the travel issue - o'dwyer's pr news...advertisers editorial calendar 2014 o’dwyer’s...

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Communications & new media July 2014 I Vol. 28 No. 7

Rise of the iGen traveler

Travel marketers: publish or perish

A peek at the next generation of cruise ships

Putting your travel brand on the map

The Travel Issue

How industry shifts are changing travel PR’s role

Experience beats all for today’s traveler

Rankings of top travel PR firms .... And more!

Special report: IPW Chicago

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Vol. 28, No. 7July 2014

www.odwyerpr.comDaily, up-to-the-minute PR news

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RANKINGS OF TRAVEL &TOURISM PR FIRMS35PROFILES OF TRAVEL &TOURISM PR FIRMS22

WASHINGTON REPORT40

January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s GuideFebruary: Environmental & P.A.

March: Food & BeverageApril: Broadcast & Social Media

May: PR Firm RankingsJune: Global & Multicultural

July: Travel & TourismAugust: Financial/I.R.

September: Beauty & FashionOctober: Healthcare & Medical

November: High-TechDecember: Entertainment & Sports

ADVERTISERS

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2014

O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc., 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. (212) 679-2471; fax: (212) 683-2750. Periodical postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to O’Dwyer’s, 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. O’Dwyer’s PR Report ISSN: 1931-8316. Published monthly.

Bob Thomas Productions......................................8

Fahlgren Mortine/Turner PR..................................5

Finn Partners......................................Inside Cover

JGAPeppercomm..................................................7

J Public Relations................................................11

Log On................................................................27

Lou Hammond......................................Back Cover

MMGY Global......................................................13

Omega World Travel.............................................3

rbb Public Relations..............................................9

Strauss Media Strategies....................................17

TV Access...........................................................19

COLUMNS

PR BUYER’S GUIDE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTFraser Seitel

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENTRichard Goldstein

GUEST COLUMNGregory Kohs

PEOPLE IN PR

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EDITORIALSo, this is the “Information Age?” 6PR GROUP MAKES $1.2MPLEA FOR NIGERIALevick wants to build support forNigeria’s effort to find the more than 200schoolgirls kidnapped by a terrorist group.

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SOFTWARE UPDATE PUTS PRNEWSWIRE ON CRACKDOWNA Google update has resulted in PRNewswire imposing new guidelines to rootout low quality content.

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MAYOR DE BLASIO GETSLOUDER PR BULLHORNNew York Mayor Bill de Blasiohas taken on a new PR chief and a newmulti-city “task force” role.

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INDUSTRY SHIFTS ARECHANGING TRAVEL PR PR pros’ roles have evolved, andnow present more opportunities to redefinethe role we play in brand development.

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THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF TRAVELToday’s travelers seek to trade thecomforts of home for an authentic cultur-al experience. Here’s how PR can help.

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ADJUSTING TODAY TOTOMORROW’S TRAVELERS The travel industry still relies onstrategies for an era of consumersfor whom these messages no longer apply.

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PUTTING YOUR TRAVELBRAND ON THE MAPDemand has surged for travel in2014. However, consumer expectationshave risen along with it.

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AMENITIES ABOUND FORNEW CRUISE SHIPSA new breed of cruise ships witha score of new features are mak-ing their debut this year.

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17 WHY DRIVING RESULTS IS ALLTHAT MATTERSThe goal of telling a brand story is tocreate buzz and put the client’s narra-tive in front of its target audiences.

WHY PUBLIC RELATIONSSHOULDN’T FORGET PUBLICSParadoxically, “public relations” facesa grossly negative perception today.

19 COLLEGE PALS HEAD GROWINGTRAVEL PR FIRMTwo PR partners were friends beforefounding a powerhouse travel agency.

20 IPW CHICAGO PROMOTES TRAVEL IN A BIG WAYIPW held its 46th annual meeting inChicago, bringing in more than 6,000attendees from more than 70 countries.

TRAVEL PR PROS: PUBLISHOR PERISHAs the travel journalism industryshrinks, brands have found a new opportu-nity to fill the content gap.

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JULY 2014 4 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM6

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJack O’[email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJohn O’[email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERKevin [email protected]

EDITORJon [email protected]

SENIOR EDITORGreg [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSFraser SeitelRichard Goldstein

Chandler Klang SmithEditorial Assistant & Research

ADVERTISING SALESSharlene SpinglerAssociate Publisher & [email protected]

John O’DwyerAdvertising Sales [email protected]

O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc., 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.(212) 679-2471Fax (212) 683-2750.

© Copyright 2014J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS & SERVICES:

www.odwyerpr.com4 breaking news,commentary, useful databases and more.

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O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms4 haslistings of more than 1,400 PR firms throughoutthe U.S. and abroad.

O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide4 Productsand services for the PR industry in 50 cate-gories.

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This is supposed to be the “Information Age?”

Afree market fixes everything. So much, in fact, that we no longer rely on our corpo-rate employers merely for our healthcare, but now for our education as well.

Global warming is a liberal ruse, but vaccines give children autism. The only acceptable solution to gun violence in America is more guns. If our workforce is paid less, somehow our businesses will bring in more customers. Hollywood has proven that American audiences are so dumb we’ll see remakes of the

same films indefinitely.The House Budget Committee Chairman’s latest plan to “slash” government spending

called for cutting food stamps by $125 billion over the next five years, but increasing defensespending by $483 billion over the next decade.

Nevada militiamen who point sniper rifles at federal agents are now “patriots.”Clean air is a bad thing.A terrorist group in Nigeria kidnapped more than 200 young girls, but the media was too

busy reporting on a Malaysian airline that disappeared a month prior.We hate “big government,” except when we want to regulate who can marry whom, or

who can be in the military, or when we want to ban abortion, or force kids to pray in school,or bail out our banks.

Apparently, science is now something you can simply choose not to believe.We can’t raise the minimum wage because it would kill jobs. The proof: a trickle-down

myth from 30 years ago that has never been proven.Every time there’s a school shooting, donations to the NRA skyrocket.The Supreme Court has decided that women don’t need “buffer zones” when visiting abor-

tion clinics, but we can still get one for our funerals.When we changed federal policies to save the country during the Great Depression, it was

noble. When we do it today, it’s socialism.Every day, a “responsible gun owner” kills someone.We’ve grown so dull as a culture that our most popular Internet sites have gone beyond

mind-numbing lists, to now simply offering lists of pictures. Most involve cats.The news has to pander to our uninformed worldviews just to get our attention.We shouldn’t increase taxes for our top earners. The last time we did that, our GDP peaked

and the national debt disappeared. Our cognitive biases are so strong that we’ll say — with a straight face — the President is

“weak” one day, and that he’s “a dictator” the next. We’re still arguing about Iraq.Somehow, by a bizarre economic alchemy that no one understands, cutting taxes is sup-

posed to erase the federal deficit.GMOs cause cancer, except for the 2,000-plus studies that have never proven this.Our feelings regarding drones, indefinite detention, unconstitutional wiretaps, and a grad-

ual stripping of our privacy depend solely on who’s in office at the time.We hate welfare, unless it’s in the form of corporate tax breaks, which cost us $180 billion

last year alone.Young people love calling out others for their “privilege,” and they do this on social media

sites, using Internet connections, from air-conditioned homes, in America.Between 2009 and 2012 alone, incomes for the top one-percent of Americans grew by

31%, while incomes for everyone else grew by 0.4%. The incomes of the one-percent nowaccount for 20% of total U.S. income. Strangely, this is fine by us.

Going an entire year without reading a book now makes you normal.We’re obsessed with projecting this narcissistic image of being morality conscious, though

it has a habit of disappearing when we’re inconvenienced. U.S. retailers have learned thatthey don’t have to improve conditions in their third-world manufacturing plants, because, asit turns out, we really like cheap clothing.

Has-been celebrities are quickly learning that all it takes is one homophobic comment tothrust them back into the spotlight.

We always want to get back to the “good old days.” When was that exactly? £

— Jon Gingerich


The kidnapping focused internation-al media attention on the basic abil-ity of Nigerian President Goodluck

Jonathan to control his massive, oil-richcountry.

Nigeria was roundly criticized for itsinitial reluctance to accept outside help intracking down and recovering the chil-dren. The BBC on June 25 ran an op-edcalled “Does Nigeria Have an ImageProblem?” The article ridiculed Nigeriafor believing such a plea for foreign assis-tance to help its “clearly overwhelmedarmed forces” might affect its image.

Jonathan on June 26 broke his silenceabout the missing girls via an op-ed piecein the Washington Post titled “Nothing ismore important than bringing homeNigeria’s missing girls.”

Levick’s pact calls for “assisting the

government’s efforts to mobilize interna-tional support in fighting Islamic break-away group Boko Haram as part of thegreater global war on terror.” It is chargedwith communicating Jonathan’s “past,present and future priority to foster trans-parency, democracy and the rule of lawthroughout Nigeria.”

Levick has partnered with Jared

Genser, Managing Director of PerseusStrategies, and Founder of Freedom Now,a non-profit that works to free prisoners ofconscience.

Meanwhile on June 25, a bomb deto-nated in a crowded shopping center inAbuja, Nigeria’s capital. It killed at least22 and wounded dozens of others. BokoHaram is suspected of planting thisdevice.

In November, the U.S. State Dept. des-ignated Boko Haram a terrorist organiza-tion. £


SPECIAL REPORT

Google content update hits newswires

PR group makes $1.2 million plea for NigeriaWashington, DC-based Levick is attempting to build supportfor Nigeria’s effort to “find and safely return” the more than200 schoolgirls kidnapped in April by terrorist group BokoHaram, according to its $1.2 million contract. By Kevin McCauley

Google sent tremors through pressrelease services with its Panda 4.0update in May. The Panda update

was intended to ensure that authentic,quality content makes it way to the top ofInternet search results, over spam andjunk results.

A study by Seer Interactive on May 29claims Google dropped the search rank-ings on millions of individual pressreleases online, particularly those pub-lished by Vocus’ PRweb.com.

PR Newswire Senior VP JasonEdelboim said the recent update toGoogle’s algorithm amounts to a “tech-nology-based editorial guidelines forcontent quality.” He said PRN editorialstaff will review releases for analysis andoriginal content, use of varied formatsrather than template copy, length to cutdown on short releases intended only aslink-bait, and overuse of keywords.

Sarah Skerik, VP of StrategicCommunications for PR Newswire, saidin a June 20 blog post that an audit ofPRN’s site after the Google update iden-tified spam press releases garnering sub-stantial traffic because of “black hat”SEO tactics.

Skerik said most of PR Newswire’scustomers will not be affected by thebeefed up content guidelines and stressedthat, in addition to the millions of visitorsto its website, the company’s proprietarydistribution network reaches a large glob-al audience.

The Panda 4.0 update also whackedresults from popular sites like eBay andask.com. £

PR Newswire has now imposed stricter guidelines to root out “lowquality content” and will crack down on releases focused more ongaming search engines than providing useful information.

By Greg Hazley


JULY 2014 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 9

The 53-year-old Democrat June 22earned the Chairman post at thenewly created Cities of Opportunity

Task Force of the U.S. Conference ofMayors. The post gives deBlasio a nation-al platform to speak up for the 99% crowd.

The panel is empowered to develop“aggressive equity agendas” arounddeBlasio’s campaign platform of higherminimum wage, affordable housing anduniversal pre-K access.

In accepting the post, de Blasio said thetask force “is going to organize the pro-gressive ideas coming out of cities acrossthe US, and put city issues back on thenational agenda.”

The task force penciled an August 10-11 kick-off meetings in New York.

The Conference says it’s a bipartisanentity consisting of the leaders of about1,400 cities with populations of at least30,000.

The breadth and reach of that organiza-tion may soon be an irritant to the one-percent crowd, which deBlasio haspushed to “pay their fair share.”

The Mayor has been atloggerheads with politicalrival/Wall Street friendlyGovernor of New YorkState Andrew Cuomo,who has his eye on theWhite House.

Both politicos will sup-port Hillary Clinton as theDemocratic nominee forthe 2016 presidentialnomination. Post-Hillary,it’s a wide-open racebetween the two men.

As mayor of thenation’s media capital, deBlasio enjoys a publicityadvantage over Cuomo. Queens-bornCuomo owns the Albany media market.

de Blasio names PR Chiefde Blasio has named Andrea Hagelgans

Director of Agency Communications tohandle his ties with various municipalunits and his cabinet.

Hagelgans was at Camino PublicRelations and handled Planned

Parenthood’s high-profileresponse to the decisionof Susan G. Komen’sFoundation to pull fund-ing. Chelsea-basedCamino works for non-profit working on pro-gressive issues.

Earlier, Hagelgans wasdeputy press secretary forNYC’s campaign financeboard.

The Mayor said in astatement that he expectsthe new hire “will helpour cabinet and agencies

clearly communicate thisadministration’s vision and policies to thepeople of NYC.” £

Mayor de Blasio gets louder PR bullhornNew York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who rose to power largely dueto his “tale of two cities” inequality theme, is now taking hismessage on the road.

By Kevin McCauley

Bill de Blasio.



FEATURE

How should PR pros use this chang-ing landscape to their advantage?Here are some trends we’re keeping

an eye on — followed by some tips for howto embrace them in your daily work.

Add “publisher” to your resumeBy now you’ve heard the phrase

“Content is King.” Smart brands are invest-ing in smart content, and the travel industryis leading the charge. Budgets to pay forquality content, from internal and externalsources, are growing — but ownership ofthe content strategy at a brand level is stillbeing defined. For example, it’s no longerunusual for a DMO to go beyond visitor’sguides to attract guests to their destination;they are also producing apps, content-richwebsites with freelance contributors, multi-ple newsletters and blogs, and running avast social media network.

Communications leaders have a uniqueopportunity to own content strategy, and inthe process, grow our presence in a spacethat was once reserved only for the market-ing department. We’ve always acted as sto-rytellers; we now have the opportunity tolook at a narrative we might pitch to a jour-nalist, and then extend that idea into contenton social media, long form editorial in avisitor’s guide, or listicle on a website. The space between paid, earned, ownedThe lines between what, and who, is paid

to produce all of the content referencedabove will only continue to blur in the nextfew years. PR departments are challengedwith figuring out when, how and if it isappropriate to compensate media, bloggers,and those hard-to-define influencers for thecreation of stories, images, and videos. Atthe same time, we are seeing more traveleditors and well-known personalitieslaunch and expand business ventures andpay-to-play programs. And we’re seeingmarketing budgets include outlets likeBuzzFeed and Yahoo Travel’s sponsoredcontent — all of which is designed to lookexactly like the editorial we’ve grownaccustomed to pitching.

PR practitioners need to be prepared tocounsel, recommend and defend strategicdecision-making in this space. Push yourway into the planning meetings; pay close

attention not just to the editorial in your tar-geted outlets, but also the sponsored contentthat lies in the next column. When you’remeeting with editors, ask them about howthey’re tackling this issue. Educate yourselfand ensure you are an invaluable part of thestrategic team within your brand. And beaware of the rise of the SuperFan, and therole they can play in your PR program.

Brand collaborations will continueWhile the general concept isn’t new

(there is a long history of high-end design-ers collaborating with hotels on everythingfrom one-off suites to entire brand con-cepts), today’s collaborations are more cre-ative and multi-dimensional. Partnershipscan lead to great PR stories, of course, butalso present an important opportunity forcontent generation across both parties’social channels and corporate blogs. Theycan also lead to subsequent micro-partner-ships that keep the story fresh. Kimpton’spartnership with public bicycles, for exam-ple, isn’t just a great guest amenity — it’sthe basis for market-specific hotel pack-ages, restaurant-driven picnic baskets, andloads of high-design visual assets for bothpublic’s and Kimpton’s websites and socialchannels.

PR leaders need to pay close attention toways in which they can stretch a budget andinitiate programs that bring in fresh ideasfor their brand. One of the simplest — andoft overlooked — opportunities for destina-tions is to partner with lifestyle brands thatare made or produced locally. Often thesebrands aren’t directly involved in thetourism community, but they can lendauthenticity to PR programs, provide awhole new army of expert sources, and cre-ate endless opportunities for symbioticsocial and website content.

The “Great Reporting Overhaul”For years, the public relations industry

has struggled with meaningful measure-ment of our efforts. There have been signif-icant changes in the last few years as majortravel brands and DMOs have begun adapt-ing more nuanced reporting.

This is it. This is the year that the shift hasgained enough momentum to be main-stream, and in the very near future, old-school ad value reports will do more harm

to your department than good. With all thespaces in which PR professionals work —from social media to traditional editorial,and the gray space in between — it’s timefor us to be able to explain our impact onbrands in a meaningful, qualitative manner.Visual curationStrong written skills will always be

important to a PR practitioner, and releaseshave a place, but no longer at the head ofthe table. Today’s audiences want to visual-ize the narrative as much as they are will-ing to read it.

Annual reportsheavy with statisticsnow need infographics.Pinterest boards areeditorial inspiration.Personalized videopitching (using Vine ora private YouTube linkshowing a low-budg-et/phone video pitchimmersed in an experi-ence) are becomingpart of our everyday.

Try a quick Googlesearch for “drone trav-el videos” and you’llsee just how quicklythe impact of technol-ogy is affecting howwe collect and usevisual assets. PR pro-fessionals need to learnhow to create a holistic version of theirbrand’s story — from visuals and interac-tive social content to digestible and cre-ative pieces of information.

The travel PR industry is leading a shiftin the field as a whole. PR professionalscontinually develop their stories to enticeconsumers; and because the travel con-sumer experience has become nearlyentirely interactive, PR professionals needto evolve their capabilities to meet theneed.Marty McDonald is SVP and Tourism

Practice Leader at Fahlgren Mortine.Angela Berardino is VP of Travel +Digital, at Turner Public Relations (anindependent, wholly owned subsidiary ofFahlgren Mortine). £

Industry shifts are changing the role of travel PRSometimes a PR professional’s job has leaned more toward media relations, while at other times ithas included a bigger emphasis on corporate communications. Regardless, there was a time whenour roles were clearly defined, and it invariably involved a heavy focus on editorial coverage. Today’sroles for PR pros have evolved, however, and now present more opportunities than ever before toredefine the role the industry plays in brand development.

By Marty McDonald and Angela Berardino

Marty McDonald

Angela Berardino



FEATURE

Agrowing number of travelers opt toventure outside the cloistered gatesof resorts in order to engage the

broader culture of the surrounding locale.Words like “exclusive,” “manicured” and“pampered” are apt to draw shrugs, whilethey perk up at terms like “authentic,”“indigenous,” and “experiential.”

Perhaps it’s partially fueled by the“Anthony Bourdain effect,” but the trend,propelled largely by the “workingwealthy” and millennials, focuses more onsoaking up local color than soaking uprays.

A November 2013 Travel and MarketReport article cites ResonanceConsultancy president Chris Fair asattributing the trend largely to the fact thatmillennials, being more culturally diversethan older generations, are more enticed totravel abroad and closely engage other cul-tures. Such travelers, rather than regardingforeign (particularly indigenous) culturesas odd and exotic, view them as part of ashared humanity that should be savoredand explored. Rather than considering aforeign culture as an artifact to be viewedfrom the outside looking in, as older gener-ations might be more prone to do, they aremore likely to perceive the culture assomething to be experienced first-hand.Fair goes on to cite the impact this trend isasserting on affluent consumers as well, asthey become increasingly more motivatedby “the consumption of experience thanthe consumption of consumer goods” — atrend he calls “conspicuous leisure” (asopposed to conspicuous consumption).

