Communications & New Media July 2017 I Vol. 31 No. 7

How kids are shaping travel, vacation destinations Creative staff shortage THE TRAVEL ISSUE hits PR industry Why domestic vacations will dominate in 2017 How Hispanics have become a top market for hoteliers July 2017 | www.odwyerpr.com Tips for travel trade show PR

Vol. 31. No. 7 July 2017

EDITORIAL FIVE WAYS TO RETAIN TOP Help wanted: Crisis manager for TALENT brand USA Agencies need to keep people who 6 19 bond with co-workers and clients. SHORTAGE OF CREATIVE STAFF HITS PR INDUSTRY MAKE U.S. HISPANICS TOP Filling key creative staff positions 8 TARGET FOR HOTELIERS is becoming increasingly difficult. How hotels can attract a powerful 20 and growing consumer segment. AMERICANS QUESTION 10 MOTIVES BEHIND CSR Who benefits from corporate NEW MEDIA PRESENT social responsibility efforts? 9 EXPANDED­ OPPORTUNITY Consumers aren’t sure. Meeting the challenges of media’s 21 evolution can yield big rewards. PR FIRMS REPORT LOWER PROFIT, STAFF PAY A new report says operating profit TRADE SHOWS OFFER A and staff pay were down in 2016. 9 WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES To get coverage for travel clients, 22 consider a consumer trade show. A BRAVE NEW WORLD INFLUENCERS BENEFIT 16 www.odwyerpr.com FOR TRAVEL PR Exploiting new opportunities from CAUSE MARKETING Daily, up-to-the-minute PR news influencer marketing to social 10 Online influencers make people strategies and sponsored content. 22 more likely to support a cause.

DOMESTIC VACATIONS PROFILES OF TRAVEL & DOMINATE IN 2017 TOURISM FIRMS A recent survey shows that more 24 U.S. travelers are planning to stay 12 stateside this year. RANKINGS OF TRAVEL & TOURISM FIRMS GIVING TRAVEL PR AN 35 INTEGRATED APPROACH PEOPLE IN PR Forging a connected path in a complex new marketing world. 14 39 WASHINGTON REPORT A DUAL STRATEGY FOR EFFECTIVE OUTREACH Travel PR campaigns need both 40 EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2017 traditional and social outreach. 16 January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide columns February: Environmental & P.A. KIDS CALL THE SHOTS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT March: Food & Beverage ON FAMILY VACATIONS Fraser Seitel April: Broadcast & Social Media Popular websites and platforms 36 May: PR Firm Rankings are seeking out kids’ opinions 17 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT June: Global & Multicultural about travel destinations. 37 Richard Goldstein July: Travel & Tourism August: Financial/I.R. DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS GUEST COLUMN September: Beauty & Fashion Arthur Solomon AFFECT TRAVEL PROS 38 October: Healthcare & Medical Destination marketers need to 18 November: High-Tech focus more on diversity. December: Entertainment & Sports

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5W Public Relations...... 3 Marketing Maven...... Inside Front Cover rbb Communications...... 15 Hawkins International Public Relations...... 5 MMGY Global...... 7 Strauss Media Strategies...... 8 Lou Hammond Group...... 11 Omega World Travel...... 23 TV Access...... 36 Magrino PR and Social Media...... 13 Peppercomm...... Back Cover

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EDITORIAL Crisis manager wanted for Brand USA onald Trump has greatly diminished Brand USA and it’s going to take one genius of a cri- sis manager to restore luster to the country’s image overseas. That’s a takeaway from Pew EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DResearch Center’s study released June 26 about the perception of the U.S. Jack O’Dwyer Pew polled 40,000 people living in 37 countries. The survey found that Trump and his policies [email protected] are “broadly unpopular around the globe.” Just 22 percent of overall respondents have confi- dence that Trump would do the right thing in international affairs. That figure compares to the ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 64 percent who expressed confidence in Barack Obama. More than half of the respondents in John O’Dwyer 26 of the nations polled consider Trump dangerous. [email protected] The Trump brand is downright toxic in key ally nations such as Germany. Only 11 percent of Germans are confident that Trump will do the right thing, compared to an 86 percent score for Obama. SENIOR EDITOR Pew also found that America’s image fell most in places where confidence in Trump tanked the Jon Gingerich most. Less than half (49 percent) of those polled hold a favorable view of the U.S. That’s down [email protected] from 64 percent under Obama. SENIOR EDITOR Trump’s policies, such as building a wall along the US-Mexico border, withdrawing from the Kevin McCauley Paris Accord/trade deals and restrictions on travel from some Muslim-majority countries, are [email protected] universally jeered. The scoreboard for Trump’s characteristics were abysmal: arrogant (75 percent), intolerant (65 percent), dangerous (62 percent), strong leader (55 percent), charismatic (39 percent), well ASSOCIATE EDITOR qualified to be president (26 percent) and caring about ordinary people (23 percent). Steve Barnes The views of America’s once vaunted “soft power” have also slipped, according to Pew. For- [email protected] ty-six percent of respondents now “dislike” vs. “like” “American ideas about democracy.” Fif- CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ty-four percent consider it “bad” vs. “good” that “American ideas are spreading here.” Fraser Seitel But here’s the survey’s real bombshell: Canadians don’t like us anymore. For the first time since Richard Goldstein Pew’s begun polling, The Great White North’s favorability ratings toward its southern neighbor fell below 50 percent. Only 43 percent of Canadians now have a positive image of the U.S. Thanks, Donald. In the immortal words of George W. Bush, “You’ve done a heckuva job.” EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Democrats need to retool PR shop & RESEARCH Jane Landers The Democrats, the one party that can repair the U.S.’s declining reputation, once again Caitlin Dullahan-Bates crawled home with tails between their legs following demoralizing losses in June’s House races in Georgia and South Carolina. It’s time for the Democrats to retool their communications shop. The defeat of 30-year-old wunderkind Jon Ossoff by a healthy four-point margin especially John O’Dwyer hurt the credibility of the Democratic PR effort. But what was the party thinking? How could a Advertising Sales Manager 30-year-old documentary filmmaker who lives outside Georgia’s Sixth District take a conserva- [email protected] tive seat that was held since the 1970s by Republican stalwarts such as Newt Gingrich and now Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price? O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 To the Democrats, it just didn’t matter. Progressives, still smarting over Donald Trump’s vic- a year ($7.00 a single issue) by the tory over Hillary Clinton, “nationalized” the suburban Atlanta race, opening the floodgates for J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. progressives to jump in. That simply doesn’t work. More than $25 million poured into Ossoff’s 271 Madison Ave., #600 campaign coffers, much from the Hollywood celebrity crowd of Jane Fonda, Chelsea Handler, New York, NY 10016. Sam Waterston, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Alyssa Milano and the bunch. (212) 679-2471 Fax: (212) 683-2750. The Republicans, meanwhile, played their cards close to the vest, selecting veteran politico Karen Handel to take on Ossoff. You’ve got to hand it to the Grand Old Party. It knows how to © Copyright 2017 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. win. While his progressive allies urged Ossoff to attack Trump, the candidate was in a losing posi- OTHER PUBLICATIONS: tion. Since the President has many supporters in the Sixth District, Ossoff saw little benefit in bashing the President. That drew the ire of the progressive crowd, which began to paint Ossoff www.odwyerpr.com Breaking news, commentary, useful data- as a “centrist,” a fate worse than death for many on the professional left. bases and more. MoveOn.org criticized Ossoff for missing an opportunity to attack proposed cuts in health- care, especially in the district once represented by Price. Ossoff, instead, opted to appeal to O’Dwyer’s Newsletter Republican moderates in the District, stressing his plans to keep a lid on the nation’s spending. A four-page weekly with general PR There just weren’t enough of those moderates to put him over the top. news, media appointments and placement Democrats now are claiming a Pyrrhic Victory, patting themselves on the back for running opportunities. such a competitive race. That’s a loser mentality. As David Axelrod pointed out in June, there O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms are no prizes for second place. The Democrats oversold their chances in Georgia, while their Listings of more than 1,250 PR firms candidate in South Carolina, Archie Parnell, came closer to defeating his opponent than Ossoff throughout the U.S. and abroad. did. Parnell flew well under the radar of national Democrats. O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide If the Democrats want to take back the House, they have to put aside their obsession with Products and services for the PR industry Trump. The Democratic Party needs candidates who are far from the star power of Hollywood, in 50 categories. and it needs qualified people who are respected in the communities in which they’re running for office. jobs.odwyerpr.com —Kevin McCauley O’Dwyer’s online job center has help wanted ads and hosts resume postings.

6 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

REPORT PR industry facing creative staff shortage Hiring managers working in the marketing industry now face in the least demand among advertising and marketing executives include media ser- challenges hiring professionals to fill key creative positions. vices, copywriting, content marketing and creative/art direction. By Jon Gingerich The Creative Group also discovered that early half of hiring managers work- for the job. executives working in the advertising and ing at advertising and marketing A relative lull in hiring also appears marketing industries widely oppose the Nagencies — 45 percent — expressed to have hit the ad and marketing indus- practice of open salary policies at their difficulty recruiting professionals to fill va- tries. Only nine percent said they plan to place of employment, a growing trend in cancies across various creative positions, add creative talent to their existing teams the workforce for the last several years in according to a recent employment outlook throughout the rest of the year, compared which everyone within a company knows study by staffing and recruiting agency The to 12 percent last year. About two-thirds — what everyone else is earning. Creative Group. 64 percent — said they plan to maintain the Proponents of this practice say that shar- To overcome these challenges, 45 percent same staffing roster they currently have and ing employee compensation details squash- said they’re now more willing than they fill only vacated positions, a year-over-year es rumors and instills a culture of trust and were three years ago to expand their search decline of three percent. Finally, 21 percent transparency in the workplace, which can geographically, looking outside their city — said they’ve now enacted a hiring freeze produce a more equitable, ethical work or even their state — in order to acquire the and are not filling any vacated positions or environment and may also help eliminate talent their agency needs. creating new ones, an uptick of one percent wage discrimination against women and Jobs in media services, customer experi- from the year prior. minority employees. ence and account services are among the For the companies that are hiring, execu- The disadvantages of such a practice are most challenging roles to fill, according to tives surveyed said the industry jobs in the what one might expect: for employees, the the Creative Group survey. highest demand include positions in ac- prospect of comparing paychecks is un- Advertising agencies staffing 100 or more count services (at 24 percent), followed by comfortable; moreover, such a policy may employees appear especially beleaguered by mobile design/development and marketing also reveal a company’s disparate salary this dearth of talent, with 67 percent of hir- research jobs, both at 21 percent. Public re- structure, which can lead to lower employ- ing managers stationed at these companies lations roles were highlighted by 20 percent, ee retention and may also hurt staff morale. reporting difficulty finding the right person as were jobs involving social media. Tasks Professionals working in the advertising and marketing industries appear to agree with the latter sentiment. More than half of respondents — 61 percent — in the Cre- ative Group study said they believe an open salary policy would have a negative effect on employee confidence. Many ad and marketing executives see the potential benefits of an open salary policy, however: according to the survey, 18 percent said they think such a concept could boost staff productivity, and others —17 percent — said these policies may help improve staff recruitment and reten- tion. Others also believe it could instill trust and help close an existing wage gap. Still, more than a quarter of ad and mar- keting executives — 27 percent — also said they believe the potential consequences outweigh any benefits these policies might have. The study shows that currently, the open salary concept is also not a practice widely adopted by the communications industry. A clear majority of advertising and mar- keting executives surveyed — 82 percent — said their company does not presently have a pay transparency policy in place. The Creative Group study, which was con- ducted by research firm SSRS, polled more than 400 executives nationally, including approximately 200 marketing executives from companies with 100 or more employ- ees and 200 advertising executives from agencies with 20 or more employees. 

