OUR STORY
Our business was founded as A&D Innovations in 2002 in Austin, Texas to help struggling progressive political campaigns, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses utilize advocacy marketing and communication techniques to motivate their members/supporters and voters. (And believe us, in Texas, just being progressive is its own struggle.)
As our clients’ needs grew, so did our company. In 2005, A&D Innovations became the Advocacy Marketing Group, bringing a team approach to best meet the diverse needs of the clients we serve. Utilizing strategic and innovative communications and marketing skills, we began offering additional services designed to effectively move individuals and communities to action, participation, and giving.
In this accelerated information age, strategic communication and targeted marketing is more important than ever. Whether handling crisis communications, coordinating a social media campaign, creating and implementing a focused media and/or branding plan, or designing a membership program, the Advocacy Marketing Group is committed to ensuring that our clients can successfully activate the people they want to reach.
Figuring out how to help people take positive action and make change is our passion. The Advocacy Marketing Group is here to help you Create • Communicate • Motivate.
OUR TEAM
 | Corri Planck is the managing partner of the Advocacy Marketing Group. In this role, she has supported clients to advance their goals through program and content development, strategic planning, media relations and crisis communications. She brings more than 25 years of experience in non-profit and government settings, with particular expertise in the areas of human services program development and implementation, public policy, and communications. |
Corri Planck is the managing partner of the Advocacy Marketing Group. In this role, she has supported clients to advance their goals through program and content development, strategic planning, media relations and crisis communications. She brings more than 25 years of experience in non-profit and government settings, with particular expertise in the areas of human services program development and implementation, public policy, and communications.
Planck served the City of West Hollywood, CA from 2008 to 2024, most recently as Manager of Human Services. In that role, she oversaw all of the City’s social services programs and strategic initiatives, including such key priorities such as the Homeless Initiative, the Aging in Place/Aging in Community Initiative, efforts to reduce poverty, and the creation of a mobile behavioral health crisis unit.
She developed the West Hollywood Homeless Initiative through the implementation of innovative strategies and programs, including the launch of a collaborative service delivery program at the West Hollywood Library and by securing more than $6.5 million in external funding to support the development of an interim housing program at the former Holloway Motel. Planck also served as part of the Santa Monica College Homeless Services Sector Curriculum Advisory Board.
Planck directed the development and implementation of the nation’s first guaranteed income pilot program focused on older adults as a solution to reduce poverty and prevent homelessness. She was an integral part of City teams that were honored by the International Association of Public Participation (Project of the Year), SCAN Foundation, AARP, and the National Civic League, which named West Hollywood an All-American City in 2019, in part for its innovative Homeless Initiative.
Additionally, Planck also served as deputy to former Mayor/Councilmember Abbe Land and as a steering committee member of the Los Angeles County Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women’s Health Collaborative.
Planck was the deputy executive director for Family Pride (now Family Equality Council), the only national organization dedicated to serving LGBT parents and their families. In this capacity, she was responsible for directing all public policy, advocacy, and communications efforts. She was an editorial board member and family policy editor for the Journal of GLBT Family Studies.
At the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Planck was the volunteer media director/strategist for the Convention’s Gay & Lesbian Caucus. Earlier that year, she served as the communications director for the Millennium March on Washington, the fourth national March on Washington for LGBT civil rights.
Prior to that, she was the media relations manager for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian (now LGBT) Center, the world’s oldest and largest organization of its kind. In this capacity, she directed media advocacy in support of LGBT civil rights, health, and youth issues. Before arriving at The Center, Planck served three years as the editor of the Southern California Gay & Lesbian Times.
Planck obtained her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University and completed her master’s degree in education at the University of Redlands.
Email: planck@advocacymarketing.com
 | Dianne Hardy-Garcia is an experienced communication marketing specialist and political organizer. She has worked as strategist for organizations and on legislative campaigns on the local, state, and national levels. Through this work, she has honed her skills in incorporating technology and organizing techniques to enhance fundraising capacities, communication plans, and marketing efforts for campaigns, businesses, and organizations. |
Dianne Hardy-Garcia is a partner with Advocacy Marketing Group, and an experienced political/campaign organizer and lobbyist. She has worked as a key political and marketing strategist and not-for-profit director on the local, state, and national levels.
Hardy-Garcia is most well-known for her ability to conduct successful legislative campaigns and mass organizing efforts. Through this work, she has honed her skills in incorporating technology and organizing techniques to enhance fundraising capacities, communications and membership plans, and marketing efforts for campaigns and organizations.
Hardy-Garcia served as the executive director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL) from 1993 to 2002. Most notably, Hardy-Garcia helped spearhead an anti-hate crime campaign that led to the passage of the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act in Texas. Hardy-Garcia also served as the executive director of the Millennium March on Washington and is the former co-chair of the Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered State Organizations, a national coalition of state organizations. She has served as co-chair of the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus and led the effort that established domestic partnership benefits for City of Austin employees and established a statewide domestic partnership registry in the state of Texas.
Previously, Hardy-Garcia worked as a legislative aide to State Representative Elliot Naishtat. She has also served as a social worker and organizer on many social justice issues including homelessness, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, women's rights, mental health, criminal justice, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights.
For her leadership and extensive organizing efforts, Hardy-Garcia has been honored by organizations, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Her work has been covered in national media, such as Prime Time Live; The Advocate, Out Magazine, Texas Monthly, and Vanity Fair. She has been named by The Advocate as one of the gay and lesbian community's best and brightest activists; She is also featured in Brave Journeys: Profiles in Gay and Lesbian Courage, authored by longtime activist David Mixner.
Hardy-Garcia received her master's degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She has her bachelor's degree in psychology and English from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas.
Hardy-Garcia was born and raised in San Antonio, and currently resides in Los Angeles with her partner and their two children.