A 2011 New York Times article refer-ences the work of economist EmanuelSaez, who observes that “in 1917 the rich-est one-percent of Americans received onlyone-fifth of their income from paid work”while in 2004, “in contrast, paid workaccounted for 60% of the income of thatsame sector.” Unlike their early 20th-cen-tury predecessors, today’s rich tend tomaintain the working or middle class val-ues they grew up with rather than aspiringto the aloof aristocratic values of theGilded Age, which tended to deem “for-eign” (i.e., non-Western) cultures as inferi-or. The shifting attitude of today’s affluentconsumers extends to their travel habits,where they are much more prone to be

curious about how ordinary locals live,work and re-create.

Russ Alan Prince’s well-researched bookMiddle Class Millionaires summarizes theimpact of the latest recession on today’saffluent class: “78% of the ‘working rich,’or ‘middle-class millionaires,’ defined [as]having a net worth of between $1 millionand $10 million and still working for a liv-ing, consider themselves ‘very or extreme-ly concerned about their ability to maintaintheir current financial position.’” Prince’sresearch shows that as early as 2008, 21%of these “middle-class millionaires” hadalready begun curtailing their spending.Shocked by the reality of the recession, theworking rich have adjusted their priorities.While they still seek to enjoy the hard-earned fruits of their labor, they are lessacquisitive than they were before the reces-sion.

“They want the experience of flying onthe private jet; they don’t want to own thejet,” says Steve Zacks, Chief MarketingOfficer of 3rd Home, an exclusive web-based home exchange club for owners ofluxury vacation homes. “They’re mindfulof their money, and are more concernedwith spending on experiences than on own-ership — they want to experience theworld and its rich diversity, not acquire it.”

The recent Travel and Market Reportarticle echoes Zack’s assessment.“Conspicuous Leisure” is the “signaling ofsocial status through consumption of expe-rience rather than through consumergoods. Unique experiences, and not just forthe affluent, are social currency.”

Now a home exchange club like 3rdHome allows affluent consumers to use anasset they already own (their vacationhome) to exchange for trips to new placesand seek fresh adventures. In today’s shar-ing economy, for example, a family whoowns a vacation home in the Hamptons canexchange the time they’re not using thehouse to book trips all over the world.“Such a family can trade a week in theirhouse in the U.S. for a week in a tradition-al Thai villa, which they can use as a basefor exploring nearby Buddhist shrines andartisanal shops, or go elephant trekking,”says 3rd Home Founder and CEO WadeShealy.

But even resorts, both large and small,are wising up to the experiential travel

trend. St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City,Utah, now offers an Olympic ski experi-ence with freestyle medalist ShannonBahrke. The program allows guests toexperience a half- or whole-day Olympic-style training regimen and coaching ses-sions with the champion.

The Inn at Dos Brisas, centered on amagnificent 313-acre Hill Country ranchmidway between Austin and Houston,which hosts one of the best equestrian pro-grams in the country, encourages guests toget their hands dirty on the ranch’s 24-acreUSDA certified organic garden. Later theyenjoy the fruits of their labor (along with abottle from the ranch’s stellar 7,000-bottlewine cellar) in theranch’s restaurant —Texas’ only ForbesFive Star dining estab-lishment.

The staff at DeepWater Cay, a 2 ½-milesliver of an island justoff the east end ofGrand Bahama Island,long revered for itsworld-class salt waterfly-fishing, encouragesguests to engage with the local community.Most staff members grew up either onGrand Bahama Island or one of the othernearby cays and are still deeply connectedto the close-knit community. It’s notunusual for a staff member to pull a boat upto a waterfront bar on tiny Sweetings Cayand introduce them to the locals , or stop ina yard of a friend in route to the resort topick coconuts. Every October the resorttakes guests to nearby McClean’s Town forthe annual Conch Cracking Festival (andusually a guest or two will amuse theskilled locals by trying a hand at the com-petition).

Whether flying to worlds away or sim-ply driving to the next state, recently grad-uated millennials and financially estab-lished working rich — two groups that onthe surface appear at such opposite ends ofthe social spectrum — are writing the itin-erary for the future of travel. And now asexperiential travel increasingly intersectswith the other hot travel trend, the sharingeconomy, more and more people will optto emerge from the safety of their comfortzones in order to meaningfully engage thewider world. Lou Rena Hammond is Chairman and

Founder of Lou Hammond & Associates. £

The brave new world of travelToday’s travelers increasingly seek to trade the comforts ofhome for an authentic cultural experience. Here’s how PR proscan wear the hat of exploration guides. By Lou Rena Hammond

Lou RenaHammond



By 2020, the entire iGen genera-tion will be adults. Today, morethan 50% of children under the

age of eight have a mobile phone ortablet of their own.

Also consider the fact we have trainedthis generation to be different from anyother generation. We have taught themto know the following:

They have access the history ofhuman knowledge on phones in theirpockets.

With instant access to trusted peersand authorities, they should not trustads, commentary or really any messagecoming from a brand or untrustedsource.

They should not click on ads.They should DVR past commercials.They should not trust official state-

ments from companies or organizations.Customer service issues should be

dealt with in real time.Travel industry should evolveThe travel industry still uses legacy

strategies and tactics, relying on adver-tising and traditional media. While tra-ditional media still has an importantplace for travel, it is equally critical thatdestinations, travel companies, orattractions concede control of their mes-sages to those that influence their audi-ence.

Think, also, that the nature of travelhas fundamentally shifted. iGen isgrowing up in a world with Skype,FaceTime and SnapChat. There are nolonger geographical boundaries, inhibit-ing their ability to connect to each otherglobally. The rapid-fire ascension ofsocial media has made this doublypoignant as global events unfold real-time, not vetted, filtered or hampered bymedia or governments.

On an individual level, this meansthat the desire to see the world andbecome embedded in other cultures isno longer experience that requires trav-el. On a family or community level, thismeans that staying connected with

loved ones no longer requires planetickets. On a business level, this meansnational and global relationships can behandled in-person, but from thousandsof miles away.

Social needs that once required travelcan now be facilitated remotely.

iGen will not remember a time whentravel was required to experience theworld, connect with loved ones or man-age business nationally or globally.

If destinations, travel companies orattractions do not fundamentally inte-grate this change in the marketplace,they will see tried-and-true tactics fallingshort. Reasons for travel must now tran-scend the days when it was required.

Travel must now be experiential, spe-

cial and exclusive. It must appeal to thesenses in ways that technology cannotcapture. Finding the right experientialqualities of a destination will trump trav-el needs that can be satisfied throughtechnology.

iGen wants manyof the same thingstheir predecessorswant, but they mustbe first convincedthrough authenticity,trust and experientialengagement. Thisaltruistic and highly-engaged new gener-ation will be yourbiggest advocate when these pre-qualifi-cations are met.Stefan Pollack is President of Pollack

PR Marketing Group, with offices in LosAngeles and New York. He is author ofDisrupted, From Gen Y to iGen:Communicating with the NextGeneration. £

Adjusting to tomorrow’s travelers, todayIn 2013, iGen — the generation after Gen Y — started becomingadults. They began attending college, voting, and now they’retraveling. There’s no doubt that the travel industry, as a whole, hasspent time and resources in order to market and communicatewith Gen Y, yet there may be an assumption that this generationisn’t much different.

By Stefan Pollack

Stefan Pollack



REPORT

Options have grown for today’s trav-elers. As your target audience pon-ders going to Croatia or Cancun,

Chicago or Charleston, they’re using theirtablets, smartphones and computers to doso, making it easier than ever to plan wherethat next trip will be.

More than 90% of travel planning nowtakes place online, where travelers areresearching and booking getaways.Moreover, they’re now sharing vacationphotos and videos via social media, bothduring and after their trip.

For savvy travel brands, the opportunityis not only to inform and inspire, but also torecruit, respond and reward potential visi-tors online. With so many devices andcommunication platforms to choose from,the challenge is how to be there with theright digital content at every step of travelplanning and purchase. The most success-ful communications programs demonstratethat you “get” travelers as they dream,plan, book, experience and share abouttheir journeys. What are you doing toattract their attention?

Think media coverage when definingtravel PR? That’s just the start. Today’stourism PR toolkit includes earned mediaand also paid, owned and shared media.Successful travel promotion programsinclude both “push” (brand reaches out topotential visitors) and “pull” communica-tions (consumers seek out the travel brand)communications.

Based on our expertise attracting visitorsto destinations, hotels and attractions, weoffer this travel PR roadmap.

Be easy to find online Make it effortless for people to get the

information they want. When considering adestination, people most often search for“flights,” “hotels,” “restaurants,” “things todo” and “events.” To ensure your websiteis served up when visitors are wonderingwhere to go and what to do, develop con-tent with staying power based on theseterms.

A blog post generated as a result of afood blogger trip we organized, “Top 6Things To Do In Astoria and Warrenton,Oregon,” is one of the top referral sourcesto our client’s website — two years after itwas posted.

Commissioning travel writers to visit

and recommend their top things to do canhelp hotels, attractions and destinationsrecruit guests.

A small investment in search enginemarketing and sponsored posts featuringthis content will increase website visits.

Tell visual stories Show people what your destination

looks like. Once you’ve attracted potentialvisitors to your website, show them whatthey will see and do on their trip. Imagesand videos generate the most clicks andprompt the greatest engagement of anyonline content. Because consumers trust“real” photos from people like them,streaming a local Instagram feed on yourwebsite is a great way to affordably show-case authentic experiences from the travel-ers’ lens.

A compelling image or video has a longlife. It can be repurposed and reused in inmany ways, including sponsored content— search and social media ads — enablingyou to attract the attention of potential vis-itors.

Partner with influencers Tapping into the loyal audiences of

influential online media can help you growyour consumer base. For example, TastingTable, a popular lifestyle brand publishingdaily emails about food trends and happen-ings, created a microsite featuring“Oregon’s Tastiest Trails” featuring edi-tors’ recommendations for their favoriteOregon restaurants, hotels and attractions— plus contest prizes of seven Oregonculinary trips.

Sponsored by Travel Oregon and man-aged by our firm, this PR initiative was oneof Tasting Table’s most successful promo-tions, garnering substantially more engage-ment than other programs. The reputationof Oregon as a foodie destination earnedthrough extensive national media cover-age, combined with the chance to win afree trip to this storied place, was com-pelling. For our client, validation fromTasting Table, a culinary travel thoughtleader, and the opportunity to connect withits loyal, influential following, was a win.

Special interest media opportunities areabundant, ranging from foodies to families,Millennials to Baby Boomers and outdooradventurers or urbanites. Some of the bestpaid media partnerships result when theeditorial and advertising teams brainstorm

ideas and collaborate on execution. Reachout to several media outlets among yourtarget audience for proposals on how toobtain the outcome you’re seeking.

Listen, respond and helpSocial media is a great customer service

tool. Keep an eye on your social channelsand quickly respond to comments andquestions about your brand. If there is aproblem, take the dis-cussion offline and dowhat you can toresolve it.

Sometimes flightsare cancelled, guestscheck in to find dirtytowels in their rooms,and more. Most peoplecall for assistance,while the disgruntledbut vocal few may hopon Twitter to complain. By monitoring thesocial media conversation about yourbrand, you can step in to apologize andmake good, as well as offer helpful tips andrecommendations.

Reward customers for their businessWhen planning your content calendar,

weave in ways to thank your fans. Airlines provide inspiring examples of

delighting customers. In Amsterdam, KLMsurprised travelers checking in onFoursquare with gifts related to their trips.In London, when cancelled Christmas Eveflights left hundreds stranded at the airport,SpanAir sent wrapped presents for eachpassenger down the baggage claimcarousel. Both companies scored big-timesocial media conversations, acknowledge-ment from travel industry influencers andmedia coverage as a result.

Measure, optimize online performanceRegularly review your social media and

website analytics, swapping out underper-forming content for more engaging materi-al. At least once a quarter, evaluate overallprogress. It’s easy to get inundated with toomuch data, so select one or two key metricsrelating to your communications objectivesand build a story around it.

Content with staying power. Great pho-tos and videos. Surprise and delight. Tryone or two of these approaches to increas-ing consumer loyalty and putting your trav-el brand on the map. The results will berewarding.Vicky Hastings, APR, is Managing

Director, Studio West, at Maxwell PR +Engagement.£

Putting your travel brand on the map

By Vicky Hastings

Vicky Hastings

With the economy on the rebound, a surge of demand hasreturned to travel. However, consumer expectations have nowclimbed along with it.



The Quantum of the Seas, a 4,180-passenger, 1,141-ft. long vessel, isset to be launched in November by

Royal Caribbean. It will be the RoyalCaribbean’s largest ship. A sister ship,Anthem of the Seas, will be launched nextyear.

One of the many amenities onboardQuantum of the Seas is a capsule that takespassengers 300 feet above the top deck andsides. Quantum of the Seas will also fea-ture the first skydiving simulator at sea,“RipCord by iFLY.” Passengers “float inthe air” above giant fans. Bumper cars,solo cabins and “virtual” balconies thathave floor-to-ceiling LCD TV screen offer-ing sea views are other features that will beincluded. Expanded dining options include18 restaurants.

Launching in October is the 3,725 pas-senger Costa Diadema, the largest vesselfor Italian cruise line Costa Crociere. Costawill have 15 bars, including one for wine,and seven restaurants. There is a two-deckgaming area, with videos and lasers; aCountry Rock Club, 4D cinema, three-deck theater and a largePortobello Market piazza filledwith a diverse array of shops.

Designed to reflect her home-port of Miami, NorwegianCruise Line’s 4,028-passengerNorwegian Getaway sails to theCaribbean. It has numerous din-ing options, 12 bars, an outdoorboardwalk, lined with eateries;an Aqua Park with five waterslides — including free falls —sure to keep the kids thrilled,plus a multi-level SportsComplex with a zip-line, rock-climbing wall and a ropescourse. Entertainment includes“Legally Blonde” and“Illusionarium,” a dinner combining magicand special effects.

Norwegian line launches biggest shipNCL’s largest ship to date, the 4,200-

passenger Norwegian Escape, will debut inthe fall and sail year-round from Miami tothe Eastern Caribbean. First of the line’sBreakaway-Plus class, it will be followedin 2017 by sister ship Norwegian Bliss.

Highlights include The Haven byNorwegian — a two-level luxurious com-plex. It has 55 suites, an outdoor terraceand its own restaurant. Another showcasefeature is The Waterfront outdoor prome-nade which has numerous bars, eateriesand lounges. Cruisers will have theirchoice of 25 dining options.

Following her successful sister ship,Royal Princess, the 3,560-guest RegalPrincess, which launched in May, is anoth-er vessel from Princess Cruises. A three-deck-high piazza offers a signatureInternational Café, The Pastry Shop,Alfredo’s Pizzeria, Crooners Bar with apiano and a ‘60s feel, as well as a Vineswine and tapas bar.

The Retreat Pool and Bar are an adults-only Sanctuary. Dining includes Sabatini’s,a Tuscan-inspired restaurant. RegalPrincess has one of the biggest health facil-ities at sea, The Lotus Spa, a tranquil hide-away offering numerous rejuvenating treat-ments. Also featured is the retreat-within-a-retreat, The Enclave, with such features asa hydro-therapy pool, heated stone bedsand four “sensory showers.”

Passengers offered pampering, vistasA cruise offers fun, pampering and a

convenient way to see the world. Only onepacking and unpacking is needed. Cruiselines are offering intriguing new destina-tions, more dining options and onboardamenities than ever before, such as pools,restaurants and elegant cabanas. Newonboard features range from expanded atri-

ums, more and diverse dining options, tomore specialty restaurants.

Highly acclaimed spas such as CanyonRanch and Mandara are featured on manyships. Rejuvenating is now as much a partof the cruise experience as relaxing.

Seeking new horizons in 2015, DisneyCruise Line’s popular Disney Wonder willbe exploring the Hawaiian Islands on 10-night sailings and will also offer cruisesfrom San Diego. Upscale Regent SevenSeas Cruises introduced several new pro-ductions, including on the Seven SeasMariner, called “Cirque Rock ‘n Roll” withmusic that includes Elvis Presley andMichael Jackson. Enjoy “The Piano Men”on Seven Seas Navigator and a tribute toParis on the Seven Seas Voyager, called“Cirque L’Amour,” complete with an aeri-al ballet. Shoppers will want to head to thenew Michael Kors boutique on CelebrityCruises’ Celebrity Equinox.

Ships take new routes, new terrainUnique cruise itineraries to destinations

such as Kotor, Montenegro, aMediterranean coastal town, are nowoffered by Royal Caribbean.

Other cruises now go to the Amazon,China, Cambodia and Vietnam. One popu-lar route is the river cruise along theMekong Delta. Worldwide itineraries today

visit uncommon ports, someof which are close to home,such as Bequia, in theCaribbean’s Grenadines.

Luxury line CrystalCruises is making a maidencall in Oban, Scotland andLuanda, Angola. HollandAmerica Line, which hascruises out of Singapore, hasalso added Myanmar,Labrador and Angola.

River cruising continuesto grow in popularity, withmore than 30 new shipsmaking their debut this year.Passengers are able to dockin the hearts of cities and

towns and immerse themselves in shoreexcursions. Christmas Market itinerariesand special wine tasting voyages are alsopopular. Viking Cruises recently made itinto Guinness World Records by christen-ing 16 Viking Longships in one day. All sailto Europe. Gloria Bohan is President of Omega

Travel. £

Amenities abound for new generation of cruise shipsCruise operators are going to great lengths to ensure thatpassengers of all ages have plenty to do while their vesselstraverse the oceans. As a result, a new breed of cruise shipswith a score of new features are making their debut this year.

By Gloria Bohan

Slated for release in November, Quantum of the Seas will be RoyalCaribbean’s largest ship, and takes cruise line amenities and experi-ences to a new level.



FEATURE

When staff members at TheNew York Times opined intheir leaked May internal

Innovation Report that “we are fallingbehind in …. the art and science of get-ting our journalism to our readers,” youknow the debate about how to connectwith consumers in a fragmented, dis-tracted, on-demand culture has reacheda new level.

The now-infamous Times report istelling. The fact is, public relations pro-fessionals and communications teamsin the travel industry are faced with thevery same challenge.

Travel is a vast global industry. It’scrucial to the health of economies, andit’s seen as a fundamental element of alife well lived. Yet traditional spacesfor telling our stories are becoming lessnumerous.

Most travel editors disappeared yearsago, and the pages they oversaw havedwindled in many cities to a lifestyleadd-on. Glossy travel magazines haveshuttered, and survivors are remakingthemselves to appeal to readers who areon the bus, waiting in line or walkingdown the street.

How do destinations, cruise lines,hotels and others break through whenbroad circulation publications struggle,multi-tasking readers cherry pick con-tent and consumers, especiallyMillennials, are no longer trustful of orinfluenced by advertising?Why storytelling mattersBoomers may travel for bragging

rights, and Millennials may travel forexperience. In either case the story isthe essential, and public relations pro-fessionals long-ago mastered the art offiguring out the story. Now we can pairthat expertise with the science —understanding where travelers getinformation, keywords they search for,and real-time analysis of what they talkabout — enabling us to be the best sto-rytellers of today.

Traditionalists in the travel industrymay take exception to this approach;they may feel that public relations

agencies are not Condé Nast Travelerand should stay out of the publishingbusiness. Everyone is in the publishingbusiness these days, and the publishingbusiness itself changes every day. TripAdvisor is not a traditional publisher,and yet the experience and editorialjudgment that Travel Advocate WendyPerrin brings to the site from her daysas a writer with Condé Nast Traveler isa valuable development none of uswould have predicted a year ago. Andas the contraction among travel writerscontinues, our clients have not only anopportunity but an obligation to cus-tomers to fill the content gap.