8 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Americans question motives behind CSR Consumers are divided on whether companies that develop corporate social responsibility programs do so because they believe it’s the right thing to do, or if they’re interested only in boosting stakeholder value. By Jon Gingerich o companies in the private sector en- comparison, only four companies received only by agricultural technology giant Mon- gage in CSR initiatives because they’re “excellent” social responsibility ratings in santo — number 100 — when it comes to Dlegitimately compelled to do what’s 2016; seven years ago, no companies earned terrible reputation. Bank of America, Sam- right, or are they simply offering public re- this designation). sung, Procter & Gamble Co. and Goldman lations platitudes in a bid to elevate brand East Coast supermarket chain Wegmans Sachs also saw their reputations plummet awareness? topped the Harris Poll RQ list this year in this year, declining -8.4, -6.8, -6.1 and -5.8 According to the latest annual Harris Poll terms of earning consumers’ highest so- points, respectively. Reputation Quotient study, which tracks cial responsibility ranking, the second time The survey also found that Millennials the perception of the 100 most visible com- the NY-based grocer has earned a top spot are the generation significantly more likely panies in the U.S. by asking consumers to in the survey. Southeastern supermarket to attempt to influence family and friends, rank their reputations across a half-dozen chain Publix Super Markets, Inc. took sec- either in person or online, regarding a com- key attributes, 45 percent of consumers said ond place, the third consecutive year that pany’s perceptions, with more than half — they believe companies embark on CSR ini- employee-owned grocer has landed a top 51 percent, more than double the percent of tiatives because they believe it’s a role they spot on the list. Amazon took third place, Baby Boomers — admitting they’ve partic- should play as leaders in their communities. the second consecutive year the Internet’s ipated in conversations of this nature with Conversely, a similar amount — 40 percent largest retailer has landed on the list, after it others. — said they believe companies develop CSR achieved the highest Harris Poll rating ever Baby Boomers, on the other hand, appear initiatives only to bolster their public image last year, followed by electric car maker Tes- most concerned about the amount of per- and establish social value for stakeholders. la Motors. Fifth place went to military-ori- sonal information companies retain about Out of the 100 companies measured by ented bank USAA. Filling out the top-ten their customers (82 percent, compared to consumers for corporate reputation, only list for top social responsibility this year only 69 percent of Millennials). eight achieved an “excellent” CSR ratings were Lowe’s, UPS, L.L. Bean, Walt Disney Harris’ research found that consumers be- this year, suggesting that most Americans Company and Whole Foods Market. lieve respectful treatment of employees and feel the majority U.S. companies have a long By comparison, bottoming out the list was customers, as well as a commitment to eth- way to go when it comes to excelling at cor- Wells Fargo, falling 19 points — the survey’s ics, are the most important undertakings a porate social responsibility initiatives. On largest drop — to number-99, the result of company can make when it comes to shap- the other hand, that paltry figure actually its disastrous 2016 fraud deposit and credit ing corporate reputation. Providing afford- places more companies under the “excel- card accounts scandal (Wells Fargo last year able and accessible products and services, as lent” social responsibility umbrella than any accounted for the largest reputation drop in well as safe working conditions, also ranked other time in the poll’s 18-year history (by Harris Poll history). Wells Fargo is now beat high on the list.  PR firms report lower profit, staff pay earning under $3 million, overhead and PR agencies reported lower average operating profit and staff pay operating expenses averaged 27.9 percent, in 2016 compared to recent years past, according to Gould+Partners’ compared to 26.1 percent for firms earn- 2017 Best Practices Benchmarking Report. ing between $3-10 million, 25.4 percent for By Jon Gingerich firms earning between $10-25 million and he average profitability of PR agencies The findings boded more optimistically 24.8 percent for firms earning more than slipped in 2016, with firms now re- for larger agencies: PR firms boasting net $25 million. Tporting lower average profit than re- revenues of more than $25 million report- Firms in the under $3 million bracket cent years past, according to an annual sur- ed an average operating profit of 18 percent also averaged the highest turnover — 27.7 vey conducted by New York-based merger in 2016; firms accounting for between $10 percent — of firms in any other group in and acquisition consultancy Gould+Part- and $25 million in revenues achieved prof- 2016, compared to an overall turnover rate ners. itability of 17.4 percent; firms in the $3-10 of 22.1 percent. Average PR agency operating profit was million range netted 14.6 percent. “What clearly stands out, consistent with 15.2 percent of net revenues in 2016, ac- By comparison, firms earning under $3 our other studies, is that bigger is better,” cording to the 2017 Best Practices Bench- million in revenue netted only 14.3 percent Gould+Partners Managing Partner Rick marking Report, which analyzes the factors in average operating profit, according to the Gould told O’Dwyer’s. “As PR firms grow affecting agency profitability and profiles survey. and improve their infrastructure, their la- agency growth by size, region and specialty. Perhaps just as troubling: while total bor costs will be relatively reduced and This year’s findings reveal a dip from 2015’s overhead and operating expenses averaged profitability will increase.” average PR agency operating profit of 15.3 25.9 percent for all firms surveyed — more Firms specializing in healthcare, tech, percent, 2014’s 16.2 percent and 2013’s 15.8 or less consistent with previous years’ find- consumer, financial/investor relations and percent. ings — they were highest for firms earning sports/entertainment ranked highest in Average staff pay was also down: revenue under the $3 million mark, suggesting that 2016; firms focusing on digital, travel, pub- per employee was $184,069 in 2016, a dip the tightest cost management is occurring lic affairs and real estate bottom out this from $185,624 the year prior. at the firms achieving the most. For firms year’s survey. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 9 FEATURE A brave new world for travel PR Exploiting new opportunities from influencer marketing to social strategies and sponsored content. reflected inspirational trips to the Watch By Laura Davidson Hill Inn, followed by several direct messag- es leading to actual bookings. Sponsored content ver the last five years, the travel indus- remember those days when we placed win- The shifting travel landscape has also try has been roiled by a perfect storm. ter stories in July?). led PR companies into the blurred world OOn one hand, travel changed from Our agency has a dedicated social media of sponsored content (a.k.a. native adver- something you did to something you are. manager and team. For our larger PR pro- tising). At the end of the day consumers It became a lifestyle choice, an announce- grams, we partner with a specialized social want quality content that helps build a re- ment of who you want to be, just like a lux- media agency (Gather & Grow) that ex- lationship with a brand. ury watch or car. It was a seismic shift that tends our reach still further. Working with Successful PR drives shook the travel landscape, altering it in influencers is a priority, with new names that kind of authentic meaningful ways. The media began cover- popping up in unexpected places like daf- content creation and ing travel the way it covered fashion, with fodils in the spring. In the same way that we storytelling. Our agen- stories about celebrity getaways, enriching evaluate the suitability of a magazine’s read- cy frequently uses this experiential activities and bragging-rights ership, so we vet influencers to ensure they strategy on behalf of our destinations. and their followers are the right fit for our destination clients. On the other hand, travelers began con- client’s brand image. As part of a market- suming media in new ways, mostly on their While most people on the outside think ing partnership between Laura Davidson social networks. This perfect our client, storm, the collision of two cli- Destination New South Wales/ mactic forces, changed the face Sydney and Qantas Airways, we of travel PR, blowing away its proposed a range of sponsored established conventions and content opportunities with re- forcing it to adopt a constant gional and national media. Work- stream of new technologies. ing with one of Travel + Leisure’s Constant change is the new travel influencers we produced normal. It’s a Darwinian world extensive digital content during in which only the fast adapters one of Sydney’s largest events, will survive. Vivid Sydney. This outreach in- Today’s successful PR agen- cluded a series of social media cies look nothing like they posts direct from the festival that used to even five years ago. We reached T+L’s 1.9 million Insta- have moved from feeding facts Laura Davidson Public Relations produced extensive digital content during gram followers. More recently, we to telling stories. Long gone is one of Sydney’s largest events, Vivid Sydney. partnered with LA’s top morning our tight focus on print mag- program, KTLA Morning News, azines and newspaper travel and American Airlines to send sections. Now our strategy meetings are all that social media has made our work eas- its entertainment reporter, Sam Rubin, to about high-tech and new wave, loud with ier (more outlets, right?), we have found report live from Vivid Sydney. This effort talk about multiplatform, integrated oppor- the contrary is true. Yes, the PR machine is garnered over a dozen segments and teas- tunities that create dialogue with our clients’ driven by the same old engines — time, ef- ers and a trip giveaway component that brands. Our campaigns are rigidly timed fort and legwork — but, if it’s precisely cali- brought in over 77,000 entries. roll-outs that pluck from an ever-expanding brated and intelligently steered, the rewards The good news is that there can be sta- arsenal of social strategies, influencer mar- can be truly extraordinary. bility even in a world of constant change. keting, custom content, digital/broadcast, With the right influencer partnerships It seems to me, a PR veteran with over 25 brand partnerships, and yes, there is a place our agency has increased the target audi- years in the trenches, that a new maturity is still for those traditional media strategies on ence for its clients by as much as 100 per- sneaking into our business. The more suc- which our industry is based. cent. Since many of our influencers are cessful agencies have matured; they are less Let’s take a look at two areas that are on ambassadors, not just for travel, but also reactive than they were even a few years ago, the forefront of our PR world: social media for clothing, jewelry and other like-mind- less prone to abandon the tried-and-trusted influencers and sponsored content: ed lifestyle products, we mine their demo- practices and run like a giddy child after the Social media/influencer marketing graphics as well. To expand the customer next shiny new thing. The key is the same The greatest change in the way we tell our base of our Watch Hill Inn client in Rhode as it has always been: recognizing that every clients’ stories is the everywhere-you-look, Island, we partnered with a brand ambas- client has a unique set of goals and requires everywhere-you-go availability of social sador for Anthropologie, the distinctive a different mix of tools, both old and new. If media and the influencers who drive it. clothing and accessories retailer with over you get that mix correct and remain nimble Over the last five years, social media has 200 stores worldwide. As a result, Watch — don’t stay too attached to the long-term gone from something ungainly, ungovern- Hill Inn’s Instagram following grew by near- PR plan — then the new travel world can be able and unquantifiable to an indispensable ly 40 percent, yielding more than 8,000 likes your oyster. powerhouse, delivering impressive results and 143+ comments over the course of five Laura Davidson is President of Laura Da- in an almost immediate timeframe (do you days. Many of the comments from the posts vidson Public Relations (LDPR). 

10 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Domestic vacations dominate in 2017

