagline, this is also the organization’s mantra. Nucleus partners with Rainmaker Communications for situations where the client could benefit from marketing intelligence and consumer research services in product development, shaping their service experience, brand positioning, competitive intelligence, internal and external customer satisfaction, concept testing and anything else where an ounce of analysis can add a pound of insight to business decisions.

Len Gutman Public Relations | Media Relations | Crisis Communications | Social Media Len Gutman, one of Arizona’s most prominent public relations professionals, started Open Door Communications in 2000 on the belief that every client deserves to be treated like the only client! Len has more than twenty years of experience public relations and marketing. Together with Rainmaker Communications, Len works to provide our clients with consistent strategies in the areas of in-depth media relations, media training, grassroots marketing, social media, crisis communications and strategic planning.

Joe Cockrell Founder of “I Should Be in the News” (ISBITN) Public Relations |Media Relations| Crisis Communication |Social Media Branding |Reputation Management Joe "PR Guy" Cockrell is a journalist-turned-PR pro with more than a decade of experience working with universities, corporations, non-profits and start-ups. If you're looking to generate national publicity and buzz for your organization, Joe is the go-to guy. His specialties include public relations, local and national media relations, crisis communications, media training, social media branding, and website content generation/copyrighting. In partnership with Rainmaker Communications, Joe assists clients with a variety of public relations strategies, integrating both new and traditional media channels to generate results for a wide variety of clients. He is also the Founder of “I Should Be in the News" or ISBITN, a community service that seeks to provide a voice for communities across the United States. ISBITN leverages a large national network of professional PR volunteers who also work to assist local nonprofit organizations with PR needs.

Defero USA Digital Marketing | Graphic Design | Web Design | Branding | Social Media Defero is a digital agency headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. that offers a wide variety of marketing services from e-mail marketing and Web development to social strategy and Search Engine Marketing. Operating with an acute understanding of marketing, communication and technology as well as the ensuing evolution of marketing as a whole into a marriage of these facets, Defero has provided its expertise to a variety of clients. Guided by relentless focus on ensuring relevancy both today and tomorrow, Defero catapults their clients’ success by harnessing both marketing and technology to maximize reach, effectiveness, and return on investment.

Kurt Krause Identity Development | Branding | Marketing Collateral Krause Creative is a branding and identity development firm specializing in well-conceived marketing, advertising and graphic/print design. With more than 20 years of experience, Kurt works with clients to effectively conceive and execute corporate brand initiatives. Whether you’re a small business starting out or a large corporation, Kurt Krause works with Rainmaker Communications to cut through the clutter and provide solutions that stick. We believe that ideas make design distinctive, and that identity, function, aesthetics and value make for innovative and creative collateral.

Mary Jean Flamer Media Planning | Media Buying The Dorfman Group’s Media Division is headed by Mary Jean Flamer and specializes in the planning and buying of media nationally, regionally and locally including national TV, local TV, cable TV, network radio, spot radio, national print, local print, out of home and digital. In conjunction with Rainmaker Communications, The Dorfman Group develops media strategies for clients who need to reach both the business-to-consumer market and the business-to- business market. Mary Jean’s 30 years of experience is well rounded by stints in New York, San Diego and Los Angeles, working for high-profile agencies and companies such as BBDO, Ted Bates (now Saatchi), Chiat/Day, Western International Media/LA (now Initiative) and CBS. Mary Jean has also held an instructor position with UCLA teaching undergraduate students media planning and media buying.

Debra Plunkett Media Relations | Community Relations | Event Publicity | Copywriting In partnership with Rainmaker Communications, Debra Plunkett from the The Salubrious Buzz works to provide public relations and marketing services to small to mid-sized businesses. Specialties include: media relations, word-of-mouth and social media marketing, reputation management, full-scope public relations campaigns, community relations, event publicity and copywriting.

D.D. Kullman Copywriting | Creative Writing A turn of phrase. A well-placed pun. Alliteration and parallel construction. That’s the realm this Princess of Prose loves to dabble in. After 20 years under her belt as a copywriter and creative director, D.D. is certain you can’t bore anybody into reading anything. Personal, friendly and easily understood communication is her forte. In partnership with Rainmaker Communications, DD works to provide creative direction and copywriting services for a wide variety of clients. D.D.’s account experience includes everything from healthcare and hospitality to homebuilding and high-tech. D.D. is at home in any medium, whether it’s print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail or interactive. And while her entrepreneurial side gravitates to the business of “the business,” her first love is writing copy that entertains, inspires and motivates readers to act. In short, crafting compelling copy that goes from prosaic to powerful, promptly.