The expert’s experience, insider’s voiceWhy does public relations need to

lead the charge in storytelling for trav-el clients? In our Travel & Lifestylepractice at Weber Shandwick, we are anextension of the client team andimmerse ourselves in the business andthe experience. For many years, editorshad to hear the passion in our voicesand listen to our stories. Because wedive deep into our clients’ experienceand learn its nuances, we frame richerstories that go beyond the features andbenefits of a display ad. We can alsotell a story through the lens of con-sumers’ passions in a way that ensuresthe content is being discovered andshared in travelers’ news feeds.

Last, and most certainly not least, weare exceptionally well connected to edi-tors, reporters, producers, bloggers andinfluencers. We know the story needs tobe strategic, consistent with businessgoals and well framed, but it also needsto be handled as a dynamic piece ofcontent that must travel well from thedrawing board to the brand publishingplatform and on to the wider web ofconnections through new and emergingsocial channels to capture the attentionof consumers.

Publishing is just the beginningThe Weber Shandwick Travel &

Lifestyle practice has already evolvedalongside many clients, includingRoyal Caribbean International, whichintroduced the line’s newest ship,

Quantum of the Seas, not only with aglobal media event, but also by utiliz-ing Mediaco, our brand publishing unitthat provides an end-to-end solutionhelping brands become full-scale medianetworks.

The plan was to facilitate expandedmedia coverage butalso to self-publishstories to ensureconsumers learnedabout the worlds’most technological-ly advanced ship.We provided theexpected “newcruise ship” contentand dissected thecruise story to cre-ate culturally rele-vant lifestyle topics that would expandour reach.

But publishing the story is just thebeginning. The New YorkTimes Innovation Report proved thatpublishers need to promote their owncontent. Doing so ensures greater reachwith the right audiences.

Our Royal Caribbean team workeddirectly with contacts at Gizmodo,Eater, The Wall Street Journal and inde-pendent influencers to drivecoverage. In addition, we saw publisherslike Yahoo! Travel, Just Jared and CondéNast Traveler pick up the content weproduced, demonstrating the need towork with journalists as publishing part-ners. No standard press release or nativead could have ever been as effective atreaching media and consumers.The Times is a titan of journalism. As

its soul-searching treatise says, the goalis “to get more out of the journalism weare already creating.” It’s a good timefor marketing professionals to beginasking themselves if they are fully uti-lizing the talent and knowledge of theirpublic relations agencies, and whetherthey even have a public relationsagency that is prepared to take advan-tage of the opportunities that change inthe media industry has created. You canpublish and yet perish without the strat-egy and connections to find, be foundand be shared by engaged consumers. Alice Diaz is Executive Vice President

and leader of Weber Shandwick Travel& Lifestyle Practice. £

Travel marketing pros: publish or perishAs the travel journalism industry continues to shrink, brandsspecializing in hospitality and leisure have not only a newfoundopportunity to fill the content gap — they have a professionalobligation as well.

By Alice Diaz

Alice Diaz


The goal of telling the brand storyis to create buzz and place theclient’s narrative and key mes-

sage points in front of its target audi-ences. These initiatives typically takethe form of creative ideas, such as thecreation of New York’s first outdoorbedroom for AKA, delivering bees tothe Waldorf Astoria New York via atown car and developing a MermaidWedding for Sheraton Fort LauderdaleBeach Hotel.

Sure, on occasion someone will booka hotel room upon reading about rooftopbeehives. However, it’s a rare occur-rence and rarely track-able. Mostly wecan’t prove these unique ideas positive-ly affect business even though westrongly believe they do. This can befrustrating for us creative types whofind ourselves living in a world of click-throughs and measurements.

On the other hand, initiatives that aremeasurable and directly produce rev-enue are high-fived by everyone. Thesecampaigns often include a discountedoffer to entice consumers to take action.Here are two examples:

A compelling $110 110th Anniversaryrate for Hotel Wolcott in NYC produced1,812 room nights and $222,795 in rev-enue in one month. The hotel team hadnever seen the phone lines light up likethey did for this offer.

A well-priced summer offer forMarriott New Orleans resulted in 543bookings for $450,000 in revenue.

Revenue-producing programs canalso take the form of ads placed onsocial media sites. A strategically tar-geted Facebook advertising campaignfor the Guerlain Spa New York spikedgift card sales a dramatic 68%.

I mentioned that sometimes the cre-ative idea is revenue generating. Hereare some examples of the right and theleft side of the brain working together:

The glamping package on the newlyrenovated deck overlooking the ocean atThe Westin Hilton produced over 55bookings. It was so popular that thehotel is bringing it back this September.

Hot wings — so hot you had to sign a

waiver and they came with a fire extin-guisher — for Jake Melnick’s CornerTap in Chicago rocked Super Bowl salesby 400%.

A good example of a successful cam-paign that told the brand story and pro-

duced significant revenue was the TLC(Tender Loving Comfort) Movement, aservice offer for Affinia Hotels, whichalso improved customer satisfaction.TLC took homeBest of Show at theHSMAI Awards. Itgarnered $1.2 mil-lion in revenue.More than 50% ofAmericans wereexposed to the TLCstory via 1-billionmedia impressions,including the frontpage of USA Today.Customer-service scores rose to #1among upper upscale hotel brands.

Driving revenue is the ultimate goal.Everything we do, including the cre-ative, must lead to that. The only meas-urement that matters in the end is thesale.Florence Quinn is the Founder and

President of Quinn, a lifestyle PR firmwith offices in NYC and Miami. £

Why driving revenue is all that mattersWe have a habit of putting PR initiatives under two categories:conveying the brand story and driving business. While acampaign typically involves one or the other, both strategiesbuild awareness, and on occasion a program accomplishes both.

Florence Quinn

By Florence Quinn


A 110th anniversary rate for the Hotel Wolcottdrove 1,812 room nights and $222,795 inrevenue during one month.



REPORT

Just in the past two weeks, I’ve seenthe following statements beinglobbed against our profession:

A commenter on Reddit referred to PRas “... companies that are paid to lie.”

From the comments section of TechDirt,one poster said that “PR firms and spokes-people are only needed when it’s neces-sary to lie, conceal, deceive, mislead…That’s why they exist. That’s what theydo.”

Experienced editors struggle to restrainand control the venal PR gusher every sin-gle day … the predictable eruptions of thecommon money grubbers. To each his orher own. My tombstone will say some-thing inspiring, I hope. (From the com-ments section on Harvard BusinessReview.)

I don’t blame people for such senti-ments (even if their particular tone isunfair and their lack of empathy frustrat-ing for starting a productive conversation.)

We describe the benefit we bring to thepublic very poorly. We, as a whole, havetoo often taken a seat far down the deci-sion-making chain of an organization,accepting roles as vendors rather than asstrategic consultants.

And, if we’re being honest, we unfortu-nately talk far too little about ethics as aprofession … at least compared to theflood of panels, articles and blog postsabout the most successful tactics forFacebook likes or the best way to achieve“ROI” on earned media.

When ethics do come up, it most oftenbecomes a conversation about compliancewith laws and governmental guidelines —as if we are content to outsource our ethi-cal due diligence to external parties.

Instead, we talk in our industry jargonabout how we can “leverage,” “convert,”“drive,” and “manage” people/communi-ties.

What’s missing in that conversation isthe “publics” we’ve supposedly beentasked with “relating” to. We’re communi-cation professionals, yet 90% or more ofour work — and our focus — has been onwhat our organizations want to say, ratherthan on serving those audiences we seek toreach. We “release,” “state,” and

“announce,” but we rarely listen,empathize, and advocate on the audience’sbehalf.

I don’t mean to imply that ethics aren’tdeeply important to people in our field.Quite the opposite. From top to bottom, thevast majority of professionals I’ve engagedwith care deeply about behaving ethically— from senior leaders to interns. Somelarge agencies have Chief Ethics Officers,and leaders throughout our field work hardto maintain ethical standards and educa-tional programs for their clients.

Further, many of our industry organiza-tions are passionate about “best practices”in ethics. I’ve personally worked with theWord of Mouth Marketing Association andthe Council of PR Firms and know first-hand how those organizations have puttheir energy behind ethics in our industry(as have others, like the Arthur W. PageSociety, the Institute for Public Relations,and the Chartered Institute of PublicRelations.).

But that dedication hasn’t yet manifesteditself in overt, everyday, industry-wide dis-cussion about our obligations to the audi-ence. Instead, almost all the conversationsfocus on what we owe our brands/clients.

Thus, our organizations, and our profes-sion, suffer from a lack of trust. And, as aresult, we have a limited ability to truly helpimprove the long-term reputation of ourorganizations.

The quotes that began this article came inresponse to news that my agency,Peppercomm, and several others had issueda statement pledging to engage with theWikipedia project in an ethical manner,consistent with the Terms of Use of theWikimedia Foundation and the guide-lines/policies of the Wikipedia editor com-munity.

The reality is that bad actors in our indus-try have been intentionally lying on theirclients’/employers’ behalf when engagingwith Wikipedia for years —adding in mar-keting copy, deleting unflattering informa-tion, and/or making edits/suggestions with-out disclosing their own relationship withthe organization in question.

And they are surrounded by a muchgreater number of communications profes-sionals who have seen Wikipedia as a

repository for information rather than a col-laboratively edited encyclopedia. Theydon’t understand why adding that bio oftheir founder or an entry for every productthey sell is a violation of the very raisond’etre of the Wikipedia project.

As a result, the volunteer Wikipedia edi-tor community is now so cynical of our pro-fession that they are hesitant to believe any-one speaking on an organization’s behalfcould even have a helpful suggestion tomake an entry more accurate or compre-hensive.

Ultimately, who suf-fers from the currentsituation? Wikipediareaders. We have alarger obligation to thepublics our clientslook to serve — andwe often have infor-mation that wouldserve the interests ofthose publics whocome to a Wikipediaentry trying to find anobjective, accurate, and up-to-dateoverview about the subject in question.

PR professionals who are acting ethical-ly have the same goal as Wikipedia editorsshould have—to ensure that entries on thesite are accurate, objective, and up-to-date.That will likely mean there will be someinformation included that our clients areproud of…and perhaps some they wouldn’tput on a brochure. But we as PR profession-als have to think of every article we readthat isn’t about our clients and considerwhat we’d want an objective entry to pro-vide.

Jack O’Dwyer’s recent column on theWikipedia debate makes the point that,despite our firms’ pledges, many others willcontinue to act deceptively. He’s right, butthat doesn’t change the need for us to actethically for our own sake — and, moreimportantly, for the sake of the reader.

Transparency and disclosure are notpurely Wikipedia issues; they are a vitalissue for our industry as a whole. I hope wecan all come together to make this a priori-ty. The audiences we’re charged with serv-ing depend on it.Sam Ford is Director of Audience

Engagement at Peppercomm and co-author of the book Spreadable Media:Creating Value and Meaning in aNetworked Culture. £

Why public relations shouldn’t forget its publicsWe work in an industry that helps organizations manage theirreputations, yet paradoxically, “public relations” itself facesa grossly negative perception today.

By Sam Ford

Sam Ford



JPublic Relations, grew 26% to$3,308,00 in 2013, an increasematched or topped by only 15

other firms among the 100 largest inO’Dwyer’s rankings of PR firms. Since2011 JPR has grown nearly 100%, andhas received numerous accolades.Additionally, the agency is listed on Inc.Magazine’s Inc. 5000 List, ranking #12in the country for fastest growing hospi-tality companies. In the digital space,JPR is listed #5 on UWire’s list of theTop 25 PR Firms on Social Media.

Luxury lifestyle and hospitality brandsbrought revenues of $2,432,570 in 2013,giving JPR the No. 9 spot on O’Dwyer’stravel/hospitality ranking. Restaurantand food clients are also an importantpart of the business, generating $875,435in fees in 2013. Clients in that realminclude Suja Juice, Tessemae’s andBlock 16 Hospitality.

Testimony to their expertise and that ofmore than 30 other staffers is a client listof world-renowned brands such asJumeirah Hotels & Resorts, TriumphHotels, Grace Hotels, AutographCollection, Vail Resorts Hospitality, FourSeasons Lana’i, MetWest TerraHospitality, Rancho La Puerta, andRelais & Chateaux properties, including

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa,Mayflower Grace, The White Barn Inn,Twin Farms, The Lodge at Glendorn andThe Goring.

Sigler and Evans moved to San Diegoafter graduation from ECU in 2001,working in PR and also waitressing inorder to meet expenses. Sigler launchedJPR in San Diego in 2005, and they part-nered in early 2009. Today they haverobust offices in New York City andCalifornia, with a presence in Arizona.They are on track to bill over $5 millionin 2014.

“Boutique powerhouse”Sigler and Evans describe their firm as

“a boutique powerhouse of more than 30experienced, passionate publicists spe-cializing in hospitality and luxurylifestye PR on both coasts.”

“We are experienced at launchingbrands and maintaining relevancythrough solid, newsworthy PR cam-paigns, brand partnerships and creativeprogramming,” said Sigler.

JPR staffers are “travelers, foodies andtrendsetters who live and breathe theseindustries personally and professional-ly,” said Evans. £

College pals head fast-growing travel PR firmJamie Lynn Sigler and Sarah Evans met at East CarolinaUniversity, Greenville, North Carolina, in 1997. In the yearssince they became not only lifelong friends but successfulbusiness partners, now leading a fast-growing travel andhospitality PR Firm. By Jack O’Dwyer

Jamie Lynn Sigler & Sarah Evans, Partnersat J Public Relations.

Video game pioneer Atari has engaged Seattle’sBarokas PR as it plots its latest comeback attempt,a bid to leverage its iconic history in the onlineera.

The “Pong” pioneer spent 2013 in Chapter 11bankruptcy protection but said June 18 that it hasa new corporate strategy to produce online videogames, apps, casinos, and video content. Licensingis also expected play a key role as its portfolio ofmore than 200 classic games, including“Asteroids” and “Centipide,” will be rented out toadorn everything from slot machines to t-shirts.

Sixteen-year-old Barokas PR is led by CEOHowie Barokas, a veteran of Imagio, the storiedSeattle tech advertising and PR firm that was soldto JWT in 2000.

Paris-based Atari, which also has offices inNew York, was founded in 1972.

Barokas PR aids Atari’s latest comback

PR News Briefs



REPORT

The U.S. Travel Association eventhosted nearly 1,400 internationaland domestic travel buyers at the

2014 IPW, the highest since 2001.Appointments were made — 95,000 thisyear, generally for intensive deal-mak-ing — and billions in travel billingswere accounted for at the trade show,the travel industry’s premiere annualmarketplace. Publicists pitched thou-sands of story ideas and PR material to500 international and domestic travelwriters and broadcasters during sched-uled media events.

“IPW is the place we come to cele-brate the travel industry, and I’mhappy to be part of that story,”said Caroline Beteta, Presidentand CEO of California Travel andTourism.

IPW Chicago 2014 also provid-ed unforgettable experiences forpublic relations professionals andjournalists, with extensive net-working and pitching opportuni-ties that resulted in scores of sto-ries about American destinations.

“At IPW, the most importanttravel industry professionals inthe entire international market-place come to the U.S.,” said U.S.Travel Association President andCEO Roger J. Dow. “The IPWdelivers more impact than theSuper Bowl!”

Chicago-style hospitalityOf course, all 6,200 IPW atten-

dees were entertained royally aswell: at luncheons, receptions, andon specialty sightseeing tours andat extravagant events throughoutthe city.

Choose Chicago, the officialpublic relations and tourism organ-ization for Chicago, and othersponsors showed off the city toglobal travel professionals, withnumerous delegate and press tours, exclu-sive invitations and extravagant partiesfeaturing Chicago-style food, attractions,neighborhoods and entertainment.

Chicago was well-prepared. The city

knew, rightly, that international visitorswould be attracted to the glamour of thefilming that occurs in the Windy City. So,it was no accident that during IPW’sSunday grand opening night the chosenvenue was Cinespace Chicago FilmStudios, where Chicago Fire and ChicagoPD are filmed for television. It was areminder that Chicago is one ofAmerica’s major television and filmhubs. The large studio was transformedinto an ultimate entertainment, network-ing and food attraction, with evenGrammy-nominated Janelle Monae giv-ing a headlining performance.Broadway’s “Motown: the Musical” and

other acts were also on the bill. Chicago’s iconic Museum of Science

and Industry was the location of theclosing night party, with a dazzling vari-ety of musical acts, from a Rat-Pack

style band to Indian to Mambo music, tosounds that might be found onChicago’s Southside, Wicker Park, andBucktown, as well as music from thecity’s noted Latin culture. Even celebri-ty Jennifer Hudson made an appearance.

Great Chicago neighborhoods wereshared in a Chicago Film Tour. One ofthe most requested tours from overseasjournalists, it was a hit.

The vibrant Chicago theater scenewas the focal point of another IPW hittour, which made stops at the CadillacPalace, Second City, the GoodmanTheatre and Steppenwolf TheatreCompany.

A Segway tour of Chicago’sscenic Lake Michigan and othersights followed.Rock-and-roll legends playDuring an upbeat event held on

Monday, entertainers werescheduled to perform after lunch.They included classic rock-and-roll legends from bands Journey,Boston, Steppenwolf, LynyrdSkynyrd and Santana. Sponsoredby Brand USA, the United Statesdestination marketing organiza-tion, the event included news ofBrand USA continuing withefforts in Canada, Japan, and theUnited Kingdom and expandinginto Australia, Brazil, China,Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany,Mexico and South Korea for abigger share of travel visitationto America. A Taste of America Networking

Luncheon, in its second success-ful year, allowed plenty of net-working and elbow-rubbingbetween tables featuring regionalfoods. It was a special highlightduring IPW. Sponsors VisitAnchorage, Visit Florida,Louisiana Office of Tourism,Travel Oregon (which provided

regional wines), and Texas Tourism pro-vided plenty of fun activities as guestsmingled among the state’s offerings of

IPW Chicago promotes travel in a big wayThe U.S. Travel Association’s annual IPW — formerly known International PowWow — bringstogether tourism officials from every corner of the globe, as well as professionals representinghotels, museums, amusement parks and other travel attractions. The largest single generator oftravel in the United States, IPW held its 46th annual meeting in Chicago this year, bringing in morethan 6,000 attendees from more than 70 countries.

By Carla Marie Rupp and Jason Rupp

0Continued on next page

The U.S. Travel Association’s 2014 IPW, held in April atMcCormick Place in Chicago, drew 6,200 travel professionalsfrom all over the world.

Photo: Choose Chicago



photo opportunities, games and foodareas. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaderswere on hand to pose for photos andsign autographs.

Chicago’s John Hancock building’s94th and 95th floors were spectacularviewing sites and the setting of a mediabrunch, which featured an enormousselection of the city’s best eating fare.Live jazz musicians performed for jour-nalists as they sampled foods from someof Chicago’s best restaurants. Travel PR pros face the pressA reverse media marketplace, where

publicists walked around and pitchedstories to journalists, was required forthe international journalists, who sat attables in sections listed by country.United States journalists were givenspaces at tables with name placards ifthey registered in advance.

U.S. travel media personnel staffedthe press room to help the journalistswith their schedules and answered ques-tions. Computers and internet accessand spaces for materials were providedfor the journalists’ comfort.

Brand USA Media Marketplace gaveplenty of time for journalists and publi-cists to interact and talk about potentialstories. That evening, there were a vari-ety of parties and receptions around thecity. One noted event was a VisitPhoenix media reception for selectedinvitees to attend the restaurantTavernita, with culinary spe-cialties, welcome cocktailsand music from solo guitaristIvan Martirena. Networkingwas intimate and hospitablewith the hosts, who alsoincluded the Arizona Officeof Tourism, Glendale CVB,Visit Mesa, Scottsdale CVB,Visit Tucson, ArizonaBiltmore, Pointe HiltonResorts, Sheraton PhoenixDowntown Hotel, SheratonWild Horse Pass & Spa,Talking Stick Resort, and TheWestin Phoenix Downtown.Many of the hosts kept inclose friendly contact withthe media guests, invitingthem to visit their propertiesfor possible stories.