A recent survey suggests a slowdown may be coming this year for drive markets as a way to maximize reve- the travel industry, with many U.S. travelers choosing to remain nues. stateside during 2017 and favoring road trips over international • With this shift, U.S. destinations, hotels vacations. and attractions have the opportunity to By Julie Freeman and Nancy Friedman maximize their marketing and promotion- al efforts and be more targeted in reaching their core travelers or guests. ith the summer travel season in ternationally in the next 12 months. • U.S. destinations, hotels and attractions full swing, many Americans are This same group also intends to increase need to ensure they keep their websites rel- Wheading off for their vacations. their spend and frequency in travel this evant and as innovative Despite favorable exchange rates in many year, making them a prime opportunity as possible, as Google’s parts of the globe, global instability and market for travel brands, both within the new tourism products safety concerns may shift where Ameri- U.S. and beyond. are affecting how U.S. cans choose to travel and how much they’ll Road tripping reclaims travelers’ hearts travelers are consuming spend on their vacations this summer and As Americans increasingly favor domes- content. into next year. tic over international vacations, road trips • Creative and timely Vacation spending down are back on trend, reclaiming their place content online and of- MMGY Global’s 2017–2018 Portrait of as the great American pastime. In the last fline is crucial. As pub- American Travelers survey revealed that for 12 months, 39 percent of vacations taken lic relations profession- the first time since 2013, the approximately by American travelers were road trips, up als, we need to ensure Julie Freeman 60 million traveling households in the U.S. significantly from 22 percent the year prior. we’re peeling back all will spend less on leisure travel this year Almost half of American travelers took the layers and discov- (between $1 billion and $5 billion less), a at least one road trip during the past 12 ering new and different dip from its eight-year high in 2016. months, and MMGY Global predicts even features and offerings U.S. travelers spent an average of $4,833 more will do so next year. So, what’s the ap- for our clients’ destina- on vacations during the previous 12 peal of road trips? The majority chose this tions, hotels and attrac- months. And, travelers reported an inten- sort of vacation because of the stops they tions that will pique the tion to spend less on travel than they did make along the way and the ability to pack interest of both media the year prior. The survey did find, how- everything needed for vacation in the car. and potential travelers. ever, that Millennial families are going to Attractions are top vacation experience Now in its 27th year, spend more and travel more than all other Attractions have become a very import- MMGY Global’s Por- Nancy Friedman generational segments. ant element of the American vacation ex- trait of American Trav- Shift to domestic vacations perience. More than half of all vacations elers survey provides an in-depth examina- In what MMGY Global is projecting to (53 percent) include at least one visit to an tion of the impact of the current economic be a slowdown year for the travel industry, attraction, including museums, aquariums, environment, prevailing social values and Americans are choosing to stay on U.S. soil theme parks and other attractions. And, 68 emerging travel habits, preferences and in- and experience more of what our 50 states percent of travelers chose the majority of tentions of Americans. It’s widely regarded have to offer. The Portrait of American attractions they would visit before the vaca- as a leading barometer of travel trends and Travelers survey revealed that as political tion even began. an essential tool for both the development concerns rise, preference is shifting toward With young families driving travel intent and evolution of brand and marketing domestic rather than international destina- and spend, one might believe that theme strategy. tions. parks and amusement parks lead the list of The Portrait of American Travelers sur- Domestic vacations now make up 85 per- attractions sought out by travelers. Howev- vey polled nearly 3,000 U.S. adults who cent of American vacations, up seven points er, the top-ranking attractions include art have taken at least one overnight trip of from last year. In fact, 13.9 million more and history museums (65 percent), aquari- 75 miles or more away from home during vacations were taken within the U.S. com- ums (59 percent) and science museums (56 the past 12 months. Respondents included pared to outside the country in the past year. percent), with theme parks falling fourth those from more than 2,000 households Boomer travelers are leading the way in on the list (55 percent). with an annual income between $50,000 domestic vacationing, with 90 percent of Implications for travel marketers and $124,999; more than 700 households travelers within this generation staying in • The shift to more domestic travel helps with an annual income between $125,000 the U.S. on their vacations, followed by 88 insulate the domestic travel market from and $249,999; and more than 160 house- percent of Mature travelers, 85 percent of the flat growth predicted in the coming year. holds with an annual income of more than Xers and 79 percent of Millennials. However, marketers must be innovative, as $250,000. Data was collected in February. Don’t overlook young families there’s more competition from a smaller list For more information about these insights, Despite the shift toward domestic travel, of options. It’s essential for DMOs to fight or to subscribe to the 2017–2018 Portrait there is one segment that seems unfazed by for traveler attention and interest as early in of American Travelers white papers, visit shifts in global stability. Millennial families the planning cycle as possible. www.mmgyglobal.com. with kids lead all other segments in intent • With the resurgence of road trips, travel Nancy Friedman is a Partner and Julie to travel abroad, with 26 percent of these marketers may want to consider additional Freeman is Managing Director of NJF, an travelers suggesting that they will travel in- marketing and promotional focus on their MMGY Global company. 

12 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE An integrated approach to travel PR Forging a connected path in a new, complex marketing world. should harmoniously serve the same over- arching goal. That’s the point of integrated By Lou Hammond marketing. Each element performs a separate func- n the early days of digital media, travel PR dia was a critical component for reaching tion to further the marketing goal. A truly professionals initially came to terms with untapped markets. Pleased with our PR integrated marketing campaign is made up Ithe phenomenon by treating social media work, they hired us to take over their social of different types of rail cars linked togeth- as an “add-on” to traditional PR activities. media. er to deliver the right message to the right They sensed there was some opportunity Two years later, we have embarked upon audiences at the right for promoting travel, and soon discovered a fully integrated approach that combines times. When it’s done they could share an online story over social branding, public relations, web develop- right, such a campaign media, but then went back about their busi- ment and social media into a single interre- resembles a luxury ness of pursuing placements within the tra- lated marketing strategy. Each element will train with a well-ap- ditional media outlets they had grown ac- complement the others in communicating pointed sleeping car customed to working with. The relationship Market New Haven’s message but each in its coupled to an elegant between websites, social media and online own way according to its specialized func- lounge car adjoining a content and how they could all comple- tion and target audience. We will develop gourmet dining car — ment each other was far from understood. the InfoNewHaven.com website to serve all served by an atten- Lou Hammond Then PR pros began to realize those not as a digital travel guide and information tive staff. tweets, posts, likes and shares were more resource, but as a sophisticated, optimized One thing has not than just a fad and that they deserved more marketing tool that reflects and functions changed: travel marketing is still executed than just a passing nod. Recognizing they’d as a part of the overall marketing strategy. by people who value relationships, espe- better get onboard or get left at the station, It will work integrally with New Haven’s so- cially with the media. Today’s editors and they subscribed to the old mantra: “If you cial media channels and promote the same producers may be quicker to respond to a lack certain expertise, then hire it.” So, they resources and assets. As a public-private text or a private message over social me- brought in a social media “expert” (typi- partnership, Market New Haven serves as dia than to answer your phone call, but if cally a digital native newly graduated from a great example of how separate entities can anything, that only increases the need for college). PR professionals mostly reserved collaborate to pursue a common goal of en- building stronger relationships. their own social accounts for personal use. hancing the community’s positive image, Today’s media environment is marked by At most they used them professionally to and now the marketing strategy follows ever-shrinking editorial and production follow and track members of media — es- that same seamless, collaborative approach. staffs, where fewer people are constantly pecially travel writers and editors. Other- As those who promote the travel industry required to create more content than ever wise, the PR team performed its customary embark on new marketing campaigns, they before. Editors need a steady stream of function, while the social media team did will increasingly follow a pattern similar to new digital content. Television producers theirs. Whatever thought was put into plan- Market New Haven’s and demand a scope are finding that the lines distinguishing a ning a social media strategy, for instance, of work where each marketing activity acts broadcast segment, a Facebook live post was usually developed apart from the larger as a link connected to the next to form a and footage posted on the website become overall marketing strategy, including PR. chain of interconnected services. Interac- increasingly blurred, but they’re responsi- The above describes a typical siloed ap- tion between digital components and a ro- ble for scheduling and producing it all. One proach to marketing. It relies on the as- bust website have already become increas- national travel editor recently confided that sumption that traditional PR and digital ingly important components of marketing in addition to fulfilling traditional editorial marketing would continue their journeys campaigns, and this trend will only grow. duties for print, she is required to produce on separate, although related, tracks. Even- Smart travel PR professionals are already and post three new online stories per week. tually, though, savvy PR professionals be- adapting their way of thinking and ap- Such editors increasingly rely on market- gan projecting that the tracks did not run proach to the business in light of these new ing professionals to help provide that con- on parallel courses but were headed for an circumstances. tent. This creates a prime opportunity for inevitable convergence. Now all astute trav- One point travel marketers instinctively travel marketing professionals to showcase el marketers view digital marketing and PR know: although integrated, each marketing amenities and strengthen bonds with me- as an integrated, complementary bundle of discipline performs its own function best. dia, while positioning themselves as go-to services that function as interrelated parts A website successfully optimized to achieve sources. of a greater whole. a high organic search ranking serves a dif- Another added benefit, online content In many instances established destina- ferent purpose than an earned placement is easily customized for digital use, not to tion marketing organizations evolved in in the travel section of a newspaper. That mention it is naturally shareable across the direction towards integration in an story targets a different demographic than social channels, which repurposes and ex- almost natural process as digital became a carefully arranged and curated Instagram tends its reach. Integration, in other words, more entrenched (and less distinguishable takeover. A timely blogpost may spark an brings us full circle to that happy ideal: from “traditional” PR). A good case in impromptu side-trip to a destination, un- the seamless marketing campaign where- point: Eight years ago, Market New Haven like an online itinerary planner that travel- in each element works together to execute hired our agency to provide traditional PR ers wield to plan an extended vacation. And their individual tasks at the highest levels services to promote its revitalized dining, nothing else elicits the same response as the and in perfect accord. shopping and cultural amenities. Market logo that distills a complex message into a Lou Hammond is Founder and Chairman New Haven also recognized that social me- single visual impulse. But all these pieces of the Lou Hammond Group. 

14 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE The parallel lines of traditional, social outreach

The importance of a maintaining a dual-strategy for both traditional ity to minimize any fallout. and social media when managing travel PR campaigns. Recently at one of our hotels, a guest with By Allyn Magrino more than 100,000 followers on Twitter started tweeting that she was unsatisfied here’s never been a better time for to the resort through targeted influencer with the housekeeping in her room. Our the travel industry in terms of expo- visits to the property, generating exposure social media team quickly picked up on the Tsure opportunities for hotels, airlines, for the hotel among coveted groups of af- tweets and alerted the hotel management cruises and destinations. From the tried- fluent travelers based on influencers’ core team on site. The team moved in to contact and-true traditional methods of magazines followings. Over the past six months, we’ve the guest and rectify the and newspapers to the equally-important grown the Grace Bay Club’s Instagram fol- housekeeping situation, social media platforms and video options, lowing by 45 percent, with nearly 1,500 new additionally offering the the vehicles for raising awareness for travel followers, and the resort’s Facebook page guest a free night’s stay. entities have never been so plentiful. following by 15 percent, with over 900 fol- The guest was thrilled Additionally, as hotels and the like offer so lowers. with the quick response much visual content, the travel industry has Award submissions are a great example and deleted her negative been one of the business sectors to benefit of traditional and social media working tweets, instead tweeting most from social media and video platform in tandem to maximize awareness. While that she loved the hotel opportunities. awards fall under the traditional media re- and would definitely be Allyn Magrino As travel industry professionals, having lations scope, we’re able to solicit awareness back again soon. these additional avenues to spread the word among key constituent groups and loyal The rise of social media platforms has also about our clients has made our jobs more guests to solicit votes and increase the prop- made digital-savvy travelers increasingly exciting, yet also more challenging; with erty’s chances of being included in coveted influential in all aspects of travel, from the more outlets to understand and manage, the roundups such as Conde Nast Traveler’s amenities travel companies are offering to potential for fast-moving exposure presents Reader’s Choice Awards. where hotels are being built. While in the potential liabilities. past, hotels often focused on travel- The good news is that experienced ers with a higher disposable income travel PR professionals are more valu- in the 40-plus demographic, there’s a able than ever, provided they have the switch toward focusing on a psycho- ability to leverage a traditional media graphic rather than a demographic. approach — which remains crucial — Those travelers who have a fluency alongside the evolving world of social not only with social media platforms, media and many new avenues of expo- but also with mobile booking and sure these visual platforms provide. online travel planning, are shaping It’s not enough to employ an either/or how the travel industry is evolving. approach of traditional outreach vs so- As such, travel PR campaigns need cial platforms; the combination of the to speak to these travelers, and an in- two ensures the widest reach possible tegrated social and traditional media of the target audience, and the ability to focus is essential. effectively tell the story of a property’s Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos, where Magrino was able The travel industry has had to or destination’s many facets in the most to deliver a 45 percent increase in Instagram followers in six adapt to a tech-savvy generation of creative way. months employing a targeted digital strategy. travelers, and that has had huge — At our agency, we’ve tripled the size mostly positive — ramifications for of our digital team over the past year travel PR practitioners. We now have due to demand from clients, who have rec- We also pay close attention to our clients’ more tools than ever at our disposal to raise ognized the necessity of pairing traditional social media platforms to help us develop awareness, allowing us to speak to consum- PR efforts with a targeted digital strategy. It’s traditional print and broadcast angles. ers in whatever medium they’re most com- not enough to simply throw up a Facebook We note which posts get the highest fortable, be it via a traditional magazine, a page or post some pretty photos on Insta- ­engagement, including comments and social media posting or a video on YouTube. gram; without a thoughtful plan for increas- ­other feedback, and use that data to craft This plethora of outlets for disseminating ing engagement, haphazard social media story angles that we know will resonate with news can be a double-edged sword, in that postings will do little to build awareness. consumers.­ we all now have more to monitor and man- One client, Grace Bay Club in Turks & Ca- As much as social media platforms help age on the media front, combined with the icos, asked us this year to develop a strategy hotels and other travel businesses raise rise in user-generated content. While our for increasing engagement on their social overall awareness, there’s the other side of jobs as travel PR practitioners have become media platforms. As an agency, we also felt the coin, with every traveler being a travel increasingly complex, it’s clear that our role that a more integrated approach between critic who has access to TripAdvisor and is more crucial than ever in helping hotels, traditional media relations and social me- other highly influential digital platforms. airlines, spas, cruise lines and destinations dia content was key to our success moving Getting even one less-than-positive review navigate this brave new digital world. forward. on one of these sites can spell disaster for a Allyn Magrino is President of New York- Through our efforts on digital for Grace client, based primarily on the reach of the based travel and lifestyle PR and marketing Bay Club, we’ve introduced new audiences review platform and the PR company’s abil- agency Magrino. 

16 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM How kids shape travel, vacation decisions Online surveys and review sites show that adults are no longer the lone determining authorities of vacation planning. Popular websites and platforms are now beginning to survey kids in order to gather statistics from this demographic as it relates to family travel. By Adrienne Jordan he data collected from kids via online traveling. For example, only 25 percent of directly through the website. Kids can log surveys and review sites typically ex- surveyed kids ages 12-15 think it’s import- in to the website to become reviewers, and Tplores vacation-related desires and ant to make friends with other kids on va- provides a safe portal that uses an avatar interest levels in categories such as hotel cation. system. amenities, beach vs. cultural travel and so- Another age group surveyed were kids HomeAway, a vacation rentals site repre- cial media. Ultimately, these surveys show ages 5-11, whose results varied from the 12- senting more than 1.2 million online book- how important youth are in shaping travel 15 age group. Over half (73 percent) of this able vacation rental homes in 190 coun- plans and decisions. demographic wanted a vacation by a pool tries, recently released its 2017 Kidpinion Today, it appears that most kid-focused or beach. Other top choices were activities Travel Survey, which polled kids and par- travel data is being collected primarily they can’t do at home, playing with other ents across the U.S. The survey collaborated through online surveys as opposed to on- children and having all the ice cream they with polling site YouGov to collect data on line reviews. For example, Booking.com, can eat on vacation. Some of the categories behalf of HomeAway and FamilyFun mag- which has more than 118 million user re- that were not as important were staying in a azine. views, recently sought to collect post-va- room bigger than the one they have at home The purpose of the online survey, which cation reviews through a targeted survey (24 percent), bouncy beds (22 percent), and gathered data from more than 500 U.S.- of 22,564 kids and teens ages 5-15. The site for vacation staff to be good at telling jokes based kids ages six to 18 as well and their found that vacations that include trusty (10 percent). This data is relevant because parents in households with incomes of at ­Wi-Fi, social media scenery opportunities, it can help parents shape family vacations, least $50,000, was to see how much of an in- late breakfasts, bouncy beds and other spe- or at least gives some insight into what they fluence kids have on future vacation plans. cific categories were important to kids. The should be looking into as they plan their Experiences more desirable than ‘stuff’ data, which was collected from children next family trip. HomeAway family travel expert Melanie across the globe with their parents’ permis- Fish said the survey suggest that “young sion, provides some much-needed insight people value experiences over ‘stuff,’ and into how to match families with a fitting families are planning vacations together.” choice of vacation. “People always ask adults their opinion, Todd Dunlap, Managing Director of but what’s really cool about including kids Booking.com, Americas, said that “spend- in the research is that we found making ing time away together is an important part memories is just as important to them as it of family life, but we understand that plan- is to their parents,” Fish said. ning to keep all the children happy can be The survey also found that experiences hard,” which is one of the reasons the com- matter more than things, with 43 percent pany decided to orchestrate the kid survey. of kids claiming they’d rather choose to go Kids want to stay connected on vacation on vacation over receiving a physical gift. Booking.com found that teens 12-15 Harry Potter was a top scorer when it came years old rate social media — the ability to to the category relating to magical vacation keep in touch with friends at home while destinations: 27 percent of kids would want away — as highly important. Of this age to travel to Hogwarts over any other fiction- group, 89 percent characterized a strong al place. The runner up to this survey was Wi-Fi connection as essential. This shows Star Wars Galaxy at 21 percent. The survey how social media has affected the world, also found that the number one influencer with kids claiming that being able to access on kids (37 percent) is their friends, which social media for posting during vacationing topped celebrities, social media, TV and is essential. Almost half of the 12-15 year movies. Based on parent’s additional par- olds valued having the chance to “take cool ticipation in the survey, the study found photos for social media.” Other categories that 87 percent of parents said their kids such as “staying near a pool or a beach” Although there aren’t many heavily traf- play a role in vacation planning, and 13 and “enjoying lots of activities” were also ficked websites that cater exclusively to percent said their kids actually make the ranked in the top five important factors. online reviews, Kidzcationz.com was cre- final decision. This data from HomeAway Based on these results, the top destina- ated in 2015 by 12-year-old Bella Tipping and FamilyFun magazine research revealed tions around the world for the 12-15 age from the UK to allow children to rate trav- almost 9 out of 10 parents let kidpinions group were Japan (Wi-Fi/fast internet con- el interests such as hotels, restaurants, and guide trip plans. For example, both parents nection); U.S. (a pool, lots of activities); theme parks based on the reception of ser- and kids ranked a private island, castle and Greece (near the beach); and Brazil (the vice and other factors. Tripadvisor allows treehouse as their top three choices among chance to take cool photos for social me- only adults to set up accounts on the site, unique places to stay. Finally, the survey dia). The surveys not only show what kids serving as a basis of inspiration for Tipping. found that parents and kids both ranked want to experience while vacationing, but Kidzcations, which is affiliated with Expe- having a pool is important to them as a top also what isn’t important to them when dia, will allow people to book their holidays amenity. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 17 FEATURE How changing US demographics affect travel PR pros Destination marketers must include more diverse perspectives at the marketing communications table if they want to attract consumers across varying cultural and community backgrounds. By Karyl Leigh Barnes he United States is likely the most di- grow to $1.5 trillion by 2021, according to who had interests in seeing that the LGBT verse country in the world. Thanks the same report. market got its due.” Visit Philadelphia has Tto a long-held interest in welcoming Today, a greater percentage of the trav- used the same approach with its outreach to immigrants and celebrating individuality, eling public is made up of people who Latino and African American audiences — the American melting pot is overflowing. identify by ethnicity, sexual orientation or task force first, action The country is poised to become a minori- religion. 2016 valuations from Out Now second. ty-majority country by 2040 and already, underscore why targeting LGBT customers Another way to at- multicultural markets are in the majority is smart business: in the U.S. alone, LGBT tract a diverse set of in several states, including California, New spending on travel is nearly $61 billion, visitors is by support- Mexico and Texas. with an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent. ing businesses and spe- Antonio Hernandez, Chair of Diversity That said, few destinations can be all cial events targeted at Initiatives for PRSA Chicago, noted in a things to all people, and few have the dol- those markets through blog post for the organization that “leading lars to market to every single group. media relations efforts. brands that want to build relationships in “You have to look at the destination and Visit Oakland’s Wong diverse and emerging markets know it be- see who you are selling it to,” Wong said. said the bureau asks Karyl Leigh Barnes gins with recruiting, developing and retain- “For us, for example, the LGBT audience the local LGBT com- ing talent reflecting their client population.” is such a natural element that it just hap- munity about the activities they participate The same goes for consumers of travel ex- pened.” Wong said that Visit Oakland set in and the businesses they patronize in or- periences. Growing business from diverse up an LGBT task force in 2016, made up der to develop programming of interest to markets is not merely a matter of talking the of small business owners and people in the that market. Visit Philadelphia’s Robinson talk; destination marketing communicators community. “We wanted to get feedback to says destination marketing organizations actually need to walk the walk, and are now make sure we are being sensitive and send- should “show up and support existing starting by including more diverse voices at ing the right message out,” she said. events within your community.” She noted the marketing communications table. The communications team at Discover that Visit Philadelphia helps special interest Having varying perspectives is crucial for the Palm Beaches in Florida found success festivals with publicity and media outreach, making informed, strategic decisions on the with a similar community-influenced strat- and makes sure her own organization has a right ways to attract consumers from vari- egy. As President and CEO Jorge Pesquera strong brand presence at such events. ous cultural and community backgrounds. explained in the Palm Beach Post, “Every Another aspect in diversity marketing is Diverse voices bring cultural context and guest, regardless of lifestyle, race or origin, reaching out to consumers where they are. authenticity to communications efforts. is valued and respected.” For example, Robinson noted that in the Communications professionals with direct Indeed, community outreach is a key part past five to seven years, there’s been an enor- connections to targeted communities are of the diversity effort. Kitty Ratcliffe, Presi- mous growth in travel spending among Af- more likely to have an innate understand- dent of Explore St. Louis, noted the bureau rican Americans Millennials. Studies show ing of what works and doesn’t in terms of has had great success by partnering with lo- this group heavily consumes social media, effective positioning and storytelling. cal community members and associations particularly YouTube. To reach this market, Frances Wong, Senior Public Relations connected to a variety of diverse cultures. Visit Philadelphia is developing a YouTube Manager for Visit Oakland noted, “In to- “They have a lot of insight that we won’t find web series featuring a noted Philadelphia day’s day and age, diversity is an asset. We out just by doing general research.” Explore celebrity and several social media influenc- are selling destinations and experiences — St. Louis also has a multicultural commit- ers. In other cases, DMOs can target social and it’s about connecting with people. The tee that assists in developing and reviewing media influencers or reporters for tradi- more diverse the DMO staff, the more gen- marketing communications initiatives. tional media outlets that appeal to specific uine the message will be.” Whenever Visit Philadelphia aims to tar- demographics and invite them on focused Jenea Robinson, a Senior Media Relations get a specific audience, it starts by forming a press trips. The resulting coverage from re- Manager for Visit Philadelphia, pointed out community task force. According to Levitz, spected, independent voices can spread the that having a staff filled with people from “In 2004, Philadelphia was the first DMO diversity message via objective third-party various backgrounds is a matter of dollars on the planet to air a television ad openly sources. and cents. “If you don’t look at diversity in targeted to the LGBT community. The ad In the next twenty years, the Ameri- marketing from within, your organization was backed up by a wider advertising and can market will continue to evolve. Given won’t grow,” Robinson said. “Moreover, public relations campaign.” America’s changing demographics, having from a business standpoint, your city will But Visit Philadelphia didn’t start the diverse staff at the marketing communi- miss out on a huge economic driver.” project from scratch. “We wanted to ensure cations table will help ensure that all des- The proof is in the statistics. According to a campaign that would be serious, respect- tination communication is effective and the University of Georgia’s latest Multicul- ful and representative of the community,” that reality, not stereotypes, is presented to tural Economy Report, total Hispanic buy- said Levitz. That’s why, before embarking the majority-minority populations of today ing power in the United States has grown on the ad campaign, “we first established a and tomorrow. from $495 billion in 2000 to $1.4 trillion in Gay Tourism Caucus as a sounding board. Karyl Leigh Barnes is Managing Partner of 2016. African American buying power is We included the local business communi- the Tourism Practice at Development Coun- estimated at $1.2 trillion in 2016, and it will ty, along with cultural and thought leaders sellors International (DCI). 