San Francisco’s party bash, with lav-ish entertainers, even offering a charm-ing “drag queen” Hecklina, brought outthe laughter and the dancing spirit. TheBrooklyn Chamber of Commerce host-ed a special “Brooklyn Night” event, alively party with plenty of Brooklynhand-outs that was organized for invitedclients and domestic and international

media. It was also a sneak peek of theBrooklyn Boulders-Chicago branch, forrock-climbing and adventure activities.In announcements, the press was toldthat Brooklyn’s shoreline has bouncedback from Hurricane Sandy, and thatthis borough could serve as a stand-alone visitor destination apart fromManhattan because of all of its attrac-tions, restaurants, parks, sporting eventsand “cool neighborhoods.”

Travel journalists honoredTravel writer awards were announced

at a reception sponsored by CityPASS,presided over by IPW executives.

“If you don’t write it, it didn’t hap-pen,” said Dow. He urged journalists tostay excited about travel journalismbecause, he said “travel inspires andeducates our minds. Through your writ-ing, we readers are able to discover newplaces. With your help, we are able todiscover the world and we appreciateit.”

Winning one of the IPW Travel WriterAwards was a prestigious honor thatalso included a $1,000 check.

“It’s not really about the money. It’sabout getting exposure for quality narra-tive traveling writing,” said SpudHilton, Editor of the San FranciscoChronicle travel section. He was one offour winners this year, and won for hisstory, “A Cruise Up the Mississippi on aPaddle Wheeler,” in the category of best

U.S. destination story. There was a total of 200 entries in

three categories. Peter Ellegard, a jour-nalist from the United Kingdom, wonfirst place in the category of writing thebest story on last year’s host city of LasVegas. Long-time journalist CarlosPerez Galvan, from Mexico City, wonfirst place for his travel trade article in a

Spanish language monthly magazine.“It’s a great honor for me. I’m a journal-ist for 50 years,” Galvan said. “This ismy third PowWow. It’s a great event,and I have a lot of friends here.”

Regions, media join travel forces Don Welsh, Choose Chicago CEO,

said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’snewfound attention to tourism has paidoff and that Chicago has now opened 10international tourism offices in China,Japan, Brazil, the U.K., and other desti-nations in the last several years.Interestingly, the delegation to IPWfrom China, a critical emerging travelmarket, set a record this year with 109attendees.

Several states worked with ChooseChicago to line up post-IPW tours fordelegates. These included the State ofIllinois, the State of Michigan and oth-ers. Pure Michigan, the promotion armof the state, took a group of journalistsand other IPW delegates on a road tripthrough various towns and cities ofMichigan, such as Ann Arbor, Flint andFrankenmuth, ending in Detroit for alook at Motor City, including a visit toGreenfield Village, the MotownMuseum, and the Detroit Institute of Art.

The event also broke news regardingseveral upcoming media team-ups aswell. A Brand USA press conferenceannounced that the destination market-ing organization had recently partnered

with National Geographic tocreate “The Great AmericanRoad Trip: Five DifferentJourneys,” a campaign fea-turing renowned “DigitalNomad” Andrew Evans. Thecampaign will showcaseEvans embarking on classicroad trips across America forinternational audiences.Brand USA also partneredwith Producer PeterGreenberg, known in theindustry as “The TravelDetective.” Greenberg isdeveloping upcoming seg-ments on the impact of inter-national travel in 10 destina-tions: Austin; Portland, OR;Myrtle Beach; Chicago;Miami; Phoenix; Lansing,

MI; Richmond, VA; Loudon County,VA; and Baton Rouge, LA.

The next IPW is set to be held May30-June 3, 2015, in Orlando, FL, withthe theme of “Bringing the World toAmerica,” followed by Miami in 2016;Washington, D.C., 2017; Denver, 2018;Las Vegas, 2019, and 10 cities vying forIPW for 2020. £

Several sightseeing tours of Chicago were arranged for travel pros,including visits to the city’s vibrant downtown and theater district.

Photo: Cesar Russ Photography


JULY 2014 4 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 4 ADVERTISING SECTION22

5W PUBLIC RELATIONS

1166 Avenue of the Americas4th FloorNew York, NY 10036212/999-5585

Ronn Torossian, President & CEO

5W Public Relations helps someof the world’s most admired traveland hospitality brands reach travel-ers, providing inspiration for theirnext adventure.

Whether it’s introducing a desti-nation to travelers, launching anew property or promotion, build-ing engagement or developingstrategies to dominate a market,our team of professionals createssophisticated programs that cap-ture attention for travel and hospi-tality brands in a crowded, distract-ed world.

We help our clients garner ongo-ing publicity, educating businessand leisure travelers, media andtravel influencers about destina-tions, properties and tourism pro-grams. We’ve helped our clientscreate news that breaks them out oftravel media, generating coveragethat spans lifestyle, digital, busi-ness and more. Our clients havebenefitted from experiential eventsthat help them imagine themselvesat a destination, and have reachedpassionate travelers through digitalapproaches that reach consumersas they’re making decisions aboutwhere to go, where to stay andwhat to enjoy.

5W Public Relations’ clients inthe Travel & Hospitality divisionrecognize our PR agency’s abilityto drive brands to the ultimate levelwithin the consumer market. Weunderstand the need for results andtarget a broad arena of media toyield consumer interest, brandrecognition and overall, to estab-lish authority of our travel brandson a local and global level. 5WPublic Relations has quickly estab-lished itself as a leader in traveland hospitality PR, with a uniquetalent for developing integratedcommunications campaigns thatget results.

Client experience includesTravel Alberta, The WyndhamHotel Group, Gray Line NY,Marriott Hotels, Tourism Ministryof Morocco, NY Sightseeing, The

Loews Regency, TzellTravel/Travel Leaders Group,Luna Park at Coney Island,Fareportal, EL AL Airlines, OysterHotel Reviews, BuckinghamHotel, 1-800-CHEAPSEATS,Roomer.com, Cheap-O-Air, TheIsrael Ministry of Tourism, andThe Ice Rink at RockefellerCenter.

BENDEL COMMUNICATIONS

INTERNATIONALNew York • Arizona • California •North Carolina • Oregon •Washington, DC • Sydney,Australia917/969-9919www.BendelCommunications.com

Peggy Bendel, PresidentSue Lomenzo, StrategicCommunications/Social MarketingLeora Lanz, HospitalityMarketingBill Baker, Destination Branding

Travel is our passion, andamong our team, we’ve coveredthe globe — well, not Antarctica(yet)! Headed by HSMAILifetime Achievement publicrelations award-winner PeggyBendel, we’re a consortium ofsenior travel industry profession-als with more than a century’sreal world experience, represent-ing almost every facet of the trav-el industry, including countries,regions, cities, NGOs, hotels,trade shows, cruise lines and touroperators.

We’ve created award-winningsolutions to marketing chal-lenges, led teams of top mar-keters, handled crises of startlingproportions, escorted press trips,planned special events and pro-motions, solved thorny problems,spoken at conferences and tradeshows around the world, writtenarticles and books — and had anexciting and fulfilling time doingso.

We also enjoy working in part-nership with other firms to tacklespecial assignments that mightdisrupt ongoing client services,from crisis communications tospecial events.

Public speaking is a forte, aswell: among us, we have servedas keynote speakers, workshopleaders and panelists on the topics

of public relations, marketing,social media, destination brand-ing, strategic communications,media training and organizationalstructure at conferences aroundthe world, most recently inCanada, Norway, Madeira,Uganda and the US.

Current tourism clients includePeter Sommer Travels (petersom-mer.com), offering historic andculinary gulet sailing and landtours of coastal Turkey, Greeceand Sicily; Montana-basedEcology Project International(ecologyproject. org), pairing UShigh school students with theirpeers in Mexico, Costa Rica,Ecuador and the GreaterYellowstone Ecosystem toenhance and restore wildlife andhabitat; the Outer Banks NationalScenic Byway, one of the mostremarkable destinations in thecountry; TerraVelo Tours (terrav-elotours.com), the only companyto offer luxury cycling combinedwith mobile luxury camping; andVilla le Barone, 28-room 4-starhotel in the beautiful countrysideof Chianti, Italy. Peggy sits on theBoards of the Destination andTravel Foundation, theAssociation of Travel MarketingExecutives, and the Society ofAmerican Travel Writers(satw.org). She is the author ofIt’s a Crisis! NOW What? A Step-By-Step Crisis CommunicationsHandbook for the GlobalHospitality Industry.

BLAZE225 Santa Monica Blvd., 3rd floorSanta Monica, CA 90401310/395-5050Fax: 310/[email protected] www.blazepr.com

Matt Kovacs, President

BLAZE is the nationally rec-ognized PR firm that attractscompelling and aggressive con-sumer brands that need to win.BLAZE develops campaignsthat help our clients create orreclaim relevance in the market-place. Utilizing comprehensivestrategic communications cam-paigns to differentiate and ele-vate our clients from their com-petitors, we are able to exceedour clients’ expectations when itcomes to positioning them to

their audiences and attractingpositive attention from bothconsumers and the media.BLAZE also offers full publicaffairs capabilities through itsparent company DAVIES.

Clients include: AmaWaterways,Anaheim Marriott, Citadel Outlets,Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa, LosAngeles Airport Marriott, LongBeach Renaissance Hotel,Manhattan Beach Marriott, Marinadel Rey Marriott, MonterreyMarriott, TAITRA, and Toro Ride.

BPCM537 West 25th Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10001212/741-0141bpcm.com

Vanessa Von Bismarck, PartnerCarrie Phillips, PartnerSarah Pallack, LifestyleDepartment Supervisor

BPCM is a fully integratedagency with offices in NewYork, Los Angeles and Londonthat specializes in brand build-ing and communications forluxury travel, tourism, and glob-al hospitality companies.Founded by Carrie EllenPhillips and Vanessa vonBismarck in 1999, BPCM beganwith a focus on fashion and hassince proven the ability to buildand grow brands to becomeleaders across all luxury mar-kets.

We believe in a comprehen-sive style and in addition toglobal media coverage some ofour greatest successes havebeen in partnership develop-ment, event planning and influ-encer engagement. BPCM’shallmark is developing pro-gramming that elevates brandawareness on a global scale,taking hospitality brandsbeyond travel and into thelifestyle sphere.

Current clients include: TheLuxury Collection Hotels &Resorts, Mustique, Monte-CarloSBM, and Langham Place, FifthAvenue. Past clients and consul-tation projects include:Marrakech International FilmFestival, Le Meridien Hotels,Moroccan National TouristOffice, Krug Champagne,Volkswagen, and more.

TRAVEL AND TOURISM PRO’Dwyer’sguide to:


PROFILES OF TRAVEL & TOURISM PR FIRMS

ADVERTISING SECTION 3 JULY 2014 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 23

COYNE PR5 Wood Hollow RoadParsippany, NJ 07054973/588-2000www.coynepr.com

5 Bryant Park, 28th FloorNew York, NY 10018212/938-0166

604 Arizona Ave., Suite 10Santa Monica, CA 90401310/395-6110

Tom Coyne, CEORich Lukis, PresidentJohn Gogarty, Executive VicePresidentJennifer Kamienski, Senior VicePresidentLauren Mackiel Gory, VicePresident

Coyne PR’s Travel practicepossesses the creativity, experi-ence and passion to make a game-changing impact on your busi-ness. Our team has managed andexecuted world-class events andpromotions, brand building cam-paigns, social media programsand media relations for some ofthe travel industry’s most promi-nent brands and destinations.Clients include South AfricanTourism, Disney Parks &Resorts, Adventures by Disney,Disney Cruise Lines, HeathrowAirport, TripAdvisor, Hong KongTourism Board, OutriggerResorts and Hard RockInternational. The Coyne Travelteam has developed ideas andcampaigns that take our clientswhere they want to be — andbeyond. Our in-depth knowledgeof the travel industry and long-standing relationships with thetravel media help brands standout in the crowded travel market-place.

DEVELOPMENTCOUNSELLORS

INTERNATIONAL(DCI)

215 Park Avenue South, 10th Fl.New York, NY 10003212/725-0707www.aboutdci.comTwitter: @AboutDCI

Andrew Levine, President/ChiefCreative OfficerKaryl Leigh Barnes, ExecutiveVice President/Partner

DCI is the leader in marketingplaces. Since 1960, our firm has

represented more than 400 desti-nations around the world, stimu-lating visitor arrivals and invest-ment through economic develop-ment and tourism marketing.DCI’s Tourism Practice featuresthree divisions: publicrelations/consumer marketing,travel trade marketing/representa-tion and meetings/incentive sales.Our Tourism Practice’sdigital/social media team designsdigital strategy and tactical pro-grams for DMOs. DCI’s currentclient roster includes some of themost dynamic destination brandsin the travel space including suchstates as California and NorthCarolina; cities such asLouisville, Park City, andToronto; and international desti-nations including Australia,Dubai, Chile, Namibia andScotland; as well as the U.S.Travel Association. These desti-nations are served by our staff ofmore than 50 destination mar-keters, from our New York head-quarters and regional offices inDenver, Los Angeles, Tampa andToronto.

DQMPR25 E. 21st Street, Floor 11New York, NY 10010212/598-1160www.dqmpr.com

Yves Gentil, President

Headquartered in New YorkCity with a satellite office inMiami, DQMPR is an award-winning, multi-lingual boutiquetravel and lifestyle public rela-tions agency. DQMPR leveragesits extensive network to organ-ize coast-to-coast targeted mediacampaigns on behalf of clients,from morning television to printand online coverage. Clientsrely on the agency’s industryexperience, compelling story-telling and relationships in theexecution of media events, presstrips and trade shows. In addi-tion to media relations,DQMPR’s trade division workswith the travel trade and cruiseindustries on behalf of clients.DQMPR’s excellence in publicrelations has been recognized byHospitality Sales & MarketingAssociation International with12 Gold Adrian Awards as wellas the Society of AmericanTravel Writers with two goldand one silver award for workwith Extraordinary JourneysAfrica, Finnair and TourismQuebec. The agency was hon-

ored with HSMAI’s Platinumaward for its work with the“Today Show” and an Emmynomination for bringing WNYWFox 5’s “Toni On!” to Quebecfor segments in MountTremblant and Quebec City dur-ing its 400th anniversary.

Current clients include theCroatian National Tourist Board,CroisiEurope, ExtraordinaryJourneys Africa, Finnair,Geringer Global Travel, PerilloTours, Tourism New Zealand,Tourism Quebec and ZicassoHandcrafted Travel.

Coyne PR and South African Tourism welcomed Blair Underwoodand Alfre Woodard, actors and co-founders of Artists for a NewSouth Africa (ANSA), to accept South African Tourism’s “Friend ofSouth Africa Award” on behalf of ANSA at the fifth annual UbuntuAwards at Gotham Hall in New York. (Photo by DianeBondareff/Invision for South African Tourism)

DQMPR’s (L to R) Erin Levi,Yves Gentil and Julia Levi at the HSMAI awardsin January 2013, where they received six Gold Adrian Awards.




EVINS COMMUNICATIONS

635 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10022212/688-8200www.evins.comfacebook.com/EvinsCommunicationstwitter.com/EVINSsct

Mathew L. Evins, ChairmanLouise R. Evins, CEOElyse Heckman, Vice President /Director of Travel & Hospitality David Harrison, Director, Digital& Social Integration

We help to define a brand’sessence and create emotive experi-ences that bring brands to life.We utilize brand experiences to

catalyze brand passion andengagement.We cultivate and nurture brand

engagement to foster brand advo-cacy and storytelling.We optimize brand mind-share

through brand advocacy and story-telling.We transform brand mind-share

into brand market-share.EVINS is the leading branding,

marketing, communications andpublic relations firm in the luxuryand prestige sectors, with specialistexpertise in travel and hospitality.Over nearly thirty years, we havemade an invaluable contribution tothe growth and development ofnumerous industry icons, includ-ing American ExpressCenturion/Platinum, DEPAR-TURES Magazine, Exclusive

Resorts, Groupe Floirat, Hotels &Resorts of Halekulani, PreferredHotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotel& Resorts, The Lanesborough andWheels Up, amongst many others.Our client work has garnerednumerous awards and accolades,and we are consistently recognizedfor excellence in creativity, strate-gies and tactics. Mathew Evins, the firm’s

Chairman, has lectured on luxuryand hospitality at the Cornell HotelSchool and NYU’s GraduateSchool of Business, and has con-tributed to numerous industry pub-lications and business media.Questex Hospitality + Travelappointed Mr. Evins to serve onthe Boards of the InternationalHotel Investment Forum Berlin(IHIF), the leading internationalmeeting place for the hotel invest-ment community; Luxury TravelExchange International (LTX), theleading event for today’s travelprofessional focused on luxury andpremium niche markets, and ofULTRA Luxury Exchange(ULTRA), an invitation-only con-ference engaging the world’s elitetravel professionals.

FAHLGREN MORTINE

4030 Easton Station, Suite 300Columbus, OH 43219614/383-1500www.fahlgrenmortine.com

Neil Mortine, President and CEOMarty McDonald, SVP, TourismPractice Leader

Fahlgren Mortine works withclients in 29 states and is a top 30independent firm nationally. Theagency has been recognized withdozens of national PR and tourismawards, including Silver andBronze Anvils from PRSA and aMercury Award from the U.S.Travel Association. In 2013,Fahlgren Mortine was recognizedwith a PRSA Bronze Anvil formedia relations for the Office ofTourismOhio, and a Travel +Leisure Magazine SMITTY Awardfor work on behalf of Myrtle BeachArea Chamber of Commerce/CVB.Headquartered in Columbus,

Ohio, Fahlgren Mortine also haslocations in West Virginia,Colorado, Florida, Kentucky andSouth Carolina. Travel industryclient experience includes Office ofTourismOhio; Myrtle Beach AreaChamber of Commerce/CVB;Experience Columbus; HyattRegency; Hilton; North Dakota

Department of Commerce/Tourism;Hocking Hills Tourism Association;and many other destinations,regions, festivals, hospitality prop-erties and more.

FINN PARTNERSTRAVEL AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT301 East 57th StreetNew York, NY 10022212/715-1600 www.finnpartners.com

Gail L. Moaney, Directorand Managing Partner, Travel /Lifestyle GroupMorris Silver, Managing PartnerVirginia M. Sheridan, ManagingPartner

The Finn Partners Travel /Lifestyle Group is one of thelargest travel practices in the pub-lic relations industry. Our team isunrivaled for the creativity, execu-tion and commitment we bring toour clients. Our capabilities andexperience has been proven byour successful representation ofsome of the world’s top travelbrands.We have consistently gained

and retained clients through ourmeasureable bottom-line resultsand by comprehending theirunique histories, preserving andbolstering their reputations andunderstanding their vision for thefuture.Our commitment to our clients

is to be an extension of theirbrands — a true partner in everyway. When that commitment iscombined with unsurpassed skilland experience in all the criticalareas of travel and lifestyle mar-keting, we deliver results that pro-vide an elevated, long term brandlife, a stronger share of mind andan increased share of market.Our services include strategic

public relations planning and exe-cution, global consumer / traveland trade media relations, crisiscommunication, reputation man-agement, brand development,social and digital applications,partnership alliances, promotionsand special events.With a staff of over 50 highly

skilled professionals, we representairlines, cruise lines, domestic andinternational destinations, hotels,resorts, rail companies, real estatedevelopers, travel associationsand travel service providers.The greatest measure of our

Finn Partners Travel/Lifestyle Group secured a partnership betweenManhattan’s elite members-only Core Club and their client, theJamaica Tourist Board, to host a private “Journey to Jamaica” bashin June 2014. Festivities included Grammy-winning Jamaicanrecording artist Shaggy (pictured here) entertaining the audience.

Photo by: Zoe Hiigli Studio

Members of the Fahlgren Mortine Team at the PRSA Tourism Sectionconference in June.

Julymagazine_Layout 1 7/11/14 12:44 PM



success is the satisfaction of ourclients, the longevity of our clientrelationships, and the recognitionwe’ve received from industryinfluencers and clients alike fordelivering high-quality, substan-tive work.

FRENCH/WEST/VAUGHAN

112 East Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919/832-6300 www.fwv-us.com

Rick French, Chairman & CEO David Gwyn, President / PrincipalNatalie Best, Executive VicePresident / Director of ClientServices / Principal

French/West/Vaughan (FWV) isthe Southeast’s leading public rela-tions, public affairs and brand com-munications agency, independentor otherwise. Founded in April1997 by Agency Chairman & CEORick French, FWV now employs89 research, public relations, publicaffairs, advertising and digital mar-keting experts among its Raleigh,N.C. headquarters and New YorkCity, Dallas, Los Angeles andTampa offices. FWV’s dedicated travel and

tourism practice, ranked as the #12firm for Travel and Tourism PR byO’Dwyer’s, boasts extensive desti-nation marketing experience, spe-cializing in lifestyle and leisuremarketing and public relations.Current travel and tourism industryclients include the Dude Ranchers’Association, the Wilmington andBeaches CVB (N.C.), CarolinaBeach, Kure Beach, WrightsvilleBeach, and Tweetsie Railroad —North Carolina’s Oldest ThemePark. In addition, FWV has workedwith Divi Resorts and its nineCaribbean properties, and co-oper-ative destination marketing witheach of the tourism organizationsfor Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, St.Croix (U.S.V.I. Dept. of Tourism)and St. Maarten; Gatlinburg, Tenn.;Cabarrus County, N.C. — home toNASCAR’s Lowe’s MotorSpeedway; Oakland County,Mich.; Branson, Mo.; the OldSalem Moravian Village in N.C.;the Greater Raleigh CVB; andAmerica’s Historic Triangle, locat-ed in Williamsburg, Va. In addition to its portfolio of

travel and tourism clients, FWVworks with many of the world’sleading companies and brands,including international utilityprovider ABB, Saft Batteries,Wrangler, Justin Brands, Melitta

Coffee, Moe’s Southwest Grillrestaurants, the InternationalGemological Institute (IGI) andHood River Distillers. Theagency’s fully integrated creativeand digital team provides award-winning advertising, graphicdesign and digital and social mediaservices for a wide range of clients.

GRAHAM & ASSOCIATES

111 Maiden Lane, Ste. #650San Francisco, CA 94108415/986-7212Fax: 415/[email protected]

Graham & Associates isrenowned for award-winningexpertise in strategic national andinternational PR, communica-tions, branding and social mediaprograms for travel and hospitali-ty, and consumer lifestyle clients.The agency also has establishedexpertise working with compa-nies with an environmental andsocially responsible focus.Founded in 1996, the agency is

known for its successful launch-es, relaunches and highly creativeand results-driven campaigns.Graham & Associates has a suc-cessful track record with hall-mark and emerging companiesand properties, including CavalloPoint, Jean-Michel Cousteau FijiIslands Resort, Post Ranch Inn,El Capitan Canyon, EvergreenLodge, Wyndham Worldwide,and more.Graham is recognized in the

industry with more than 80 topnational PR awards includingStevie’s Best CommunicationCampaign, North America;PRSA’s Silver Anvil; a SpecialCreativity Award from theInternational Public RelationsAssociation (all in tourism); andthe Magellan “Best AgencyCommunications CampaignWorldwide.” Graham operatesthroughout Europe via Plexus, anexclusive organization of agen-cies it co-founded.

JGAPEPPERCOMM

470 Park Ave. South, 4th Flr. NorthNew York, NY 10016212/[email protected]

Ed Moed, Managing Partner &Co-Founder

Janine Gordon, PresidentMaggie O’Neill, Partner &Managing Director

JGAPeppercomm is the luxu-ry and lifestyle specialty teamwithin Peppercomm, an award-winning, independently owned19-year-old integrated market-ing communications agencyheadquartered in New York,with offices in San Franciscoand London. Our approach marries fully

integrated marketing strategywith high-touch service anddepth of experience in the trav-el, tourism, hospitality and lux-ury lifestyle categories. Withclients ranging from developersof choice real estate to world-class hotels, four-star destina-tion resorts and more, our teamof experts has the know-howand passion to build and nurturebrands. We’ve partnered multi-million dollar residential prop-erties with the jets that get you

there, educated UHNWI regard-ing the finer points of travel andcounseled some of the world’sleading financial and consultinggroups on the relationshipamong lifestyle, leisure andinvestment.The key to success, we

believe, is to understand premiumbrand values. We craft compellingstories based upon a thoroughappreciation of your brand’s attrib-utes. Our approach is focused on“outside-in” thinking: strategy andexecution that let clients envision— and realize — the potential ofconnecting with their target audi-ences more effectively and moremeaningfully than ever before. We listen to our clients’ needs

and to those of their stakeholders.By putting ourselves at the tablewith your customers, we are able tofully engage and build powerfulconnections with them — wherethey live, work, play, shop and

0Continued on page 26

The Dude Ranchers’ Association (DRA), a non-profit representing 95dude ranches across North America, engaged FWV to increaseawareness of dude ranches and encourage consideration of theWestern U.S. as a vacation option through an earned media campaign.

Julymagazine_Layout 1 7/11/14 12:44 PM



share. To insure optimum results,we repeat these high-impact tactics,refining, as needed.

This approach drives the strategyfor all our integrated marketingservices, including PR/socialmedia, branding,experiential/events, crisis commu-nications, celebrity endorsements,co-branding/strategic alliances,licensing, digital/creative servicesand more. At JGAPeppercomm,we consistently deliver exception-al, business-building results for thebrands we serve.

To learn more, please visit us atwww.peppercomm.com, drop us aline at [email protected] call President Janine Gordon, at212/931-6185.

J PUBLIC RELATIONS

530 Seventh Avenue, #1108New York, NY 10018212/924-3600Fax: 212/898-1361www.jpublicrelations.comtwitter: @jprpublicityInstagram: jpublicrelationsFacebook.com/jpublicrelations

A bi-coastal force with offices inNew York and California, and apresence in Arizona, J PublicRelations (JPR), has become one ofthe most admired companies in thecompetitive travel, hospitality andluxury lifestyle PR industry. Theagency continues to develop andmanage highly successful media

relations, social media and digitalcampaigns, and has elevated the artof brand positioning and messagingthrough development of creativeprograms and packages for hospi-tality clients and global hotelbrands. The agency’s client rosterincludes many of the world’s mosthighly esteemed hospitality brands,hotels, restaurants, spas and luxurylifestyle brands. The agency hasgrown more than 250 percent in thepast three years, ranking amongO’Dwyer’s top 100 fastest growingagencies in the U.S. JPR has alsoearned a spot on the Inc. 5000 listof fastest growing private compa-nies, placing 12th in the nation forfastest growing private companiesin travel and hospitality.

JPR achieves results designed toenhance each client’s brand anddirectly impact revenue. Areas ofexpertise include media relations,digital and social media strategyand management, media events andtours, brand launches, propertyopenings and repositioning cam-paigns. True to the company motto“don’t let the pink fool you,” JPR isa powerhouse of savvy specialists,experienced at launching brandsand keeping them relevant throughconsistent innovation, creativityand enthusiasm.

K. SUTHERLANDPUBLIC RELATIONSCalifornia • NevadaKSutherlandPR.com949/328-4895

K. Sutherland PR is a boutiquepublic relations agency that spe-cializes in the travel and tourismindustry. The resorts, destinations,

and travel brands the agency rep-resents have been featured in tar-geted media on a local, regional,national and even internationallevel with placements in outletssuch as Huffington Post, Yahoo!,CNN, Wall Street Journal, Men’sJournal and many more.

From international luxuryresorts, boutique hotels, worldcruise lines, adventure destina-tions, spas, travel accessories,lifestyle brands and more, theteam at K. Sutherland PR executesinnovative, personalized and tar-geted campaigns comprising ofboth traditional and new mediaavenues that help clients achievetheir business goals.

In addition, everyone within theagency has a deep appreciation forand love of travel and culture. Theagency’s team is multilingual andworks with travel clients fromaround the world. Learn more atKSutherlandPR.com.

KTCPR

77 N. Centre Ave., Suite 215Rockville Centre, NY 11570516/[email protected]

Richard S. Kahn, PresidentTheresa M. Oakes, SeniorAccounts SupervisorJosh Kahn, Senior AccountsSupervisor

KTCpr, formerly known asKahn Travel Communications, is a23-year-old boutique public rela-tions, marketing and publishingagency created by Richard S.Kahn, former editor-in-chief andassociate publisher of Travel Agentmagazine. KTCpr has developedits practice around the niche traveland tourism markets with clients inthe public and private sectors.

Kahn, having spent 22 years as areporter, writer and editor for news-papers and magazines, has a strongunderstanding and connection tothe media — the end game for anypublic relations agency. Kahn wasthe 2014 recipient of the HSMAIWinthrop W. Grice LifetimeAchievement Award for publicrelations excellence.

KTCpr was launched with a pur-pose — to be responsive to themedia and act as a “go to” resource.With that mantra at the forefront,the company has sustained steadygrowth based on achieving resultsthanks to Kahn and his staff’s rela-tionships with the media. KTCpr’sexpertise covers media relations,the creation of promotions (print,

radio and Internet), the launch ofnew hotels and resorts, marketingconsultation, crisis communication,social media campaigns, speechwriting and publishing services.

KTCpr’s client roster runs thegamut of the diverse niches inthe travel and tourism industriesand includes: Brite Spokes byKuoni, Apple Vacations,CheapCaribbean.com, TravelImpressions, Fareportal, theSociety of American TravelWriters (SATW), April TravelProtection, the Caribbean Hotel& Tourism Association, SpiceIsland Beach Resort in Grenada,Mango Bay Hotel Group inBarbados, Magdalena GrandBeach & Golf Resort in Tobago,Morritt’s Resort in the CaymanIslands, Victoria Cruises inChina, Aranui Cruises in theSouth Pacific, Pacific DelightTours, St. Maarten TouristBureau and IntervalInternational.

Key placements over the yearshave been TV exposure on“Today,” “The Early Show” andlocal New York news stations aswell as feature print coverage inThe New York Times, TheWashington Post, The Los AngelesTimes, New York Newsday, TheBoston Globe, Miami Herald,Travel + Leisure, Conde NastTraveler, Sports Illustrated, BlackEnterprise and many more in addi-tion to all the major travel tradepublications. Internet coverage hasbeen prominent as well includingFrommers.com and the HuffingtonPost.

LANE905 SW 16th AvenuePortland, OR 97205503/221-0480www.lanepr.com

500 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2720New York, NY 10110

Wendy Lane Stevens, President

LANE delivers results that buildbusiness for clients. Drawing onmore than 20 years of experience inthe travel and tourism industry, wecreate integrated public relationsstrategies that connect with keyaudiences and stakeholders acrossall communication channels. Wetrack trends, monitor consumersentiments, and place stories wherekey audiences seek information:online, in print or over the air-waves. We reach our clients’ audi-

JGA PEPPERCOMM0Continued from page 25


K. Sutherland PR, from left to right: Stephanie Fasi, Kerry Sutherland,Jill O’Driscoll and Sarah Hinckley.




ences wherever they reside, gar-nering proven results in marketsthat matter most.

Whether elevating a propertyor a destination, we use freshideas and creative energy to edu-cate, inform and inspire people toaction. Our award-winning cam-paigns have produced measurableresults for clients such as TravelOregon, Brasada Ranch Resort,Cannon Beach Chamber ofCommerce, Eagle Crest Resort,Evergreen Wings & WavesWaterpark, Sokol Blosser Winery,Wines from Spain, The HeathmanHotel Group and Travel Portland.

LAURA DAVIDSONPUBLIC RELATIONS

72 Madison Ave., 8th FloorNew York, NY 10016212/696-0660www.ldpr.comFacebook.com/lauradavidsonprwww.twitter.com/ldpr

Laura Davidson, PresidentLeslie Cohen, Executive VicePresidentMeghna Patel, Senior VicePresident

For over 20 years LDPR hasguided some of the world’s mostprestigious travel brandsthrough an evolving media land-scape with creativity, profes-

sionalism and enthusiasm. Weare a highly driven and innova-tive travel/lifestyle agency witha global roster of clients fromdestinations and tour companiesto some of the world’s leadinghotels and resorts. Our integrat-ed approach to our clients’ com-munications programs deliversthe right mix of traditionalmedia outreach, strategic part-nerships and strong digital andsocial media solutions designedto enhance every program.

LDPR prides itself on a cul-ture defined by our collaborativeand strategic approach to work-ing with clients, media and ourstaff, leading to successful part-nerships with measurableresults.

Our client roster includesAbercrombie & Kent, RoccoForte Hotels, VisitScotland;Sydney/Destination New SouthWales, Australia; Bal Harbour,Florida; Kittitian Hill, St. Kitts;Eden Rock, St Barths; CurtainBluff, Antigua; WaterfallResorts, Alaska; The Resort atPaws Up, Montana; TheThinking Traveller luxury villasin Italy and Greece; Grand HotelExcelsior Vittoria, Sorrento,Italy; Atlantis Paradise Island,Bahamas; Residence Inn byMarriott; Mayflower Renaissance,Washington DC; The OceanHouse, Watch Hill, Rhode Island;The Ritz-Carlton and JWMarriott Grande Lakes Orlando;Marriott Marquis Washington,DC and Millennium Hotels &Resorts, North America, amongothers.

LOU HAMMOND &ASSOCIATES

900 Third AvenueNew York, New York212/308-8880Fax: 212/891-0200E-mail: [email protected]/louhammondprwww.facebook.com/louhammondprwww.pinterest.com/louhammondpr

Lou Hammond, Founder andChairmanStephen Hammond, PresidentTerrence Gallagher, ExecutiveVice President

Marking three decades ofservice this year, Lou Hammond& Associates (LH&A) has longset the gold standard as the rec-ognized leader in travel andhospitality public relations. Thecompany’s passion, as well asan unwavering commitment toquality, is driven by its leg-endary founder and chairman,Lou Hammond, who is regardedas one of the most well-knownand enthusiastic advocates inthe industry.

LH&A is renowned as aninnovator in the field, as evi-denced by its award-winningwork. In fact, the HospitalitySales & Marketing AssociationInternational (HSMAI) has hon-ored the agency with more of its

prestigious Adrian Awards overthe past 16 years than any otherentrant.

Last year the agency launchedits boutique digital firm,Hammond Digital+, which is ledby an experienced specialist.The agency’s latest enterpriseoffers custom social media anddigital marketing services thatcapture the media’s attention,drive consumer engagement,and build long-lasting followingfor clients. Backed by the com-pany’s nearly 30 years of qualityPR service, HD+ combines tra-ditional and new strategies todevelop attention-grabbing cam-paigns across all platforms.

Although LH&A celebratesits past, most brilliantly throughthe longevity of its client rela-tionships, the past year markedexciting changes for the agencythat signals its continued vitali-ty. This March, LH&A left itsiconic townhouse on East 51stStreet for more spacious accom-modations on Third Avenue inMidtown East. The agency alsoembarked on a rebranding cam-paign in late 2013, resulting in arevamped website and aredesigned logo that honors theagency’s past as it strides boldlyinto the future. LH&A’s officesin Charleston, SC, and Miami,FL, also continue to see markedgrowth.

Over the past year, the agencywelcomed as partners two cruise

LANE0Continued from page 26

LH&A agency client Wild Dunes Resort partnered with James Beardaward-winning cookbook authors and TV personalities, The LeeBrothers, to share an unforgettable, authentic Southern experience formeetings and groups. With package choices ranging from conversa-tional cooking classes to a traditional Lowcountry oyster roast to cus-tom dinners, groups sip, savor and shuck their way through Charlestonled by the Lowcountry’s culinary pioneers — Ted and Matt Lee.

Lots of horsing around on this press trip! Showing off the best ofMontana at The Resort at Paws Up, Jessica Foreman (3rd from right)from LDPR takes the media riding through Big Sky country, as part ofa recent “glamping” (i.e. “glamorous camping”) trip.



29

lines (Oceania Cruises andRegent Seven Seas Cruises,including the launch of Regent’snew ship Seven Seas Explorer in2016) and one rail service(Premier Rail Collection); onehotel group (Groupe LucienBarrière, France) and fiveresorts (Elbow Beach, Bermuda;Pink Sands, Bahamas; St. RegisDeer Valley, Utah; JW MarriottGuanacaste, Costa Rica; andThe Inn at Dos Brisas, Texas);three destinations (Fort Worth;Le Massif de Charlevoix,Quebec; and Paducah,Kentucky); and one home-exchange travel club (3RDHOME).

MAXWELL PR +ENGAGEMENT

3934 SW Corbett Ave.Portland, OR 97239503/231-3086www.maxwellpr.com

47 Maple St.Burlington, VT 05401802/338-2556

Jennifer Maxwell-Muir, Founderand PrincipalVicky Hastings, ManagingDirector, Studio WestChrystie Heimert, ManagingDirector, Studio East Erika Simms, Vice President

An independently owned publicrelations and consumer engage-ment agency, Maxwell specializesin media and blogger relations,social media engagement, contentmarketing, consumer promotionsand paid media. We work withleading consumer brands, premiertourism destinations and attrac-tions, and businesses advancingnew models that leave the world abetter place.

The Maxwell team members areexperts in: Generating news andconversation; Packaging destina-tions and experiences; Buildingcommunity and relationships;Prompting consumer engagementand strengthening loyalty; Helpingdestinations speak louder, breakthrough the clutter and integrateacross channels to increaseovernight stays.

Our 15 years of award-winningtravel and tourism client experienceincludes Travel Oregon;McMenamins Pubs, Breweries andHistoric Hotels; Argyle Winery;Inn at the 5th; Travel Astoria-Warrenton; Tourism Walla Walla;Portland Walking Tours; OregonGarden; Woodland Park Zoo;

Willamette Valley VisitorsAssociation; and Oregon CoastVisitors Association.

MIDDLETON &GENDRON

845 Third AvenueNew York, NY 10022212/980-9060www.mg-pr.com

Yvonne Middleton, Chairman

Middleton & Gendron repre-sents best-in-class travel, hospitali-ty and lifestyle brands. Over threedecades, the agency has launchediconic hospitality brands anddirected groundbreaking PR andsocial media campaigns. It has putan airline client’s name on a majorfireworks display at the BrooklynBridge, and persuaded a sitting U.Spresident to play sax at a casino’sgrand opening.

M&G’s award-winning legacybusiness provides comprehensive,customized public relations servic-es from strategy through executionand is supported by the agency’sdigital and production practice.

The agency continues to provethat the most effective PR pro-grams integrate traditional mediawith online and social networking.In recent months, M&G teamshave applied that approach to suc-cessful campaigns ranging from there-launches of Jade Bar atSanctuary on Camelback Mountainand The Umstead Spa in Cary, N.C.to the 100th anniversary of CapeCod’s Chatham Bars Inn.

M&G enjoys great bench depthwhile also cultivating up and com-ers among its talented staff. Clientsare guaranteed a team that thinkscreatively, acts nimbly, and pursuestheir goals with absolute purpose.