18 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Five ways to retain top talent

The team members that bond with coworkers and clients and are sees this as a bonus and has thoughtfully part of a brand’s mission are what truly give agencies their staying moved team members into new roles over power time based on their talents and passions. By Amy Ogden Retaining top talent takes daily dedica- tion to relationships, activities and results. t’s no secret that people are the most pre- JPR, we also bring in new team members JPR over the past 12 years has steadily risen cious commodity at any company. This who see our culture through a fresh lens in the ranks to become one of the country’s Iis no different at our agency, which has and add to it in their own unique ways.” fastest growing bi-coast- a knack for retaining top talent across our Champion experiences al agencies in the travel four offices. The numbers speak for them- Cross-office camaraderie is key to suc- and hospitality spaces. selves: cess as a global agency. Twice a year, select JPR’s global roster in- As a company of 55 total employees, 23 of team members are flown coast to coast and cludes more than 100 our team members started as interns. That’s hosted at a JPR client hotel for a week of independent boutique an astonishing 40 percent; and 15 team meetings with bi-coastal media. Most valu- hotels in the U.S., Can- members — or 27 percent — have been ably, team members get to innovate with ada, Mexico, Caribbe- with the agency for more than five years far-flung colleagues, swapping ideas on all an, Dubai, Europe, Asia and have since grown into senior roles. platforms, and collaborating on everything and more. The agency Nine team members — or 16 percent — from media visits and pitches to brand steadily garners and Amy Ogden have been with the agency for three-plus partnerships, influencer relations and so- retains partners includ- years. The same number have transferred cial strategy. Bonus: They get to explore a ing Relais & Châteaux, Jumeirah Hotels within the agency to other JPR offices. new city, sparking the curiosity that drives & Resorts, Vail Resorts Hospitality, Grace The agency’s eight executive team mem- the industry. Hotels, InterContinental, the destination of bers have each been with the agency for Beyond the office-swap program, team Newport Beach and 17 Ritz-Carlton Hotels more than five years. members across all offices attend the an- & Resorts. This retention has stayed strong through nual PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference While accolades are incredibly reward- years of agency double-digit growth with and the agency sends team ambassadors to ing, it truly is the team behind the brand 2016 topping revenue of $7.7 million. cross-office team retreats to build upon the that matters the most. “Culture isn’t just What does this all mean? Beyond the brand pillar of collaboration and sharing a buzz word at JPR, it’s part of our brand numbers, it means the agency has a team best practices. DNA,” said O’Grady. “We wouldn’t have it that’s truly bonded with their coworkers Empower any other way.” and clients; it has low employee and account The agency empowers team members to Amy Ogden is Vice President of Brand De- team turnover; and sets the standard for wow their clients and media. The “what,” velopment at J Public Relations.  client service and retention. JPR has people “how” and “when” is completely up to the on its team who know the brand inside and account team. They’ve had team members out and are a true part of its mission. create a post-trip video for a traveling jour- PR news brief “We founded JPR on the promise of re- nalist to relive the trip of a lifetime. For Barbados brings on DCI lationships, with the media, with clients clients who participated in a philanthrop- and most importantly with our own team,” ic cross-country cycling race, the team re- Travel and economic development PR powerhouse said JPR Partner Jamie Sigler O’Grady. “It’s warded them with welcome-home packag- Development Counsellors International has been incredibly rewarding to watch our team es containing personal notes and healthy named North American PR agency of record for Bar- members grow in their roles over the years treats. bados Tourism Marketing Inc., the official tourism Grow and guide development agency for the eastern Caribbean island and become leaders and trendsetters at JPR nation. and in the industry.” JPR long ago dropped the standard an- The retainer follows an RFP Barbados Tourism What does it take to retain top talent? nual review format in exchange for a more Marketing issued for a U.S. PR agency of record in One word: culture. ­fluid, ongoing growth and development November. Hire for culture, build the talent As AOR, DCI will manage all tourism PR and mar- plan for team members. This includes keting initiatives for Barbados throughout the United A top priority during the hiring process multiple check-ins throughout the year States and Canada in a bid to drive visitor growth. at JPR is a focus on cultural fit. The best with clear goals and milestones. Each team The agency in a statement said it will work to elevate team members are a cultural fit first, fol- member receives anonymous 360-degree Barbados’ profile as a leading Caribbean travel des- lowed closely by top talent. Both are nec- feedback at all levels — this leads to a true tination by differentiating the Lesser Antilles island destination from its sister islands and drawing atten- essary, but culture reigns supreme. One of understanding of his or her place in the tion to the destination’s travel options for jetsetters the top ways to gauge cultural fit is to have agency and within its teams. Additionally, and families. team members in various roles be part of the agency has an internal mentorship pro- DCI also manages communications duties for the the interview process. Hiring a manager? gram where team members are paired up to independent British Commonwealth’s economic de- velopment agency, Invest Barbados. Have the actual team members who would create ongoing guidance, goal-setting and DCI, which maintains offices in New York, Denver, work with that manager join the interviews. championing. Los Angeles and Toronto, took in more than $10 mil- Their feedback is important. Create space for personal innovation lion in travel and tourism related net fees in 2016. “Ultimately, culture comes first when cre- With longevity comes team members Other destination clients include Chile Tourism, The ating a cohesive and successful team,” said who grow personally and professionally Hangzhou Tourism Commission, the Japan Nation- al Tourism Office, Visit California, Visit Huntington JPR Partner Sarah Evans. “We not only cre- over the years and may seek new challeng- Beach and Visit Scotland. ate an amazing cultural experience within es or develop new skills. The team at JPR

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 19 FEATURE Why U.S. Hispanics should be a top target for hoteliers The U.S. Hispanic audience is now one of the largest leisure target niche groups, and presents strong marketing opportunities for hotel brands. But how can hoteliers tap into this powerful and growing consumer segment? By Lisa K. Ross nnual hotel openings have nearly as well as their Hispanic heritage) have trusted. Identify those that align with your tripled over the past five years, ac- proven to be more brand loyal than less ac- brand, and utilize tools and platforms that Acording to a recent forecast by Statis- culturated Hispanics, a reverse in tradition- maximize reach and entice audience en- ta. Just who’s expected to fill all these new al thinking. gagement. rooms moving forward? Rather than think Speaking the right language An as example, rbb Communications in age demographics (baby boomers vs. While U.S. Hispanics of course stay with took this approach for millennials), it’s time for the hospitality in- a wide group of hotel brands, building a client Hampton by Hil- dustry to recognize a powerful yet largely strong relationship with this audience re- ton when creating the untapped target audience: U.S. Hispanics. quires a true commitment. If there has not U.S. Hispanic-targeted Now taking more vacations across ev- been a previous dedicated marketing effort, integrated communi- ery income level — and spending nearly it’s important that entry into this market be cations campaign, “Soy $300 more per trip, according to research authentic. This means not just settling on Seekender” (I am a by ThinkNow Research — U.S. Hispanics some “Spanglish” taglines, but becoming a Seekender), which de- are a smart consumer segment to pursue. trusted voice. livered measurable au- Coupled with their buying power — which Consider this: More than half of U.S. dience penetration and Lisa K. Ross is projected to top $1.7 trillion in 2017, ac- ­Hispanics find planning and booking a received major industry cording to Statista — the call-to-action for vacation to be difficult. Is this because of a recognition: PRSA Silver Anvil and HS- hoteliers is obvious, though questions re- language barrier or have communications MAI Platinum Adrian awards. The agency main, namely: How can I effectively market not been appropriately tailored to feel in- and brand’s PR and marketing teams col- to this group? clusive to this and other multi-cultural laborated to fully embrace a 360-degree What drives Hispanics’ travel decisions ­audiences? marketing strategy that looked to cultivate No matter the business, understanding Traditionally, the approach to multicul- true brand champions to spread awareness your customer is vital to earning their tural marketing was to simply offer lan- of key attributes that would stick with this ­interest and loyalty. However, unlike other guage-specific websites. However, just audience. The campaign went beyond con- industries currently experiencing disrup- as there has been the need to create de- tracting a few niche influencers with offers tion from technological advances — like vice-specific interfaces to maximize the of free room nights and instead employed Amazon vs. brick-and-mortar retailers or customer experience, there is a similar customized messages, multiple touch Uber vs. taxis — travel planning is more parallel need in properly targeting these points and incentive-based promotions heavily based on emotional drivers than audiences. U.S. Hispanics are bilingual and that engaged both ambassadors and con- convenience. Reaching the travel deci- bicultural, requiring a hybrid approach that sumers. Working with powerful partners sion makers and influencing their thought reimagines the marketing strategy and de- such as the WeAllGrow Latina Network, ­process prior to booking is key. So, what livers a genuine first impression. Hoteliers the reach and engagement went deep, ex- should hotels do to court the growing are encouraged to spend the appropriate ceeding goals by 114 percent and produc- and influential U.S. Hispanic guest? The time and resources to efficiently, and re- ing more than 7,000 pieces of user-generat- first step is to understand what makes this spectfully, communicate with this poten- ed content. Strategically launching around group unique. tial guest base. After all, would you listen Hispanic Heritage Month offered an op- U.S. Hispanics have a greater curiosi- to someone who appears not to understand portunity to speak to relevant traditions, ty to see the world compared to their fel- you, your desires and communication pref- including travel to visit the family, while low Americans. Research conducted by erences, and then make decisions costing also driving an emotional connection with Wakefield Research and Hampton by Hil- thousands of dollars based on a non-exist- the audience. The conversation continued ton revealed a key travel motivator for the ing relationship? focusing on themes that historically give segment: A thirst for experiences and dis- Earning U.S. Hispanic business special meaning to travel for this group in- covery. In fact, 90 percent would travel for Reflected in countless studies, it’s far more cluding vacationing with friends and creat- a year without pay if money weren’t a con- costly to acquire a new customer than it is ing lasting memories. cern, eight percent higher than non-U.S. to keep an existing one. Therefore, brands Companies like Toyota (“Más Que un Hispanic respondents. must ensure their marketing efforts to a Auto”), Universal Pictures (Straight Out- Additionally, children in U.S. Hispanic niche market like U.S. Hispanics reflect au- ta Compton) and Sprint (The Last Emoji) families have a 16 percent greater influ- dience-specific insights about what matters have also seen marketing success, resonat- ence on vacation decisions compared to to the target to make effective connections ing with U.S. Hispanic audiences. When non-Hispanic families, according to a 2017 that drive business results. studying these campaigns, one of the things report from ThinkNow Research. And, Penetrating a new audience can be tough, that becomes immediately apparent is each for the most part, while Millennials have especially if you don’t have an existing brand’s understanding of the audience shown to be less brand loyal, that isn’t the channel of communication or relationship though its customized communications. In case with this audience. Bicultural Hispan- history. One way to overcome this is to Toyota’s case, the campaign showed aware- ics in the U.S. (first- or second-generation leverage strategic partners and influencers ness of the personal status a car has in U.S. Americans who identify with U.S. culture who are immersed in the community, and _ Continued on next page