MISSY FARREN &ASSOCIATES (MFA)33 E. 33rd Street, Suite 905New York, NY 10016212/528-1691www.mfaltd.com

Missy Farren, Founder & CEOAgatha Capacchione, VicePresidentSamantha Lacher, Director,Travel, Culture & Design

MFA is a mid-sized agencyoffering a powerful combinationof customer assistance, attentionto detail and dynamic, meaningfulcoverage and social media results.Our passion for travel drives pro-

fessional success and relationshipsin various niches, including: culi-nary, adventure, ski/snow, family,romance, arts/culture, Caribbean,wellness/ spa, culture, wine/spiritsand fitness/sports. The agencyspecializes in strategic media rela-tions; social media strategy andmanagement; partnership develop-ment; event facilitation;spokesperson positioning; and cri-sis communications. Our team ofagile, professional marketers pairsinnovative thinking and never-say-never attitudes to deliver sig-nificant results and exceed expec-tations.

Industry experience includes:The Art Museums of ColonialWilliamsburg; Aspen Ski Co.;Auden Bar & Bistro; CaymanAirways; Cayman Cookout; TheCayman Islands Department ofTourism; Charlie Bird Restaurant(NYC); The Colonial WilliamsburgFoundation; Colorado Ski Country;Disneyland; Disneyland Food &Beverage; Golden Horseshoe GolfClub; Intrawest; Learn to Ski andSnowboard Month; LimelightHotel; The Little Nell; The Lodgeat Woodloch; The Mark AnthonyGroup; Michelin Food & Travel;Mission Hill Family Estate;Montagna Restaurant; NationalTrust for Historic Preservation;The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of NewYork; Roadtrips Inc.; RoyalPlantation Collection; SandestinGolf and Beach Resort; The Spa ofColonial Williamsburg; SquawValley; Steamboat; Trapp FamilyLodge; Twin Farms; WhistlerBlackcomb; and more.

MMGY GLOBAL245 Fifth Ave., Ste. 902New York, NY 10016212/219-7560www.mmgyglobal.com

Clayton Reid, President & CEOJulie Freeman, EVP & ManagingDirector, PRDavid Perez, Vice President, PR

At MMGY Global, “We InspirePeople To Go Places.”

As the leading integrated market-ing communications firm specializ-ing in the travel, hospitality, lifestyleand entertainment industries formore than 30 years, our mission isto help travel companies grow rev-enue by motivating their cus-tomers. With offices in New YorkCity, Kansas City, Orlando, Ft.Myers and Denver, and an interna-tional partner network, Consul, weserve many of the world’s premiertravel and tourism brands.

Our public relations team has atrack record of developing andimplementing award-winning,strategic campaigns that are rootedin research and insights. We aremaster storytellers and content cre-ators. Through integrated traditionaland social media programs,we reach our audiences where theylive, work and play.

We offer personalized, seniorlevel service with the resources ofthe larger agency in traditional andsocial consumer and trade media


Cape Cod’s beloved Chatham Bars Inn celebrates 100 years with thehelp of Middleton & Gendron.

ADVERTISING SECTION 3 JULY 2014 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM




relations, corporate and brandpositioning, partnership market-ing, promotions, event market-ing, and crisis communications.MMGY is the author of thewidely acclaimed Portrait ofAmerican Travelers annualresearch study.

Our PR clients include citiesand states, international destina-tions, hospitality brands, air-lines, iconic attractions, traveltechnology and services andindustry associations.

Other MMGY Global areas ofexpertise include research andinsights, strategic communica-tions planning and implementa-tion, traditional and socialmedia buying, digital/socialmedia strategy, website devel-opment and management, e-CRM, and travel industry rela-tions.

MURPHY O’BRIENPUBLIC RELATIONS

11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 600Los Angeles, CA 90064310/453-2539www.murphyobrien.com

Twenty-five years ago, KarenMurphy O’Brien and BrettO’Brien launched Murphy O’BrienPublic Relations out of a CenturyCity apartment with a single client— the Sunset Marquis Hotel andVillas.

Today, in addition to its impres-sive lifestyle and real estate clients,Murphy O’Brien continues its reignas a leader in travel PR, represent-ing such luxury brands as ThePeninsula Hotels, Shutters on theBeach, Esperanza, and AubergeResorts, among others, and tourismboards such as Nicaragua TourismBoard. Murphy O’Brien’s cam-paigns have resulted in story place-ments in national outlets such as“Today Show,” CNN, Conde NastTraveler, Travel + Leisure, Food

and Wine andVogue, to name a few,as well as prestigious awardsincluding Hermes Creative Awards,PRWeek Awards, HSMAI AdrianAwards, and more.

In addition to creating award-winning campaigns that move theneedle for their clients, MurphyO’Brien is consistently ranked asone of the 10 Best Places To Workby the Los Angeles BusinessJournal.

MWW

Sunset Media Center6255 W. Sunset BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90028213/[email protected]

Jamie Foley, Vice President

MWW’s Travel & Tourism prac-tice can take you anywhere youwant to go. From hotels and desti-nation marketing to airlines andtravel publishers, we’ve workedwith both established and emergingbrands within the travel industry.Through our strategic, award-win-ning campaigns, we connect thesebrands to consumers and key stake-holders alike.

Our team is made up of the tophospitality industry strategists, whorely on years of deep-rooted experi-ence in the space to create ownablecampaigns and positioning pro-grams that elevate brand awarenessand increase traffic and bookings.We have proprietary research andanalysis on the travel and tourismindustry, which we combine withthe power of the social media land-scape to develop digital strategiesthat engage and resonate with trav-elers.

Our recent work for Stronger

Than the Storm, created to drivevisitor traffic to the Jersey Shoreafter Hurricane Sandy, has been rec-ognized with top industry awards,including “PR Campaign of theYear” at the 2014 SABRE Awards,a PRSA Silver Anvil, and multipleAmerican Business Awards. MWWwas also selected as 2013 “PRAgency of the Year,” by theInternational Business Awards,2013 “Midsize Agency of the Year”by the Bulldog Stars of PR Awardsas well as 2014 “Best Places toWork in New Jersey” by NJBiz and2013 “Top Places to Work in PR”by PR News.

NANCY J. FRIEDMAN PUBLICRELATIONS, INC.

35 East 21st Street, 8th Flr.New York, NY 10010212/228-1500Fax: 212/[email protected]

2014 brought many firsts toNJFPR! The travel, hospitality andlifestyle PR firm entered its 27thyear with the opening of an LA out-post. In addition to launching theSanta Monica office, the agencywill debut Hotel Week LA™,which it pioneered three years agoin New York. To date, Hotel WeekNYC™ has resulted in nearly 200million impressions and generatedover $400,000 in incremental rev-enue for participating hotels. Theagency will follow Hotel WeekNYC and LA with Miami, Chicagoand Washington, DC.

NJFPR also added a socialmedia practice led by strategistKristin Heise. The division consults

MMGY GLOBAL0Continued from page 29

Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations, AOR for Westin Hotels & Resorts,“running” a wellness press trip with resident running concierge ChrisHeuisler for the launch of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Karen Murphy, Chairman and CEO, and Brett O’Brien, ManagingDirector, of Murphy O’Brien Public Relations.

MMGY Global is helping Fairfield Inn & Suites connect withMillennials by launching "Every Day Connect." The PR and socialmedia campaign offers advice on mentorship and networking asways to ignite and maintain momentum throughout their careers.Pictured here are the campaign's ambassadors, all of whom are fea-tured in this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list.




clients on best practices and assistswith creating compelling onlineand social media initiatives in tan-dem with the agency’s comprehen-sive PR offerings.

Clients include: 66 Rockwell,New York; Apple Core Hotels,New York; Battery MaritimeBuilding, New York; Borgata HotelCasino & Spa, Atlantic City;Condado Vanderbilt, San Juan,Puerto Rico; Cooperstown, NewYork; Copamarina Beach Resort &Spa, Guanica, Puerto Rico; DermotReal Estate, New York; Farmer’sMuseum, Cooperstown, NY;Fenimore Art Museum,Cooperstown, NY; GansevoortPark Avenue NYC; GansevoortTurks + Caicos; Gemma at TheBowery Hotel, New York; Hotel ElConvento, San Juan, Puerto Rico;Hyatt Regency Aruba ResortCasino & Spa; Marmara ParkAvenue, New York; Parker &Quinn, New York; Pier A HarborHouse, New York; Refinery Hotel,NYC; Rendezvous, St. Lucia; RiffHotels, New York; Sea Island,Georgia; Sheraton Hotels &Resorts; SIXTY SoHo, New York;Spring Creek Ranch, Jackson Hole,WY; St. Petersburg/Clearwater,Florida; The Body Holiday, St.Lucia; The Bowery Hotel, NewYork; The Elysian Spa & HealthClub, Chicago; The Jade, NYC;The Jane, New York; The Ludlow,New York; The Maritime Hotel,New York; The Marlton, NYC; TheNew York Palace, New York; ThePod 39 Hotel, New York; The PodHotel, New York; The WaldorfAstoria Chicago; The Water Club -A Signature Hotel by Borgata; andWestin Hotels & Resorts.

OGILVY PUBLICRELATIONS

636 11th AvenueNew York, NY 10036212/[email protected]

Mitch Markson, President,Global Brand Marketing

Ogilvy Public Relations knowstourism. Our team consists of traveland tourism experts with specificstrengths in the areas of consumerand brand PR, corporate communi-cations, crisis communications andreputation management, eventsmanagement, trade marketing, part-nership and alliances, sponsorshipcreation and leverage, content cre-ation and development, and digitaland traditional media relations.Ogilvy PR has successfully elevat-

ed brands across a variety of travelindustry categories including hospi-tality, tour, cruise, airline, trans-portation, technology and destina-tions.

Our combination of research-based strategy, breakthrough cre-ativity, and flawless executiondelivers strong media talkabilityand business-building impact. Ourwork has helped clients to reachpotential travelers where they work,live and play. Relevant travel andtourism clients include TourismFiji, Tourism New South Wales,Hilton Hotels, Tourism Australia,PROEXPORT Colombia, Brazil,Brand USA, Guinness Storehouseand British Airways.

PADILLACRT320 West 13th Street, 7th FloorNew York, NY 10014212/229-0500www.padillacrt.com

Greg Tarmin, SVP and ManagingDirector, New YorkPatrice Tanaka, Chief Counselorand Creative StrategistMarcy Walsh, Vice President

PadillaCRT is one of the top 15independent public relations andmarketing firms in the country andone of the largest employee-ownedfirms in the world. With nearly 200employees in Minneapolis; NewYork; Los Angeles; Richmond, Va;Washington, D.C.; and Norfolk,Va., PadillaCRT helps national andregional clients articulate andachieve their purpose as a powerfulway to build brands, protect reputa-tions and reach business goals.

PadillaCRT’s travel and tourismexperience includes work for theGreater Houston Convention andVisitor’s Bureau, Air New Zealand,Cambria Suites (Choice HotelsInternational), Minneapolis St. PaulInternational Airport, theMinneapolis St. Paul RegionalEconomic DevelopmentPartnership Jefferson Lines, MeetMinneapolis, Wyndham Hotels &Resorts, State of ConnecticutTourism, South African Tourismand Coasts Cruises.

QUINN520 8th Avenue, 21st FloorNew York, NY 10018212/868-1900www.quinn.prFacebook: @WeAreQuinnLinkedIn: @Quinn PRTwitter: @QuinnPR_

407 Lincoln Road, 10H

Miami Beach, FL 33139786/600-3954

Florence Quinn, PresidentJohn Frazier, Executive VicePresident, Head of Travel GroupMorgan Painvin, Senior VPJim Lee, Senior VP, Miami

Quinn is a lifestyle public rela-tions agency with global impact.Our disciplined, strategic approachto PR has built some of the largestaudiences in the world.We develop creative strategies thatbuild the reputations, tell the stories,and grow the businesses of lifestylebrands around the world. Withoffices in New York and Miami andaffiliates worldwide, we serveclients in Travel, Real Estate, Spa,Experiences and Retail as well asFood, Wine & Spirits.

We work collaboratively todevelop narrative-based ideation,resulting in strategies that capturethe attention of today’s sophisticat-ed consumer. We integrate multiplecommunication channels with part-nerships, events and ideation to pro-duce work that is highly effective— and measurable. Our innovative

initiatives, which are recognizedglobally, have resulted in a numberof industry “firsts.”

We believe there is magic to befound at the intersection of creativethinking and value-driven strate-gies. Many of the world’s most rec-ognized brands believe as well.That’s why companies like theWaldorf Astoria, Guerlain Spa,Etihad Airways, and The RitzCarlton Residences choose Quinn.

RBB PUBLIC RELATIONS

355 Alhambra Circle, Suite 800Miami, FL 33134305/448-7450www.rbbpr.com

Christine Barney, CEOLisa Ross, President & TravelPractice LeaderTina Elmowitz, EVPJohn Quinn, EVP

rbb is a marketing communica-tions firm and four-time U.S.Agency of the Year that has

Quinn’s work promoting the sustainability efforts of the WaldorfAstoria New York took home this year’s HSMAI Adrian Best of Showaward for top travel PR program of the year, worldwide.


Since 2007, rbb Public Relations has worked with AMResorts, a leadingbrand marketing and sales company, on award-winning PR campaignsfor its six luxury resort brands. Recent work includes a partnership withcelebrity athlete Rafael Nadal (pictured at Secrets Aura Cozumel).


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earned a reputation for continual-ly delivering results to its clientsthrough award-winning cam-paigns. The agency’s hospitalityportfolio has included nationaland international brands acrossall travel segments ranging fromhotel chains, boutique resorts anddestinations to airlines, cruise linesand online travel agencies.

rbb is recognized for creatingprograms that blend creativity withtraditional and social media cam-paigns, marketing activations andaffinity partnerships to boost brandawareness, drive bookings and sup-port clients’ business goals.

In 2014, rbb was awarded fiveHSMAI Adrian Awards, includingtwo Platinum awards, for its workwith Homewood Suites by Hilton,Home2 Suites by Hilton, andAMResorts and its six luxury resortbrands. Recently, rbb andAMResorts were also awarded thePublic Relations Society ofAmerica’s prestigious Silver Anvilfor the industry leading “Flu FreeGuarantee” in response to theH1N1 epidemic.

Recent work includes the launchof Norwegian Cruise Line’sGetaway; TV show integrationswith “The Bachelor” and “Extra”;promotional partnerships withJamba Juice and jetBlue; andcelebrity endorsements withKourtney Kardashian, RafaelNadal, and more.

As the Champion of Breakout

Brands, rbb inspires companieswith insights on creating customerpassion to increase sales and cus-tomer loyalty. Its multicultural staffof 38 delivers award-winning cre-ativity, media relations, strategiccounsel, launch campaigns, digitalmedia, content creation, reputationmanagement and results/analytics.

In addition to travel & leisure,other specialty practices includeconsumer products/services,health, sports & entertainment,B2B and higher education. Findout how rbb can help your brandbreak out by visitingwww.rbbpr.com or call rbb presi-dent Lisa Ross at 305/448-7457.

REDPOINT MARKETING PR,

INC.161 Avenue of the AmericasSuite 1305New York, NY 10013212/[email protected]

Victoria Feldman de Falco,PrincipalChristina Miranda, Principal

Specializing in travel, hospitali-ty, interior design, and home fur-nishings, Redpoint is a full servicemarketing PR firm with an entre-preneurial style, brand buildingexpertise, and a passion for results.We orchestrate compelling cam-paigns that integrate traditional PRwith sophisticated digital and socialmedia marketing initiatives.

Select travel/hospitality clients

include the Saint Lucia TouristBoard, MSC Cruises; WoodstockInn & Resort, VT; Ripley’s BelieveIt or Not! Times Square; US TourOperations Association; HiddenPond Resort, ME; The Tides BeachClub, ME; Morey’s Piers andBeachfront Waterparks: The DylanHotel, Amsterdam; Collette;Montauk Blue Hotel; Water’s EdgeResort & Spa, CT; and EssexResort & Spa, VT.

Redpoint executives bring a“nose for news” to every clientchallenge, ensuring that marketingideas have just the right dash of riskto make them significantly news-worthy without being operationallychallenging to implement.

ROGERS & COWAN8687 Melrose Avenue, 7th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90069Tel: 310/854-8117Fax: 310/[email protected]

Tom Tardio, CEO

Rogers & Cowan offers sig-nificant experience in creatingand executing integrated mar-keting, PR and social mediacampaigns for clients in the trav-el and tourism industries,including resorts and resortdevelopers, hotel associations,government tourism offices, vis-itors bureaus, museum and cul-

tural exhibits, live shows, air-lines, cruise lines, sportingevents and travel media.

We create marketing commu-nications and social mediastrategies that elevate a client’score messages beyond traveloutlets and into lifestyle mediathrough the influence of enter-tainment. Our distinctiveapproach goes beyond coremedia relations to include desti-nation integration into entertain-ment content, Facebook promo-tions, influencer seeding andoutreach, special events andsocial media strategies. Theagency’s work has includedbuilding awareness for hotelsand resorts through celebrityseeding programs, introducingnew travel services in key mar-kets through influencer events,creating online content tied toentertainment properties, acti-vating sponsorship of sports andentertainment events, managingPR for consumer-focused travelshows, and driving ticket salesfor shows and exhibits, amongothers.

Current / past clients includeMummies the Exhibition, USAPro Cycling Challenge, LA TimesFood & Wine Festival, LA TimesTravel Show, Madame Tussaud’sHollywood and Las Vegas,Bodies the Exhibition, Titanicthe Artifact Exhibition, EtihadAirlines, American Airlines,Canadian Tourism Commission,

Mummies of the World: The Exhibition, currently on view in Buffalo,showcases new galleries exploring the study of mummies linked todiscoveries in modern medicine, including “MUMAB” (pictured).Created in 1994, MUMAB answers many mysteries concerning thetechniques of ancient mummification. Rogers & Cowan executes allmedia and event coordination for the nationally traveling exhibition,which has toured 9 cities and viewed by over 1 million people.

Cars driving on the ocean? It’s the best way to get media attentionfor a new ship launch in cruise-ship-saturated Miami. A partnershipwith Fiat to leverage a fleet of Fiat 500 Personal Watercraft helpedRedpoint score the cover of the Miami Herald, plus WSJ, AP, andmore for client MSC Cruises.

RBB PUBLIC RELATIONS0Continued from page 31

JULY 2014 4 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 4 ADVERTISING SECTION




Travel Alberta, Royal Caribbean,InterContinental Hotels Group,Miami Boutique Hotels, How toTrain Your Dragon, FuerzaBruta, Yo Gabba Gabba Live!,The Seaport and the Rock N RollHall of Fame.

SPRING O’BRIEN30 West 26th Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10010212/[email protected]

Chris Spring, PresidentLauren Kaufman, Senior VP

Spring O’Brien is an award-winning, full-service marketingcommunications agency spe-cializing in travel and hospitali-ty PR for over three decades.We have successfully represent-ed new and established compa-nies across every segment of thetravel industry includingtourism boards, cruise lines, air-lines, railways, hotels, resorts,tour operators, websites, associ-ations, and credit card compa-nies.

What sets us apart is our abil-ity to make a Visible Differencefor clients, uniquely achieving acompetitive edge with integrat-ed solutions, developing cus-tomized public relations, socialmedia and branding campaigns,as well as digital marketing andtravel trade programs. We con-sistently achieve high visibilitybroadcast, print and online cov-erage to catapult client brandsbeyond the fray. We pride our-selves on our inventiveapproach to partnerships, pro-motions, package and productdevelopment, rebranding, spe-cial events and strategic coun-sel. Spring O’Brien offers theflexibility and hands-onapproach and nimble, fast turn-around of a smaller agency withthe specialist resources andexpertise to achieve big results.