20 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Small screens, micro-influencers, growing opportunities Media’s ongoing evolution has presented enhanced opportunities for brand exposure even as many consumers’ attention spans are shrinking, challenging brands to incorporate target media strategies that penetrate across various platforms while making an impact in less time than ever. By Jennifer Hawkins ravelers aren’t simply reading travel (those using streaming services over cable Our main focus is to creatively bring sto- guides anymore. In the last decade, subscriptions), which continues to grow. ries and experiences to life through any Tconsumers have transitioned to Trip­ Therefore, our media strategy must incor- channel that can create conversion and af- Advisor, Google, Yelp, online forums and porate creative ideas that break through to fect the bottom line. Our boundaries and social media in a bid to crowd-source in- the various platforms where we know our limits have been tested and we’re embrac- formation, recommendations, visuals and identified target consumers are watching, ing this new era where we can dive into our make more purchasing decisions. reading and listening. clients’ collective objec- The media landscape has undoubtedly New media verticals outside of the yes- tives and make a differ- changed, and our definition of media has teryear traditional print and broadcast only ence through curated greatly evolved. Where most people used mean more opportunity and creative band- storytelling that materi- to get their news through the television or width for public relations, which ultimately alizes online or in print, newspapers, today, micro-media organisms now encompasses greater capabilities and on television or radio, are popping up on an almost daily basis. wide-ranging services. podcasts or online vid- Podcasts, mommy blogs, social media in- While online media can seem like a re- eo, or through social fluencers and news outlets like NowThis, pository of sharable listicles and images, media. Today, all media which use social media platforms to dis- we cannot overlook the fact that these fo- channels matter, and we Jennifer Hawkins tribute news, have changed the game for rums are grabbing attention and fostering have to assert ourselves public relations and for consumers. authentic engagement. From a public re- with integrated solutions to evolve with the These new media organisms create en- lations perspective, we’ve found that we media trends. hanced opportunities for brand exposure, can be a dependable resource for digital Jennifer Hawkins, CEO and Founder, widening the realm of public relations’ cre- editors, working hand-in-hand with them Hawkins International Public Relations.  ative capabilities to reach new yet relevant and our clients to create meaningful stories audiences. In the past few years, publishing — whether it’s through image slideshows, houses have amplified digital content with videos, infographics, etc. The U.S. Hispanic market dedicated video production studios, audi- We also cannot ignore influencers, though _ Continued from page 20 ence engagement editors, renewed websites we must study them more closely to under- and podcasts to keep up with emerging dig- stand the level of engagement as well as the Hispanics’ lives. That special relationship ital media trends. psychographics of their followers. New ser- leads many U.S. Hispanics to assign their It’s a new world of media, which rep- vices such as HYPR are emerging to help cars super personal monikers. Focusing on resents cultural shifts in how people con- debunk the data to carefully select the most this “relationship” and thanking consumers sume and engage with content, and it pres- powerful collaborators and potential brand in a genuine way — by rewarding Toyota ents brands with greater opportunities to ambassadors through an assessment of owners with free custom nameplates for reach targeted audiences, as long as they reach, resonance and aesthetic. their cars — was powerful with more than can keep up with the deluge of compelling What we’re really excited about is turning 100,000 consumers “cashing in” on the of- content that cuts through the clutter. the right knobs on media and digital to pro- fer. According to Pew Research, 62 percent of vide strong results for our clients. Human- Connection is key Americans now get their news from social izing a brand is much of what public rela- As hoteliers battle to fill rooms and ho- media. Combine that with the fact that the tions does, by bringing personalities and tel companies continue to expand and in- average consumer now spends at least five experiences to media and finding the right troduce new brands and properties, they hours a day on his/her smartphone. Yet, as outlets for them to express themselves. should ask themselves whether micro-tar- the time we dedicate to the smallest screens While some see public relations profession- geted sets of travelers may be an audience expands, many consumers’ attention spans als as liaisons between editors and clients, worth considering. Certain multi-cultural are shrinking, challenging brands to make we think of ourselves as part of the creative groups offer tremendous business poten- impact in less time and where it matters process, the media researchers that unearth tial; however, a tailored marketing ap- most. how people are interacting with brands. proach based on research is a must to effec- Our agency takes a magnifying glass to Once we’ve articulated the target demo- tively reach them and capture their loyalty. our clients’ existing and desired audiences graphics, that’s when the fun part starts. With expected room inventory increases, to really understand where these poten- The (r)evolution of the media landscape now is the time to act. The hotel industry tial customers are engaging. We also use will continue to grow public relations’ op- should follow the lead of other consumer a deep-dive technique to identify similar portunity to modernize their approach to product companies that have successfully brands which help bolster our clients’ sto- communication, integrating the diverse penetrated multi-cultural audiences to tar- ries, and media exposure, through immer- and emerging platforms to ultimately get and entice U.S. Hispanics to check out sive partnerships and collaborations. achieve one goal for clients: find the places their brands, and ultimately check in for While we know that 57 percent of Amer- where your brand matters most and where future travel. icans still get news through television, we can amplify your exposure with an eager Lisa K. Ross is President of rbb Communi- we’re also aware of the “Netflix population” and engaged audience. cations. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 21 FEATURE Travel trade show PR: a world at your fingertips To get coverage for your travel industry clients, consider exhibiting show opens. The purpose of the event is to give the media a preview of what’s at this at a consumer travel show in addtion to the standard TV and print year’s show and features spokespersons, media mix. talent, live demonstrations and exhibitors. By Todd Schuetz For example, some of the morning shows feature top travel destinations, while others or many of us in the travel PR world, global sights, sounds, aromas, cultural ex- feature cultural activities, food, and family press trips dominate our focus. Secur- periences, and insights from well-traveled activities like rock climbing, bungee jump- Fing top tier national newspapers and speakers and experts from around the globe. ing, and diving. Show travel magazines are the cream of the crop, For the past two years, I’ve had the op- sponsors and top ex- with the occasional TV win thrown into the portunity to work directly with the Travel hibitors are included in mix. & Adventure Show in Los Angeles and the press segments when Having worked in the industry for over San Francisco Bay area, promoting and available and are tapped 25 years, a lot of things have changed. What handling the public relations around each for interviews with top hasn’t changed, however, is that securing show including pre, during and post cover- tier press. TV interviews for clients still reigns su- age. Working with the show management, If your client is one preme. Whether it’s a segment on a desti- exhibitors, and sponsors, the team secured of the sponsors of the nation, resort, cultural activity or the latest top tier national and local press for each show, you can work di- Todd Schuetz must-have travel gadgets, clients weigh market including morning show TV seg- rectly with the PR team your success heavily on what local and na- ments and standalone TV feature pieces. to be included in TV, online, and print ar- tional TV segments you’re able to secure. ticles. Sponsors receive access to the over Within the last few years, I’ve come across 200 media contacts covering the show, and another way to get some great coverage for are provided with assistance in coordinat- my travel industry clients: exhibiting at ing interviews. In addition, exhibitors may the largest consumer travel show series in put press information in the pressroom and the United States, the Travel & Adventure have access to an on-site interview room. Show. For those of you who are not famil- In Los Angeles alone, over 38,000 peo- iar with the show, the Travel & Adventure ple attended the 2017 Los Angeles Travel Show is a series of eight shows in the US in & Adventure Show. For more information the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, about the show, please visit www.travel- Dallas, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Phila- shows.com. In 2018, the PR team will see delphia and Denver markets. you at the San Diego, San Francisco and Each show happens on a weekend and is In each market, the PR team hosts a me- Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Shows. like a mini world vacation. Consumers who dia broadcast morning that airs live from Todd Schuetz leads Marketing Maven’s love to travel come to the show to tour the the show room floor the Friday before the travel and tourism practice in LA.  Influencers give boost to cause marketing campaigns

Cause-related campaigns featuring online influencers are more paigns authentic, and when they provide likely to inspire people to dedicate their time and resources to the stories from people who’ve been affected by cause being promoted. the issue in question. By Jon Gingerich Of those who follow digital influencers, he use of influencers in online mar- of those who follow online influencers — 35 62 percent said their trust in influencers is keting campaigns has grown mark- percent — said they engaged with a cause particularly earned when that spokesperson Tedly in recent years, but the efficacy due to an influencer’s recommendation; an- volunteers for the organization, 61 percent of leveraging spokespersons to raise brand other 31 percent said they were open to the said they trusted the cause when the influ- awareness and drive engagement has been a idea of engaging with a cause simply due to encer shares stories from those who have topic of much debate. an influencer’s recommendation. been impacted by it, and 60 percent said When it comes to the use of influencer Of the 35 percent who admitted follow- they’re won over if the influencer was per- marketing campaigns in cause-related spac- ing the influencer’s recommendation, more sonally affected by the cause in some way. es such as charities, however, a June report than half — 52 percent — said they later For those who follow digital influencers, issued by San Francisco-based agency Alli- spread awareness of that cause, and a simi- 30 percent said they find brands’ charitable son+Partners might put that debate to rest. lar amount — 51 percent — said they made partnerships to be “extremely important,” According to the MDC Partners unit’s In- a financial donation. An additional 37 per- and 75 percent found brands that were pur- fluence Impact Report, cause-related mar- cent said they now even volunteer for the pose-driven to be “extremely/very import- keting campaigns that rely on influencers organization promoted by the influencer. ant.” Millennials, as well as those belonging appear more likely to inspire people to en- Of those who follow digital influencers, to Gen Z, were among respondents who gage with that cause and dedicate time and 43 percent additionally said they now en- reported being more wont to participate in resources to it, suggesting that this breed of gage with that cause at least once a month. cause campaigns, with 34 percent and 38 marketing could be a vital component for The study also suggests that influenc- percent of these age groups, respectively, marketers with a cause-related client. er-backed cause campaigns are especially claiming to have volunteered or donated at According to the report, more than a third effective when consumers deem the cam- least once a month. 

22 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 23 O’Dwyer’s guide to TRAVEL AND TOURISM PR

The Time Hotel Nyack; and Hotel around the world. DCI’s Tourism Quando, among others. Practice delivers tourism research, destination branding, travel and DEVELOPMENT lifestyle public relations/consum- er marketing, digital/social media COUNSELLORS marketing, travel trade marketing/ representation and meetings/incen- INTERNATIONAL tive sales programs to our clients. (DCI) Our client roster includes some of the world’s most dynamic destina- 215 Park Ave. South, 14th flr. tions, such as Abu Dhabi, Barba- New York, NY 10003 dos, California, Chile, Scotland, 212/725-0707 Tahiti and Thailand. DCI’s destina- www.aboutdci.com tion storytelling approach defnes what makes a place unique and Los Angeles 5670 Wilshire Blvd., 18th flr. results in bringing more visitors Los Angeles, CA 90036 to the destinations with which we The Carolyn Izzo team (L to R): Carolyn Izzo-Feldman, President & Chief 323/648-6629 partner. Our destination marketing Strategist; Patricia Fahie, Executive Vice President; and Kate Wark, Se- work has been recognized annually nior Vice President. Toronto by the Hospitality Sales and Mar- The Exchange Tower, 130 King keting Association International, Street West, Suite 1800, Toronto achieving Best In Show and Plat- THE BRANDMAN CAROLYN IZZO M5X 1E3 inum awards. AGENCY INTEGRATED 647/256-1912 COMMUNICATIONS Andrew Levine, President/Chief DECKER/ROYAL 261 Fifth Ave., 22nd flr. Creative Officer New York, NY 10016 (CIIC) Karyl Leigh Barnes, Managing 54 West 40th Street 212/683-2442 Partner, Tourism Practice Fax: 212/683-2022 New York, NY 10018 1 Piermont Avenue Sharon Nieuwenhuis, Vice 646/650-2180 [email protected] President, Public Relations www.brandmanagency.com Nyack, NY 10960 [email protected] 845/358-3920 Daniella Middleton, Vice www.deckerroyal.com President, Digital Melanie Brandman, Founder & www.ciicnews.com @deckerroyal CEO Carolyn Izzo-Feldman, President Development Counsellors In- Cathleen Decker, President Kristen Vigrass, Pres. & Chief Strategist Ty Bentsen, Managing Dir., LA ternational (DCI) is the expert in Stacy Royal, Managing Director Patricia Fahie, EVP how North American travelers and Sian Parry, Managing Dir., London Kate Wark, SVP Susie Westwood, Managing Dir., business executives select desti- Decker/Royal is an integrat- Sydney CIIC is a full-service public nations. We partner with destina- ed communications workshop, Kirsten Magen, Sr. VP, NY relations, social media and com- tions to increase visitor arrivals, merging the best of traditional PR The Brandman Agency is a munications frm specializing in disperse visitors, augment daily tactics with today's evolving plat- ­dynamic, results-driven public re- creating dynamic campaigns for spend and increase business in- forms to create programs with a lations firm, specializing in luxury. the travel, hospitality, food and vestment. Since 1960, our frm has singular purpose: measurable re- We live and breathe the hospitality beverage and lifestyle industries. represented more than 450 places sults. Founded and wholly owned and travel business, and as a result, CIIC’s work is strategic, creative have earned a reputation as being and results-driven. In its 20 years a “one-stop-shop” for media and in business, CIIC has been hon- industry insiders looking for high- ored with a Media Relations Award end travel partners. With offces in by PR Daily, as well as numerous New York, Los Angeles, London HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Mar- and Sydney, we shape opinions — keting Association International) on a global scale — and we deliv- Adrian Awards across Gold, Silver er what we promise. Our creative and Bronze categories. campaigns and forward-thinking With offces in New York and strategies affect the bottom line. Miami, and affliates in Los An- Whether it is our excellent media geles, San Diego and Mexico City, relations or our digital strategies, CIIC is an esteemed member of we utilize all facets of communi- LATAM PR and a Certifed Wom- cations to execute fully integrat- en’s Business Enterprise by the ed campaigns. Our clients are the Women’s Business Enterprise Na- best of the best, and therefore, tional Council (WBENC). lend themselves to incredible Featured hospitality clients in- ­synergies across our portfolio. We clude: Caribe Hilton; Hotel El Gan- have ­exceptionally high standards, zo, Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit; Reno Tahoe tapped Decker/Royal to share its new brand story, position- and we deliver exceptional client Mexico Grand Hotels; Rancho San ing the region as a destination in the midst of exciting transition and ­service. www.thebrandmanagency. Lucas, Solmar Hotels & Resorts; inviting visitors to satisfy their ambition for outdoor adventure and city com. Coney Island Brewing Company; excitement.