The agency has created anAsia Division to handle theChina National Tourist Office,regional tourist boards and in-country travel related clients.

TJM COMMUNICATIONS

2441 West SR 426, #1061Oviedo, FL 32765407/977-5004Fax: 407/[email protected]

Treva J. Marshall, President

TJM Communications is anaward-winning boutique lifestylepublic relations firm specializing intravel, food, wine and the arts.

Since 2001, the agency has serv-iced international and domesticclients from its Orlando, Floridalocation and is a proud recipient ofthe Hospitality Sales andMarketing International (HSMAI)Silver Adrian Award for PublicRelations. As a boutique agency,we focus on delivering personal-ized service with an emphasis oninnovation, creativity and strategy.

Comprised of a team of sea-soned communications profession-als, we are especially proud of thediverse nature of our company,with staff members representingorigins from around the globe.

TJM Communications has beencalled upon to service clients inSpain, South Africa, Canada andthroughout the United States. Wehave represented domestic andinternational destinations, hotelsand major tourism entities. Ourtravel practice currently includesclients such as: Walt Disney WorldSwan and Dolphin Resort,Westgate River Ranch Resort,along with other noted hotels,resorts and tourist attractions.

Find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TJMCommunicationsInc.

TURNER PRA wholly owned, independentsubsidiary of Fahlgren Mortine

250 West 39th St. #1602New York, NY 10018212/889-1700

1614 15th St., 4th FloorDenver, CO 80202303/333-1402

Christine Turner, Founder &PresidentMariana DiMartino, Senior VPAngela Berardino, Vice President,Travel and Digital

Turner PR is a creative

agency specializing in mediarelations, brand collaborations,influencer programming, socialmedia and digital communica-tions, representing some of theworld’s best hotels, resorts, des-tinations and brands. Our twospecialty divisions are travel,tourism & real estate and activelifestyle, outdoor & fashionbrands. We represent all of theplaces you’d like to go, and theitems you’d pack for youradventures.

We have two U.S. offices inNew York and Denver to bestservice our worldwide clientsbased in the U.S., Canada,Mexico, Europe, Caribbean and

South America. Founded in1997, we live and breathe ourclients’ cultures and delivermeaningful results from ourdeep industry relationships withjournalists and influencers.

Our dedicated 360 approachto delivering integrated socialmedia, digital and PR campaignscontinues to deliver bottom-lineresults for our clients throughpowerful media exposure, influ-encer followings and consumerengagement. We are a relation-ship agency, acting as in-housesupport for our clients, and weare proud of our culture — wework hard, we get results and wegive back to our communities.

Spring O’Brien was first to launch a Digital Detox campaign, encour-aging consumers to unplug and escape their everyday technologicaldependencies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, garnering the des-tination +50 million media impressions in the first year of the NorthAmerica campaign.

Christine Turner and Turner PR’s Colorado team celebrates a newoffice space earlier this year, in Denver’s hot LoDo neighborhood.

The August issue of O’Dwyer’s will profilePR firms that specialize in investor relationsand professional services. If you would likeyour firm to be listed in the August maga-zine’s profile section, contact Editor JonGingerich at 646/843-2080 [email protected]




WEBER SHANDWICK

909 3rd AvenueNew York, NY 10022www.webershandwick.com

Alice Diaz, Executive VicePresident, Travel

The Weber Shandwick Travel& Lifestyle practice is the leadingspecialist in travel and tourismpublic relations. If you watch“GMA,” “Jimmy Kimmel,” readUSA Today, TIME, Travel +Leisure, Popular Mechanics orthe Sports Illustrated SwimsuitIssue, you’ve probably seen ourwork on behalf of many of theworld’s most respected brands. Ifinteresting content has found youwhile you were reading aboutyour lifestyle passions — food,wine, fitness — you’ve probablyseen our work as well.

At Weber Shandwick, we havebuilt a culture of “tomorrowists,”a collaborative group of col-leagues who are energized by cre-ating award-winning, pride-earn-ing, success-driven work for ourclients and leading the industry inbold new directions. To comple-ment our deep travel and tourismexpertise, the agency has investedin a diverse range of talent such

as creative directors, more than600 digital and social media spe-cialists, digital and video produc-tion experts, and other specialists.

Our Travel & Lifestyle practiceoperates like a boutique agencywith all the attention and account-ability that might imply, but alsogives us the resources to continueto evolve our approach to market-ing communications for travelclients in a vastly changed mediamarketplace. We work hard to notjust know our clients, but to part-ner with them in creating strate-gic programs that deliver againstbusiness goals. We inspire. Weincite. We shape ideas to movetravel and lifestyle companiesand organizations forward. Weget people thinking and acting innew ways so they connect withand advocate for your brand.

WEILL27 West 24th StNew York, NY 10010212/288-1144Toll free: 866/PR-WEILLFax: 212/288-5855www.geoffreyweill.com

Geoffrey Weill, PresidentAnn-Rebecca Laschever, Exec. VPTania Philip, Sr. VPMark Liebermann, VP

During its 19 years in busi-

ness, Geoffrey Weill Associates,a New York-based boutiquecompany specializing in upscaletravel, tourism and culturalclients, has developed a reputa-tion for creativity, originality,and honesty. WEILL is con-stantly pursuing ways to show-case its clients in new and inter-esting ways, including throughtelevision, blogging press tripsand elaborate fashion and cata-log shoots at its properties thathighlight the luxury travelangle.

WEILL also integrates foodand wine, showcasing its prop-erties with celebrity andMichelin-starred chefs, promot-ing recipes and cookbooks fromits clients and featuring theworld-class wines produced atCastiglion del Bosco, Tuscany;Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado;and Bouchard Finlayson, RedCarnation’s vineyard in SouthAfrica.

The company prides itself onthe longevity of both its staffand clients, with some clientsbeing with the company for 8,12, and 17 years, and staff mem-bers with an average stay of 10years.

WEILL continues to expandits luxury portfolio. Its newestclients include Hotel ReginaIsabella on the Italian island ofIschia; the legendary Hoteld’Angleterre in Copenhagen;The High Line Hotel in NewYork City, and The Milestone inLondon — WEILL’s second inthe Red Carnation Collection.In June 2014, WEILL signed onthe iconic One & Only hotelgroup.

THE ZIMMERMANAGENCY

1821 Miccosukee CommonsTallahassee, FL 32308850/668-2222www.zimmerman.com

Carrie Zimmerman, President

The Zimmerman Agency blendsbold basics and endless energywith strategic creativity to capturerevenue-driving results. Ranked byO’Dwyer’s as one of the largesttwo hospitality public relationsfirms in the United States, theagency maintains its leadershipposition with a platform combin-ing its public relations divisionwith its robust 40-person in-housedigital/social discipline.

Global hospitality clientsinclude everything from HardRock Hotels & Casino (nine coun-tries) to Club Med (seven coun-tries), award-winning resorts likeLittle Palm Island in the FloridaKeys, Waikoloa in Hawaii andCasa de Campo in the DominicanRepublic, as well as destinationslike North Carolina’s SouthernOuter Banks and the country ofAruba.

Its newly-energized consumerbrand division touts nationalbrands including Party City, PilotPens, Cooper Tire, Firehouse Subs,Homes.com, Nature’s Own® andTPC.

The Zimmerman AgencyWOW! platform of planning hasproven to be a magnet for someof America’s most iconic brands,in and out of the world of hospi-tality. £

Aruba takes over Super Bowl as the title sponsor of the top celebri-ty gift lounge, flocked by celebrities including Terrell Owens, DeionSanders, Peter Facinelli and Tom Arnold. Aruba is a Zimmermanclient.

Nestor Lara-Baeza, Weill President Geoffrey Weill, and Ann-Rebecca Laschever accept HSMAI Awards in February.


© Copyright 2014 The J.R. O'Dwyer Co.

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.

EdelmanZimmerman AgencyFinn PartnersLou Hammond & AssociatesTurner PR (Fahlgren Mortine)Development Counsellors Int’lAPCO WorldwideNancy J. Friedman PRJ Public RelationsZeno GroupMWW French | West | VaughanAllison+PartnersJackson Spalding5W Public Relationsrbb Public RelationsCoyne PRBLAZEPadillaCRTMaxwell PR + EngagementLANESeigenthaler Public RelationsMcNeely Pigott & Fox PRLEVICKLinhart Public RelationsFormula PRBridge Global StrategiesSchneider AssociatesThe Buzz AgencyGregory FCAStanding PartnershipLandis CommunicationsHope-Beckham

$20,530,2198,589,2006,274,5916,069,2964,531,1684,392,4173,494,4183,332,8062,432,5702,407,1332,250,0002,117,0002,000,0001,464,3551,400,0001,027,000833,000795,351650,486426,643353,788281,637259,053216,464150,975134,614130,483122,500109,11495,00085,05175,00042,040

O’DWYER’S RANKINGSTOP TRAVEL AND TOURISM PR FIRMS

New YorkTallahasseeNew YorkNew YorkColumbusNew YorkWash., D.CNew YorkNew YorkNew YorkNew YorkRaleigh, NCSan FranciscoAtlantaNew YorkMiamiParsippany, NJSanta MonicaMinneapolisPortland. ORPortland, ORNashvilleNashvilleWash., D.C.DenverNew YorkNew YorkBostonDelray Beach, FLArdmore, PASt. LouisSan FranciscoAtlanta



OPINION Professional Development

President Obama is in hot water for hisprisoner swap to secure the freedomof Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from the

Taliban.What Obama did — working to free an

imprisoned American solider — was theright thing. What was wrong was the PRsurrounding Bergdahl’s release.

In fact, what has been wrong with theObama administration almost from the start

is its amateurish,tone-deaf PR. Indeed,it may prove to be anAchilles’ heel inensuring the legacyof a mediocre presi-dency. Time andagain — from health-care to IRS, fromBenghazi to the VAscandal — theObama team hasfailed to assess accu-rately the falloutresulting from inferi-or PR. The Bergdahlcase is the latest stun-ning example.

In the first place, as The New YorkTimes’ often head-scratching columnistDavid Brooks correctly concluded,“President Obama did the right thing.”Bergdahl, whatever his motives, was anAmerican soldier and somebody’s son. Inrespect of his service and sacrifice,Bergdahl’s country — and its citizens —owed him and his parents their best effortsto free him from captivity. Period.

That Obama, in the face of obvious,imminent criticism — in light of bothBergdahl’s checkered service experienceand the five terrorists for whom he wastraded — still had the courage to make thedeal is a credit to him and to the ideals forwhich the Presidency should stand.

So, despite the self-righteous sniping ofthe McCain-inspired Monday MorningQuarterbacks, the President did the rightthing in ensuring the soldier’s freedom.

What he didn’t get right was theannouncement of Bergdahl’s release. ThePR handling of the Bergdahl announcementwas but the latest indication of the Obamateam’s naiveté at best, stupidity at worst, interms of basic PR. Here were their mostegregious screw-ups in Bergdahl’s release.Poor planningWe still don’t know if Bergdahl was a

deserter, an anti-American, or a jihadist.But the Obama team certainly did knowthat Bergdahl was a kook, with a free-spiritbackground and a questionable history as asoldier. They knew about the instances ofhis going AWOL, including his disappear-ance in Afghanistan (why he was automati-cally promoted — twice! — in captivity,despite his military record, is another goodquestion).

The point is the Obama Administrationknew, in advance, that Bergdahl was a con-troversial character, who would clearlyattract detractors when his record becamepublic knowledge. In addition, there werethe five real nasty jihadists being released inexchange. Certainly, their release wouldalso provoke instant outrage.

PR 101, therefore, called for reviewingthe “worst case scenario” and realizing thatwhat was called for, in light of all thesepotential land mines, was a low-keyannouncement, preferably via written state-ment from the White House, to be back-stopped by a ready standby plan to defendthe decision.

Instead, the Obama PR brain trust organ-ized a high profile, unprecedented Saturdaymorning Rose Garden media extravaganza,with the President in the spotlight to bask inthe glow of his bold and courageous action.Disastrous photo opOur 21st century, dumbed-down society

is dominated by pictures. It shouldn’t belike that, but it is. When we see thedisheveled mug shot or the scowling face,we draw hard and lasting conclusions. Apicture is worth a thousand tweets.

And so when Bergdahl’s father, Bob,showed up at the White House, looking likea member of ZZ Top, it didn’t take anEdward Bernays to realize that daddy’slong beard would dominate the coverage.The always subtle Bill O’Reilly thunderedthat he “looked like a Muslim.”

Predictably, what followed for theSawtooth, Idaho mountain man /UPS driv-er was a rigorous scrutiny of his own histo-ry, past actions and statements. Equally pre-dictably, what the truth-seekers found wasthat since his son’s capture, the seniorBergdahl had immersed himself in Islam,had made a three-minute video for thePakistani government, and had thanked theTaliban for taking care of his son.

What was most predictable from thisflood of incriminating information aboutthe elder Bergdahl was that it would imme-diately launch a national backlash againstthe release of his son.

Inappropriate rhetoricAs any first-year PR student knows,

everything at a press conference needs to bescripted — the speeches, the staging, theanswers to questions; everything must berehearsed. That way, you can keep the sur-prises to a minimum. And if there’s any-thing a PR professional finds abhorrent, it’s“surprises.”

Nonetheless, the Obama team presum-ably had no time for rehearsals. TheBergdahls, in D.C. to attend rallies for theirson, were notified late and whisked to theWhite House to share spontaneously in thegood news. And so at the Rose Gardensoiree, when the hirsute Bergdahlapproached the podium, he chose thephrase, “In the name of God, the merciful,the compassionate,” to welcome back hisson. Nothing surprising about that.

But what was surprising is that he choseto say it in Pashtu, also known as Afghani,because he felt his son might have difficul-ty after five years in captivity of under-standing English. Accordingly, Bergdahllooked into the cameras and intoned thephrase, “bismillah al-Rahman al Rahim,”which turns out to be a major pillar ofIslam, featured prominently in the Koran.

It’s a wonder how anyone with the leastbit of PR-consciousness could have permit-ted such a statement at such an event. Out-of-control agendaIn any PR opportunity or crisis, the key is

to control the agenda. Leaks of negativeinformation must be anticipated and pre-empted, either with clear advance state-ments or strong responses. In the Bergdahlcase — where all the negatives were appar-ently well known in advance — the WhiteHouse corkscrewed itself into the no-winposition of being immediately on defense.

Why wasn’t Congress contacted?Why did we have to free those five par-

ticularly bad dudes?Why did we choose to liberate this

American captive and not others?And so here we are. The questions and

defensiveness continues, with the Presidentalternately apologizing and then standingby the decision and then back-tracking, asthe agenda slips further from the WhiteHouse’s grasp. Traditionally, Presidentshave used the White House PR bully pulpit,in tight situations, to convert skeptics toconverts. In the Obama Administration —as the botched Bergdahl liberation demon-strates — the considerable White House PRapparatus has too often been used to con-vert lemonade into lemons. £

Fraser P. Seitel hasbeen a communicationsconsultant, author andteacher for 30 years.He is the author of thePrentice-Hall text, ThePractice of PublicRelations.

Obama’s real Bergdahl problem: tone deaf PRBy Fraser Seitel



Financial Management

Back in 2013 I wrote a series ofcolumns on managing for prosper-ity in 2014 and beyond. In fact I

wrote about this topic in 2012 for 2013.So how did the PR agency world do?GouldPartners published its 2014 BestPracticing Report which gives insightinto the profitability of the PR agencybusiness.

Bottom line profitabilityAs many of you know who follow my

column, it seems tome the agency stan-dard benchmark forbottom line prof-itability is 20% ofpre-tax adjusted prof-it (profit with“excess” compensa-tion and perks sub-tracted that may betaken by agency prin-ciples). 20% willkeep you workinghard but not makeyou rich. The goalshould really be 33%

but 25% would be a good start.So how did the agency business do?

Without getting into regions or type ofPR, 115 agencies that reported theirresults by size had an average profitabili-ty in 2013 of 15.8%. The highest percent-age by size reported was the $10 millionto $25 million range of 18.6%. Theregion of the country reporting the high-est percentage was the Southeast at18.5% (Note that 11 Canadian formsreporting reported average profitability of20%.). I would have expected higheracross the board.

The Medicine for Low ProfitabilityFrankly, there are many prescriptions

being sold for high profitability. Do theywork? I guess they do if you feel that lessthan 20% profitability is the goal.

Al Croft, way back in the year 2000,put forth one of his “medicines” to high-er profitability. He said “Pay Attention ToThe Basics.”

Al’s view was then, and it is my viewtoday, that low profitability (DismalResults as he put it) are usually caused bymanagement not paying attention to oneor more or all of some very basic eco-nomic facts:

• Hourly rates are too low;• Staff utilization rates that are below

industry standards;• Inaccurate or no time keeping;• No records of individual client prof-

itability; or• Over-servicing clients which can

usually be pinned on either improperbudgeting or good intentions leading tomore time invested in the client’s behalfthan he or she is paying for. And which,in turn, leads to one of the most profit-pruning actions of all — write-offs.

All of these factors are inexorablyroped together in determining the healthof your bottom line. Putting it differently:if you ignore or mishandle just one of theabove factors, it will show in an unhappyway on your P&L statement.

DisciplineThere is also another personal factor

that impacts on how well you avoid theabove profit traps. It is called “disci-pline.” It is easy to avoid paying attentionto the economic fortunes of your businessby convincing yourself that you are toobusy taking care of your clients. Chancesare, the real reason your operating profitis terrible is because you spend more timebeing an account executive than a busi-ness manager. You just do not have thediscipline to focus on what is reallywrong with your profits.

Examples of poor business disciplineA very large agency was making about

four percent on a lot of income becausethe chairman had carried a legacy of dis-dain for time-keeping and other businessmanagement functions from his time atan international firm. However, reality setin after a few years of high growth andlow profits. The agency recruited a bigtime CFO; spent a bundle on a very goodaccounting and time-keeping softwarepackage; imposed time-keeping andbudgeting discipline on its staff; and willbe in double digit profits on track formuch better numbers in future years.

The partners of a small but growingfirm claimed they were entrepreneurs, notgood business managers. They used thatas an excuse to let employees pretty muchdictate how much business was beingrun. Result: single digit profits andemployee complaints about low salariesand weak benefits. Wake-up time: a newweb-based time keeping system is online, account managers have been givenresponsibility for both client service andprofit. They were also given all theagency data they need to manage theiraccounts in line with the economic fac-

tors listed above. Their bonuses werebased on their ability to meet profit goals.The COO of an East Coast firm wants toinstall a disciplined approach to profitgeneration. He would also like to speak toclients he is convinced are not carryingtheir weight. He does not really knowhow to go about this because the firmdoes not track staff time or individualclient profitability. He is also held backbecause of “internal political issues;” i.e.,the CEO/owner won’t make a move toadjust how much clients pay for fear ofupsetting them.

It is perfectly okay if you are satisfiedwith single digit profits or below 20%profitability. It is perfectly okay if you donot mind working as hard as you can andtaking home as little as you do. It is per-fectly okay if you have high staffturnover because you cannot afford tomatch competitive salaries or providegood benefits. It is perfectly okay if youwant to hand clients a lot of staff timethey do not pay for. They will love youfor it — and continue dumping on you.