2424 APRILJULY 20172016 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms

cations agency with nine offces Senior Vice President, Cultural across the North and Southeast re- Programing & Strategic gions. Now, as EMA’s New York Partnerships City offce, we continue to special- David Harrison, Senior Vice ize in travel and tourism with the President/Director, Digital Content same senior management team that & Social Communications Practice Group led Middleton & Gendron. Our Drew Tybus, Vice President/ combination gives us even deeper Director, Food, Spirits & Wine roots in PR for destinations, hotels, Practice Group attractions and other travel-oriented Matthew Berritt, Vice President/ businesses, along with exceptional Director, Lifestyle Group Practice & sophistication in digital, social, Celebrity/Influencer Programming marketing, reputation and crisis Stephanie Preston, Senior management, and advertising. Director, Travel & Hospitality Group We continue to be well-known Practice for our influence in such key sec- We architect and build brands, tors as hotels and resorts, domes- and we transform brand and busi- The Eleven Six team celebrating a successful Hyatt event on the roof of tic and foreign destinations, spas, Grand Hyatt New York. ness potential into brand and busi- conference and convention centers, ness performance. We facilitate professional travel organizations connecting brands and audiences, by industry veterans, Cathleen pieces. Our thinking is strategic and hospitality services companies help to defne a brand’s essence Decker and Stacy Royal, the com- and most importantly, creative. We (such as software providers). We and create emotive experiences pany specializes in travel, hospital- are big believers in pushing the cre- are grateful to our many longstand- that foster engagement between ity, destination management, and ativity envelope, always aiming to ing clients who want to be chal- brands and constituents, as well as the relentless pursuit of the things create the trends and not just stay lenged by people who have great catalyze and optimize how brands that make life a grand adventure. ahead of them. What works today, ideas and the wherewithal to make and their publics converse and in- We are an agency committed to does not work tomorrow. We push them happen, who expect well- terrelate. We create programs that keeping our clients in the conver- ourselves to think better, smarter thought out strategies, not just tac- engender brand trial and experi- sation wherever it may live – on- and more creatively each and ev- tics, and who appreciate our drive ence; leverage brand experience to line, in print or on-air and from ery day. Our innovative campaigns and dedication to our partnership foment engagement, conversation social media to native advertising deliver tangible, proftable results. with them. and storytelling; catalyze brand en- to digital content. We create rich With a focus that goes beyond In the past year, EMA rebranded gagement to optimize brand advo- programming designed to comple- just public relations and includes the 60-year-old Adirondack Muse- cacy and mindshare; and transform ment and enhance clients’ overall marketing and social media, we um as the Adirondack Experience, brand mindshare into brand mar- marketing objectives. Publicity are driven not only by how much the Museum on Blue Mountain ketshare. We are the point where stunts may have their place, but press we can secure for our clients Lake, and launched its $8-mil- insight meets execution and bridge the best PR efforts are part of a but rather how we can positively lion, 19,000-square-foot “Life in the divide between what a brand is thoughtful, deliberate strategy that impact their bottom lines. The mar- the Adirondacks” exhibition. We now and what it can become in the considers the long view and pro- keting and social media tactics we launched the inaugural Nirvana future. duces impactful results that move employ are creative, cost-effective Culinary Festival at Sanctuary on EVINS is the leading branding, the needle forward. and realistic to execute. And most Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa marketing, communications and Award-winning Decker/Royal importantly, they drive sales and in Scottsdale, Arizona, a four-day, public relations frm in the luxu- represents some of the most well- impact the bottom line. star-packed culinary extravaganza. ry, premium and prestige sectors, known brands in the travel industry Our clients include: Andaz May- We also opened Hilton Brooklyn, with specialist expertise in trav- including Sandals Resorts Interna- akoba Resort Riviera Maya, Grand the frst high-caliber, full-service el and hospitality. In addition to tional and American Express Trav- Hyatt New York, Hyatt at The Bel- hotel in downtown Brooklyn, and our Travel & Hospitality Group, el. New clients this year include levue, Hyatt Centric Times Square, Residence Inn Breckenridge. Ad- EVINS encompasses three other 18-35 year old travel experts Con- Hyatt House Chelsea, Kindred Re- ditionally, we launched Aloft Bos- practice areas: Digital Content & tiki and the dynamic destination of sorts & Hotels, Remote Lands, Six ton Seaport’s voice-activated hotel Integration; Food, Spirits & Wine Reno Tahoe. Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, The rooms in tandem with Starwood. and Lifestyle. For thirty years, Embassy Row Hotel, Tourism & Our staff is admirable with a we have made a consequential Events Queensland, Tourism Au- ELEVEN SIX shared sense of fun, resourceful- contribution to the growth and de- thority of Thailand and Visit Rich- ness, and ambition. They are the velopment of numerous icon and PUBLIC RELATIONS mond. best at what they do from writing legacy brands, including American riveting content to being indispens- 261 Madison Avenue Express Centurion/Platinum and ERIC MOWER + able to reporters to executing flaw- ­DEPARTURES Magazine, Cuisin­ New York, NY 10016 less promotions and events. 646/325-5894 Art Golf Resort & Spa, Hotels & [email protected] ASSOCIATES Resorts of Halekulani, Inspitato, www.elevensixpr.com EVINS Jet Linx Aviation; Marquis Jet/ Formerly Middleton & Gendron NetJets, Preferred Hotels & Re- Katie Barr Cornish, Principal 40 E. 52nd Street COMMUNICATIONS sorts, Rosewood Hotel & Resorts, New York, NY 10022 The Knickerbocker, The Lanes- Eleven Six Public Relations was 212/980-9060 830 Third Avenue borough and Uniworld Boutique founded in 2013. Eleven Six prides www.mowerPR.com New York, NY 10022 River Cruise Collection, amongst itself on creating a new normal in 212/688-8200 many others. the PR agency world. It is not busi- Yvonne Middleton, Partner www.evins.com Mary Gendron, Partner EVINS has a proven track record ness as usual at this young and rap- facebook.com/ Jay Austin, SVP of doing exceptional work for ex- idly growing company. evinscommunications Patricia Nugent, SVP traordinary brands, and is consis- Our media relationships are deep twitter.com/EVINSsct Instagram.com/evinssct tently recognized for its excellence and varied. We seamlessly pitch In late 2014, Middleton & Gen- in creativity, strategies and tactics. across multiple verticals, placing dron joined Eric Mower + Asso- Mathew L. Evins, Chairman our clients beyond the travel pag- ciates (EMA), a long-established Louise R. Evins, CEO _ Continued on page 26 es and in business, arts and fashion integrated marketing communi- Robert Schaltenbrand,

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 25 w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms winner of the Holmes Report 2016 EVINS COMMUNICATIONS Consumer Agency of the Year and _ Continued from page 25 the Bulldog Reporter Communica- tions Agency of the Year. Founded We offer a client far more than tra- in April 1997 by Agency Chair- ditional public relations, and we are man & CEO Rick French, FWV committed to providing consum- employs 103 public relations, pub- mate business and strategic counsel lic affairs, social media, advertis- in order to make an essential and ing and digital marketing experts measurable contribution to a cli- between its Raleigh, N.C. head- ent’s brand and business. EVINS quarters and New York City, Los builds and maintains long-term cli- Angeles and Tampa offces. ent partnerships, with an average FWV’s dedicated travel and tenure of more than eight years and tourism practice, ranked as the 9th several in excess of two decades. largest for Travel and Tourism PR Mathew Evins, the frm’s Chair- by O’Dwyer’s, boasts extensive man, has lectured on luxury and destination marketing experience, hospitality at the Cornell Ho- specializing in lifestyle and lei- tel School and NYU’s Gradu- sure marketing and public rela- ate School of Business, and has tions. Current travel and tourism contributed to numerous indus- Fahlgren Mortine’s Marty McDonald onstage at the US Travel Associa- industry clients include the Dude try publications and business me- tion’s ESTO Conference, accepting a Mercury Award for Best PR Program Ranchers’ Association, Concord dia including Elite Traveler and along with clients from TravelNevada. Hospitality Enterprises Company, ­HOTELS Magazine. Mr. Evins Greater Raleigh CVB, Wilming- serves on the boards of such prom- of TourismOhio; Myrtle Beach share of mind and an increased ton and Beaches CVB (Carolina inent travel industry organizations Area Chamber of Commerce/ share of market. Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville as the International Hotel Invest- CVB; TravelNevada; Wyoming Our services include strategic Beach and Wilmington, N.C. ment Forum (IHIF), Luxury Travel Offce of Tourism; Airstream; Ex- public relations planning and ex- and the Wilmington Convention Exchange (LTX), ULTRA Luxury perience Columbus; Niagara USA; ecution, global consumer/travel Center), Tweetsie Railroad, High Exchange, and the International Visit Sun Valley; North Dakota and trade media relations, crisis Gravity Adventures (N.C.) and the Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA), Department of Commerce/Tour- communications, reputation man- Washington Tourism Development a global nonproft professional as- ism; and many other destinations, agement, brand development, Authority (N.C.). sociation dedicated to promoting, regions, hospitality properties and social and digital applications, The agency has also done work unifying and advancing the luxury more. partnership alliances, promotions, with Divi Resorts and its nine Ca- hotel industry by providing insight, special events, hospitality market- ribbean properties, and co-oper- opinion and research, as well as a FINN PARTNERS ing services and social influencer ative destination marketing with platform and resource certifcation programs. each of the tourism organizations for Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, St. and training, for executives and 301 East 57th Street With a staff of highly skilled professionals engaged in the busi- New York, NY 10022 professionals, we have represented Croix (U.S.V.I. Dept. of Tour- ness of luxury hospitality. 212/715-1600 airlines, cruise lines, domestic and ism) and St. Maarten; Gatlinburg, www.finnpartners.com international destinations, hotels, Tenn.; Cabarrus County, N.C. resorts, rail companies, real estate — home to NASCAR’s Lowe’s FAHLGREN Gail L. Moaney, APR Director & developers, travel associations Motor Speedway; Oakland Coun- Founding Managing Partner, Travel ty, Mich.; Branson, Mo.; the Old MORTINE / Lifestyle Group and travel service providers. The greatest measure of our success is Salem Moravian Village in N.C.; America’s Historic Triangle, locat- 4030 Easton Station, Suite 300 The Finn Partners Travel / Life- the satisfaction of our clients, the ed in Williamsburg, Va.; and Trail- Columbus, OH 43219 style Group is one of the largest longevity of our client relation- ways Transportation System based 614/383-1500 travel practices in the public re- ships and the recognition we’ve in Fairfax, Va. www.fahlgrenmortine.com lations industry. Our team is unri- received from industry influenc- In addition, FWV’s fully inte- valed for the creativity, execution ers and clients alike for delivering Neil Mortine, President and CEO grated creative and digital team and commitment we bring to our high-quality, substantive work. Marty McDonald, EVP, Tourism provides award-winning adver- clients. Practice Leader tising, graphic design, and digital Our capabilities and experience and social media services for a have been proven by our successful FRENCH/WEST/ Fahlgren Mortine works with wide range of local, national and long term partnerships with some clients in 29 states and is a top VAUGHAN international clients. 20 independent frm nationally. of the world’s top travel brands. The agency has been recognized We have consistently gained and 112 East Hargett St. with dozens of national PR and retained clients through our mea- Raleigh, NC 27601 HAWKINS tourism awards, including Silver surable bottom-line results by 919/832-6300 and Bronze Anvils from PRSA comprehending their unique his- www.fwv-us.com INTERNATIONAL and Mercury Awards from the tories, preserving and bolstering PUBLIC RELATIONS U.S. Travel Association. In 2016, their reputations and understand- Rick French, Chairman & CEO ing their vision for the future. Our David Gwyn, President / Principal Fahlgren Mortine was recognized Natalie Best, Executive Vice 119 West 23rd St., Suite 600 with a PRSA Silver Anvil for an commitment to our clients is to be President/ Director of Client New York, NY 10011 integrated marketing campaign on an extension of their brands — a Services /Principal 212/255-6541 behalf of TravelNevada. true partner in every way. When Leah Knepper, Vice President & [email protected] Headquartered in Columbus, that commitment is combined with T&T Practice Lead www.hawkpr.com Ohio, Fahlgren Mortine has lo- unsurpassed skill and experience French/West/Vaughan (FWV) 12100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800 cations in West Virginia, Colora- in all the critical areas of travel Los Angeles, CA 90025 do, Florida, Idaho, New York and and lifestyle marketing, we deliv- is the Southeast’s leading public South Carolina. Travel industry er results that provide an elevated, relations, public affairs and brand Jennifer Hawkins, Founder/Pres. client experience includes Offce long-term brand life, a stronger communications agency and the Corey Finjer-Bennett, COO