More next month, but first ...First, there is an overemphasis on rev-

enue per staff. Personally, I ignore thisbecause I do not know the employeemakeup or what they earn. Revenue perprofessional account personnel is a muchbetter indicator. The trend was slightly upaccording to Gould. Last year the averagefor all firms reporting was $209,945.Firms with Net Revenues in excess of$25 Million averaged $210,539. Firms inD.C averaged $240,638. £

Report card on PR agency profitabilityBy Richard Goldstein

Richard Goldsteinis a partner atBuchbinder Tunick &Company LLP, NewYork, Certified PublicAccountants.

PR news briefs

Everyday Health, the publicly traded digitalhealth media company, is relying on ICR for its PRand IR defense as it faces a trademark infringe-ment and false advertising suit from rival WebMD.

WedMD Health Corp. filed the suit on June 19in federal court in New York, seeking a permanentinjunction and claiming EH uses the WebMD trade-mark on web pages, search adverting to “deceiveand mislead consumers” into believing they arevisiting WebMD properties.

EH contends the claims are without merit andrelated to “only a small portion of the company’ssearch engine marketing efforts” and a “veryimmaterial” part of its traffic and revenue.

ICR managing Directors Denise Garcia and BoPark are advising and providing media and investorrelations services for EH. The firm was hired tohandle EH’s $100 million IPO in March.

ICR aids Everyday Health in WebMD suit



OPINION Guest Column

It’s been a momentous month onWikipedia, for those following the end-less battle over encyclopedia content

that is generated by public relations profes-sionals.

Essentially, this is a content war thatengages three combatants: (1) experienced

Wikipedia editorswho have limited orno real-world creden-tials and thereforehide behind pseudo-nyms, (2) noteworthyand accomplishedindividuals and cor-porations who havelimited or no experi-ence editingWikipedia, and (3)paid PR consultants

and employees whose Wikipedia-editingtalent can range from pristine to sloppy.

Lording over it all from a distance, andcollecting his five-figure speaking feesfrom whoever will pay them, is WikipediaCo-Founder Jimmy Wales.

In June, a consortium of 11 PR firmsannounced they’ll cease directly editingWikipedia articles about their clients.Then, the Wikimedia Foundation imposeda new policy that forces editors paid fortheir Wikipedia work to disclose theiremployer and clientele. But first, a littlebackground on this brewing storm.

Banned from speaking or showing upI’m the founder of the first service that

offers Wikipedia content management inexchange for payment. I launchedMyWikiBiz in July 2006. By October ofthat year, Wikipedia head Jimmy Walespronounced that being paid to editWikipedia was “unethical,” even thoughWikipedia still endorses a “Reward Board”where cash is traded for editing.

When chapters of the Wikimedia move-ment decided to hold a WikiConferenceUSA at the New York Law School, I regis-tered to attend. I even offered to deliver apresentation about my experiences withpaid editing on Wikipedia. Not only wasmy talk rejected, eighteen hours before theconference began I received an e-mail froma New York lawyer telling me that I wasforbidden to attend the conference as anobserver. No formal reason has ever beengiven for this censorship, yet the confer-ence was advertised as “open” and wel-coming even to those with a “skeptical”

point of view.Whether this constituted a controversy

or not was debated for the next couple ofweeks on Wikipedia, where thousands ofwords were typed, many protesting how Ihad been banned without any cause com-municated to me. O’Dwyer’s covered thatfiasco on its website.

Hypocrisy at the New York Law School?One British scholar of medieval philoso-

phy was so offended by WikiConferenceUSA’s opaquely discriminatory attendancepolicy, he wrote a letter to the head of NewYork Law School, Anthony Crowell.

Crowell responded within hours, saying:“…this conference was organized by an

independent organization ... we had nocontrol or supervision in setting or imple-menting the decision making policies andprocesses regarding acceptances and rejec-tions for participation. We also had nopower over those individuals who did.”

But the WikiConference USA’sConference Director, Jennifer Baek, is aLegal Fellow at the New York Law School,where she received her Juris Doctor in2013. And when you try to find out moreabout Anthony Crowell, you might arriveon his biography on Wikipedia. It wasauthored by Wikipedia editor “Ajuncos.”Andrea Juncos is the CommunicationsDirector of New York Law School.Ajuncos has edited Wikipedia frequentlyabout New York Law School and aboutCarole Post, the law school’s ChiefStrategy Officer.

So, the New York Law School hasn’tbeen abiding by Wikipedia’s guidelinesagainst editing where one has a topicalconflict of interest.

PR firms release preemptive bombOn Tuesday, June 10, with considerable

fanfare several large PR firms issued a jointstatement, promising that they will “act inaccordance with Wikipedia’s policies andguidelines, particularly those related to con-flict of interest” and “abide by theWikimedia Foundation’s Terms ofService.”

Essentially this means that the firms(which included Ogilvy, FleishmanHillard,Burson-Marsteller, Ketchum, PorterNovelli, and Edelman) will shun editing theWikipedia pages about their clients andonly engage other Wikipedia editors on the“Talk” pages of articles, in hopes that one ofthose pseudonymous “neutral” editors willcome along and make the requestedchanges to article pages.

Given the notoriously slow and often dis-

missive approach that embeddedWikipedians take to assisting PR firms, thisnew PR pledge bodes a lot of pain and suf-fering for clients who will just have to sitthrough long periods of inaccurate informa-tion, incomplete data, and even outrightdefamation residing on their Wikipedia arti-cle pages.

Wikimedia Foundation ratchets up rulesOn June 16, the Wikimedia Foundation

imposed a new Terms of Use on all writersof Wikipedia and its sister projects. Editorswho receive payment for helping to growWikipedia must “… disclose your employ-er, client, and affiliation with respect to anycontribution for which you receive, orexpect to receive, compensation.”

Many have already disobeyed this newrule. For example, a gigantic edit was madeto the Wikipedia article about theAssociation of State Green Parties, byWikipedia user “Mfeinstein.” It’s possiblethat this is Mike Feinstein, Founding Editorof Green Pages. Mfeinstein has issued nodisclosure statement, and he’s been editingwith this apparent conflict of interest onWikipedia since June 2007.

A new article about Logan LaHive, theCEO of the Belly loyalty program, was cre-ated in June by Wikipedia user“AlexandraHuber.” Alexandra Huber is thePRmanager at Belly.

Finally, there was a hilarious edit in Juneby someone who almost certainly works forArthur J. Gallagher & Company. User“Belle624” has never edited anything butWikipedia’s article about Arthur J.Gallagher. After the new Terms of Use wentinto effect, this user modified the Wikipediapage to include a section about Gallagher’s“recognition & awards,” includingGallagher being named one of the World’sMost Ethical Companies byEthisphere.com. The edit becomes amusingwhen you consider that Gallagher is listedby the Wikimedia Foundation as a donor ofbetween $5,000 and $24,999 to the founda-tion. And according to the WikimediaFoundation logs, employees of Arthur J.Gallagher visited the WikimediaFoundation headquarters in October 2013and again in December 2013.

As a matter of practice, many corporatePR folks don’t have a good grasp of whatconstitutes acceptable Wikipedia content,and certainly most are completely unfamil-iar with Wikipedia’s new Terms of Useplacing restrictions on PR editors.

Don’t hold your breath for Jimmy Walesto admonish his top financial donors. £

Renegotiating paid PR editing on WikipediaBy Gregory Kohs

Gregory Kohs isFounder of MyWikiBiz.



PEOPLE IN PR

Cohn & Wolfe Co-Founder dies at 87

Norman Wolfe, Co-Founder ofCohn & Wolfe with Bob Cohn,died June 2.

The former Executive Editor of theOrlando Sentinellaunched the con-s u m e r - o r i e n t e dshop in Atlanta in1970. He directedPA and crisis com-munications beforeselling the shop toYoung & Rubicamin 1984.

Wolfe retired in1992, but continuedto counsel some key accounts.

Donna Imperato, current leader ofC&W, called Wolfe a “visionary leader”who with Cohn had the “foresightand determination to imagine a publicrelations agency unlike any other.” £

IPG’s Kelley toBloomberg Media COO

Interpublic’s Jacki Kelley was namedCOO/media at Bloomberg Media incharge of business operations for TV,

print, radio, mobile, digital and eventplatforms and creating new marketingopportunities.

Reporting toCEO Justin Smith,Kelley’s focus is ondriving revenuegrowth, spurringbrand strength andcreating new mar-keting opportuni-ties.

She leaves thehelm of IPGMediaBrands North America and asGlobal Clients President.

Kelley was in charge of purchasing $36billion in media buys for clients such asSony, ExxonMobil and BMW.

Most recently, she helped guide theIPG team that notched Microsoft’s globalcreative and deployment work.

Smith said Kelley’s hire is a “coup forour organization and important talentmilestone.” She’s a “force of nature, aperfect mix of shrewd business acumenand creativity with a clear track record ofsuccess,” he said in a statement.

Kelley held posts at Yahoo, MarthaStewart Living Omnimedia and USAToday, where she rose from Intern toSenior VP-advertising and part of theteam that put the daily in hotels through-out the US.

She starts at Bloomberg on Sept. 1. £

Edelman expandsfinancial savvy

Edelman has added David Ryan, afinancial communications pro, to itsCorporate Practice in Toronto.

As Senior VP, he will build out thefirm’s financial communications practice.His capital market savvy includestakeovers, proxy fights, disclosure,restructurings and going-private transac-tions.

Ryan has worked for KaryoCommunications (Vancouver), Colour(Halifax) and LongviewCommunications (Toronto).

He handled CNOOC Ltd’s Nexenacquisition, Accelero Capital’s bid forAllstream, Maple Leaf Food’s effort tofend off West Face Capital and PlacerDome’s transactions with Barrick Gold.

Scott Thompson heads Edelman’sCanadian corporate practice. £

Youth marketing wizlands at MWW

Sheena Stephens, who helped putRazor USA scooter company onthe map as PR/social media direc-

tor, is now at MWW’s Los Angelesoffice.

As VP in its con-sumer lifestyle mar-keting practice,Stephens will guidethe independentfirm’s programs tar-geting youth andfamily segments.

Prior to a morethan decade stint atRazor, Stephenswas director of con-sumer lifestyle at CarryonCommunication, handling Got Milk?,Beverly Hills Conference & VisitorsBureau and Nature Made Vitamins.

Earlier, she held PR slots Ritz-CarltonHotel (Marina del Rey) and the RegalBiltmore Hotel (LA).

JP Schuerman, MWW’s executiveVP/western region GM, called Stephens

a “media relations powerhouse who alsobrings great perspective and experienceworking with a range of top consumerbrands.” £

Ogilvy snags socialstandout

Ogilvy’s Washington office hasadded Tony Silva as ExecutiveVP/group Director for its Social

Marketing practice.He takes over for Jennifer Wayman,

who was upped to Managing Director ofthe US social group.

Silva served at ICF International formore than a decade, rising to the SeniorVP slot.

He has public diplomacy savvygleaned from work for the State Dept.’s“US-Middle East Partnership for BreastCancer Awareness and Research,” whichincluded input from the First Lady, for-eign politicos and corporate/NGO part-nerships.

Rob Mathias, North America CEO,praised Silva’s skills in “sustainabilitycommunications and behavior changerelated to energy, environment and healthaugments.” £

Borges brings inAccess’ Young in SF

Michael Young, Senior VP atAccess Communications, hasmoved to Miami-based tech

firm Max Borges Agency as an ExecutiveVP in its new San Francisco outpost.

Young, who will split time betweenMiami and the Bay Area, spent nine yearsat Access, part ofO m n n i c o m ’ sKetchum, leadingits enterprise techand b2b practiceand playing a keyrole in businessdevelopment. Hewas a Partner inconsulting groupAgency Analyticsfor two years inChicago after VP and SVP stints at PorterNovelli, Ketchum and Tech Image.

“I have the utmost respect forMichael’s experience, leadership abilitiesand accomplishments, and I look forwardto working with him to build our busi-ness,” said Founder and CEO MaxBorges, to whom Young reports. £

Wolfe

Kelley

YoungStephens



WASHINGTON REPORT

Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. has hiredKeelon Group to monitor federal policy toward onlinegaming.

The 80-year-old billionaire and top contributor to theRepublican party says he’s morally opposed to Internet gam-bling, a position that runs counter to the stance of Las Vegascasino owners.

During June’s annual shareholders meeting, Adelson made thebusiness case against online betting when he told investors:“Once the employment of land-based casinos is done away withby Internet casinos, they can’t be replaced.”

Matt Keelon is a Republican operative who has worked onCongressional campaigns for Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan and SouthCarolina’s Jim DeMint, who now heads the HeritageFoundation.

He has appeared on “Fox and Friends,” “Rush LimbaughShow” and “The Kudlow Report.”

Frank McCarthy, Aide to former Republican CongresswomanSue Kennedy, joins Keelon on the Sands account. £

Sands plays hand with Keelonin online gambling play

Matt Lloyd, who stepped down as Chief of Staff to Rep.Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) in May, is slated to joinKoch Industries as a Washington-based

Communications Director.The hire — first reported by Politico — comes as Koch

launches a new image campaign touting its “heartland” roots.This week the industrial conglomerate also announced a $25million grant to the United Negro College Fund.

Wichita, Kan.-based Koch in January hired Burson-Marsteller and Edelman veteran Steve Lombardo as ChiefCommunications and Marketing Officer, working out ofWashington and Wichita. Another Burson alum, Robert Tappan,directs external relations for politically active company’s pub-lic sector operations in Washington.

Lloyd spent the past year as Chief Communications andPolicy Advisor to Stutzman. He was previouslyCommunications Director during a decade on the staff of Rep.Mike Pence (R-IN), who is now Governor of Indiana. Heworked in the US Dept. of Agriculture press office during theBush administration and started out on the Hill as PressSecretary to Reps. Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Rick Hill (R-MT).

Koch’s public sector business on June 9 enlisted formerOklahoma Sen. Don Nickles for lobbying on campaign financeand repeal of the wind energy production credit. £

Koch Industries to add newD.C. communications director

to speak for top tech companies like Amazon, Uber, Google,Airbnb and Facebook.

TIA was set up in 2012 to handle lobbying and PR for sec-tor in the capital. Theran heads the group’s communications“as Internet companies look to engage the public and poli-cymakers on issues important to our industry,” said CEOMichael Beckerman.

Theran worked PR for the former Private Equity Counciland picked up a Silver Anvil Award through the industry’s2011-2 turn in the spotlight amid Bain Capital founder MittRomney’s presidential campaign.

He was previously with Rasky Baerlein StrategicCommunications in DC.

In recent months, TIA has pushed Virginia to revoke a banon taxi and ridesharing services Uber and Lyft, advocatedfor patent reform at the federal level. It handed out its firstCongressional Internet Freedom Awards in February to Sen.Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). £

Noah Theran, who directed communications for thePrivate Equity Growth Capital Council, has pluggedinto The Internet Association in Washington, D.C.,

D.C. trade group for Internetcompanies plugs in Theran

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is working to makeAmazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ dream of delivering packagesby air a reality.

Amazon Prime Airis using Akin Gumpfor “federal advocacywith regard and testingof unmanned aerialvehicles in the US.”

The Seattle electron-ic commerce giantbelieves putting PrimeAir into commercialuse will take a numberof years to advancetechnology and line up the required Federal AviationAdministration rules and regulations.

It hopes Prime Air will take off in 2015 to provide customerswith package delivery in 30 minutes of less.

Greg Walden, one-time chief counsel at the FAA; Ed Pagano,ex-aide to Sen. Pat Leahy, and Michael Drobac, former legisla-tive director for Sen. Norm Coleman, are members of AK’sAmazon crew. £

Akin Gump flaps for Amazon’sair-package dream



International PR News

G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGSBelow is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerkof the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying DisclosureAct of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

Lobbying News

¸ NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGSFARA News

Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington,D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work onbehalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings,visit www.fara.gov.Madison Group, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 10, 2014 for Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, for assisting the Ministry ofExternal Affairs with creating situational awareness of current affairs in Sri Lanka.

Prime Policy Group, New York, NY, registered May 25, 2014 for All Progressives Congress Party through Delano Family and Burson-Marsteller, Abuja, Nigeria, tointroduce party platform and party officials to policymakers (Congress, Agency and Administration) In Washington, D.C through visits that the firm will plan and execute.

Potomac Square Group, Washington, D.C., registered June 17, 2014 for Standing Together for Unity and Development, Nigeria, to enhance Nigeria’s standing in theglobal community by arranging academic and political salons, engaging the press and interacting with public officials.

Squire Patton Boggs, Washington, D.C., registered June 21, 2014 for Lennar Ventures, LLC, Miami, FL, for issues related to home energy efficiency standards,including the use of solar panels on homes.

Gephardt Group Government Affairs, Washington D.C., registered June 21, 2014 for Bayer Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, regarding pollinator health and habitat pro-motion; R&D tax credit.

Capitol Counsel LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 18, 2014 for The Chubb Corporation, Washington, D.C., regarding flood insurance, natural catastropheinsurance, terrorism risk insurance, Dodd-Frank regulation related to insurance.

Sanitas reps Afghanistan’spresidential hopeful

Turkey’s D.C. embassy has lined up Chicago’s Alpaytacfor a one-year contract pegged at $1.4 million for PR andcommunications services.

Huma Gruaz, Turkey’s former national swimming champion,member of its national team and ex-President of TurkishAmerican Cultural Alliance, launched the Windy City shop in2004 after 15 years in marketing/PR.

She began a communications career at Ogilvy & Mather,where she counseled Shell Oil, Unilever, Hoover, Spice Islandsand Philips Electronics.

Under the contract, Alpaytac is required to maintain aWashington office staffed by a PR-savvy Turkish speaker whounderstands the political dynamics between Turkey and the US. Bi-monthly meetings between the two parties are required, aswell as monthly activity reports.

The Embassy must approve the dissemination of all PRinformation and materials released on its behalf. It acknowl-edges that “pre-approved information and materials released byAlpaytac on its behalf may be changed and edited at the discre-tion of broadcasters and publishers in a way that may renderinformation less accurate,” according to the pact.

The contract runs through May 12, 2015. Either party may axthe pact after Nov. 12 with 30-days of advance notice. £

Turkey taps Alpaytac for PR

Sanitas International is repping Abdullah Abdullah, theleading candidate to succeed Hamid Karzai as presidentof Afghanistan.

The D.C. shop is backing the “free and fair” advocacy cam-paign designed to promote a secure and transparent election.

That fairness goal took a major hit blow following allegationsof fraud raised by Abdullah. He believes voter turnout in thesecond round of election on June 14 was inflated in areas, wherehis rival Ashraf Ghani enjoys strong support.

On Jun 18, Abdullah charged Ghani and Karzai of committing“industrial scale” voter fraud. He demands an end to the count.

Abdullah, a doctor and former Foreign Minister ofAfghanistan, also claims that a number of his observers wereintimidated and roughed up by political opponents. He beatGhani by a 45 to 32 percent margin in the April vote. Rival can-didates withdrew from the race following that tally andendorsed Abdullah.

Pitched as Afghanistan’s first democratic vote in the history,the election is key to continued western support forAfghanistan.

Karzai, who is term-limited, was scheduled to hand overpower to his successor on Aug. 2. £

KRL International is working Washington to boost the pro-file of embattled South Sudan, which has suffered sixmonths of bloodshed during battles between forces loyal

to the country’s president and VP.Riva Levinson’s firm’s advocacy program supports efforts to

“consolidate peace, reconciliation and the development priori-ties” of President Salva Kir’s government, according to its con-

KRL boosts embattled S. Sudan

tract. It targets the US government, donor/philanthropic com-munities, NGOs and media.

The one-year contract is worth fees of $240,000.Kir and rival politico Riek Machar met this month to negoti-

ate a truce, but are now boycotting the talks. Thousands havebeen killed and 1.3 million people have been displaced sincethe outbreak began in December.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011,which makes it the world’s youngest nation. £



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