26 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms At Hawkins International, travel ing, brand partnerships, influencer is our passion. As an award-win- relations, social media content and ning public relations and commu- management. nications agency, Hawkins Inter- Established in 2005, the national has built an impressive award-winning agency has steadi- global reputation for full-scope ly risen in the ranks to become the and impactful integrated social and country’s fastest growing, bi-coast- digital campaigns. al agency in the travel and hospi- A bi-coastal agency with offc- tality spaces. Its global roster in- es in New York and Los Angeles, cludes more than 100 hotels in the Hawkins International boasts a U.S., Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, strong team of communication Dubai, Europe, Asia and more. JPR professionals that seamlessly cross steadily garners and retains mar- from traditional public strategies to quee accounts including Relais & social activations in dynamic and Châteaux, Jumeirah Hotels & Re- stimulating ways on behalf of a sorts, Irvine Company Retail Prop- roster of internationally acclaimed erties, Vail Resorts Hospitality, hospitality clients. Grace Hotels, InterContinental Los With expertise in creative, en- Angeles Downtown, Four Seasons gaging and multi-dimensional sto- Lanai and 17 Ritz-Carlton Hotels rytelling, Hawkins International & Resorts. promotes its clients through cal- Jamie Lynn Sigler and Sarah Evans, Partners of J Public Relations (JPR). J Public Relations’ in-house so- culated media relations, influencer cial division works seamlessly activations, inventive experiences campaigns. attle, and Toronto; offces in Lon- alongside the PR masterminds to and the development of newswor- Hemsworth has earned multiple don; and affliate partners in Mex- align and elevate client voice for thy content for its prestigious cli- industry awards and recognition by ico City. Our mission is “earning peak engagement. Together, they ents which include hotels, resorts, the national business community. it,” and from consumer attention, drive content missions with al- and real estate and lifestyle brands. In 2017, the agency was ranked a to long term client relationships, to luring lifestyle photography and While Hawkins International spe- top PR frm on several lists based our talented staff’s dedication, we hyper-specifc influencer partner- cializes in new property launches, on performance and billings. The strive to “earn it” every day. ships, creating brand campaigns it continues to successfully drive agency also received gold and sil- Founded in 1989, Hunter has that captivate. They are more than national and regional coverage ver HSMAI Adrian Awards for its grown into one of the most respect- community messengers; they are and engagement for its 60+ clients, programs within the luxury, cruise ed mid-size marketing communica- stewards of multi-platform com- many of which have been with and resort spaces. tions frms in the country, proudly munication strategy. Hawkins for fve years or longer. Clients include Air Partner, serving a broad range of esteemed JPR was named by the New York AmaWaterways, Amicalola Falls companies and brands in the travel Observer’s “Power 50” PR Agency HEMSWORTH State Park & Lodge, Brasstown and tourism, food and beverage, List as one of the most powerful COMMUNICATIONS Valley Resort & Spa, Best West- home and lifestyle, and health, PR frms in the country, “Small ern Hotels & Resorts, Coral Hos- wellness and beauty sectors. Agency of the Year” Under 10 Mil- lion in US and Canada by PR News www.HemsworthCommunications.com pitality, Driftwood Hospitality, From creating wanderlust for [email protected] Driftwood Acquisitions & Devel- Wyndham Rewards members on and Bulldog Reporter, Be+Spoke 954/716-7614 opment, HHG, Lake Blackshear social and digital channels, to en- Communications’ Agency of the Resort & Golf Club, Locale, Mar- gaging media and telling brand Year Award and Smart CEO Maga- Atlanta • Fort Lauderdale • Orlando garitaville Holdings (global brand stories through unique travel expe- zine’s New York Company Culture Award. Instagram: @HemsworthPR PR, as well as individual prop- riences around the globe, our cre- Facebook: Hemsworth erties in Tennessee, Florida and ative approach and client-service Communications the Caribbean), Pearl Beach Club orientation has led to some of the K. SUTHERLAND (Punta Cana), Sonesta Coconut most enduring client relationships Samantha Jacobs, Founder & Grove, Sonesta Fort Lauderdale and impactful public relations pro- PUBLIC RELATIONS President Beach, TCRM, Unicoi State Park grams in the business. Michael Jacobs, COO & Lodge, YARA and others. 18 Winter Street, Studio C Reno, NV 89503 With headquarters in Fort Lau- J PUBLIC 775/360-6101 derdale, Florida and an expanding HUNTER PUBLIC ksutherlandpr.com global presence with offces in At- RELATIONS RELATIONS lanta, Georgia and Orlando, Flori- K. Sutherland PR is a boutique da, Hemsworth Communications is 530 7th Ave., #502 public relations agency that spe- 41 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor one of the world’s fastest-growing New York, NY 10018 cializes in the travel and tourism New York, NY 10010-2202 212/924-3600 travel, tourism, hospitality and life- www.hunterpr.com industry. The global destinations, www.jpublicrelations.com resorts, and travel brands the agen- style PR agencies. Heading into its 212/679-6600 [email protected] fourth year, Hemsworth continues [email protected] cy represents have been featured in making waves, attracting the atten- Jamie Lynn Sigler, Partner some of the most well-known me- tion of leading international brands Partners: Grace Leong, Jonathan Sarah Evans, Partner dia outlets around the world includ- and top PR talent. Lyon, Mark Newman, Donetta ing placements in Travel + Leisure, Allen, Gigi Russo, Erin Hanson J Public Relations (JPR) is an Huffngton Post, Yahoo!, CNN, Hemsworth combines unparal- Travel Practice Leader: Meagan leled passion, insight and connec- McCutcheon international powerhouse PR and Wall Street Journal, Fox News, tions to wow clients, providing social media agency specializing MSNBC, Playboy and many more. personal client service and generat- Hunter Public Relations is an in hospitality, travel and luxury The team at K. Sutherland PR ing powerful results. The agency’s award-winning consumer prod- lifestyle with offces in New York executes innovative, personalized expertise and connections are di- ucts and services public relations City, Los Angeles, San Diego and and targeted campaigns comprising verse, however the team is collec- frm with offces in New York and London. JPR is a trusted leader in of both traditional and new media tively driven by the desire to create staff based across North America creating unparalleled media place- fresh, innovative and impactful including Miami, Los Angeles, Se- ments worldwide, trend forecast- _ Continued on page 28

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 27 w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms Bay Hotel Group (Barbados), Pa- has been at the forefront of inte- • Independent: known for bound- K. SUTHERLAND PR cifc Delight Tours, Spice Island grated initiatives for destinations, less creativity and enthusiasm _ Continued from page 27 Beach Resort (Grenada), Travel international hotel companies, • Operates differently: no time Impressions, Victoria Cruises, and independent resorts, luxury tour sheets — clients get the attention Warwick Paradise Island-Bahamas. operators and lifestyle products. they need, when they need it. avenues. From international luxury The agency is well regarded for • International: founder of the PR resorts, unique travel destinations, its integration of consumer brand World Network boutique hotels and spas, to travel LANE partners and strategic alliances into • Owns one of the industry’s accessories and world cruise lines, PR activations to increase brand highest retention rates with clients K. Sutherland PR creatively and New York City | Portland | Seattle awareness and reach beyond the such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel strategically helps clients achieve www.lanepr.com [email protected] travel media. group with us more than 30 years. positive publicity in a variety of 503/221-0480 LDPR pursues bold approach- At the end of the day, however, media outlets. es that exceed client expectations it’s all about the results. In the past Everyone within the agency has Wendy Lane Stevens, Managing across all channels. We have an year alone LHG has: a deep appreciation and love for Partner in-house social media manager and • Arranged more than 325 visits travel. The agency’s team is mul- Shannon Riggs, Partner a partnership with Gather + Grow to clients from top media and in- tilingual and works with travel cli- media agency to implement con- fluencers. LANE, a Finn Partners Compa- ents from around the world. Learn tent development, community and • Secured broadcast hits from ny, delivers results that build busi- more at ksutherlandpr.com. influencer outreach, SEO and con- outlets such as: “Today,” “Good ness for clients. Drawing on more test/sweepstakes. Morning America,” “CBS Sunday than 20 years of experience in the LDPR’s unique culture is defned Morning,” CNBC, Peter Green- KTCPR travel and tourism industry, we by our collaborative and strategic berg Worldwide and more. create integrated public relations approach to working with clients, • Regularly delivered impactful 77 N. Centre Ave, Suite 215 strategies that connect with key media and our staff, leading to suc- results including: Architectural Di- Rockville Centre, NY 11570 audiences and stakeholders across cessful long term partnerships and gest, Conde Nast Traveler, Depar- 516/594-4100 all communication channels. We www.KTCpr.com measurable results. tures, Food & Wine, Forbes, New track trends, monitor consumer [email protected] Our clients include Aman; Ab- York Times, Travel + Leisure, and sentiments, and place stories where Facebook.com/KTCprNews ercrombie & Kent; VisitScotland; many more. audiences seek information and Instagram.com/KTCprNews Sydney/Destination New South • Built clients’ social media plat- inspiration: online, in print or over Twitter.com/KTCpr Wales, Australia; Travel Portland, forms, designed their websites and the airwaves. We reach our clients’ Oregon; Curtain Bluff, Antigua; increased SEO. Richard S. Kahn, President audiences wherever they reside, DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co; LHG clients know they are work- Theresa M. Oakes, Senior garnering proven results in markets The Resort at Paws Up, Montana; ing with the most trusted, go-to Accounts Supervisor that matter most. The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland; media resource in the industry with Josh Kahn, Senior Accounts Whether elevating a property or a Supervisor Atlantis Paradise Island, Baha- a singular commitment to deliver- destination, we use fresh ideas and mas; Park Hyatt, St. Kitts; Resi- ing quality, measurable results. creative energy to educate, inform KTCpr is a 27-year-old bou- dence Inn by Marriott; The Ocean and inspire people to action. Our tique public relations, marketing House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island; award-winning campaigns have MAGRINO and publishing agency founded The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott produced measurable results for by Richard S. Kahn, former edi- Grande Lakes Orlando; Briggs & PUBLIC clients such as Travel Oregon, Can- tor-in-chief and associate publisher Riley, among others. of Travel Agent magazine. KTCpr non Beach Chamber of Commerce, RELATIONS AND has developed its practice around Riverhouse on the Deschutes, The SOCIAL MEDIA the niche travel and tourism mar- Grand America Hotel, The Heath- LOU HAMMOND kets with clients in the public and man Hotel Group, Brasada Ranch GROUP 352 Park Avenue S, 13th FL private sectors. Resort, Evergreen Wings & Waves New York, NY 10010 Waterpark and Travel Portland. 212/957-3005 Launched as a “go to” resource 900 Third Avenue for media, KTCpr has become re- magrinopr.com New York, NY 10022 @magrinopr nowned for responsiveness and LAURA DAVIDSON 212/308-8880 going “that extra mile” to assist ed- facebook.com/magrinopr [email protected] twitter.com/magrinopr itors with travel stories. KTCpr’s PUBLIC RELATIONS www.louhammond.com linkedin.com/company/susan- expertise covers media relations, magrino-agency the launch of new hotels and re- 72 Madison Ave., 8th Floor Lou Hammond, Founder/ sorts, social media campaigns, New York, NY 10016 Chairman Susan Magrino, Chairman and 212/696-0660 Stephen Hammond, CEO CEO marketing consultation, crisis Terence Gallagher, President, communication, events, creation www.ldpr.com [email protected] www.Facebook.com/ New York of promotions, speech writing and Allyn Magrino, President, lauradavidsonpr Gina Stouffer, President, [email protected] publishing services. www.twitter.com/ldpr Charleston KTCpr’s current client roster in- www.instagram.com/ldprtravel Magrino celebrates its 25th cludes Aranui Cruises (Marquesas Lou Hammond Group (LHG) is year in business in 2017 as an Islands), Apple Vacations, April Laura Davidson, President a celebrated integrated marketing award-winning PR and Social Me- Travel Protection, the Caribbean Leslie Cohen, Executive Vice communications frm with offces dia agency with a 360 lifestyle ap- Tourism Organization, Fareportal, President in New York, Charleston, Miami proach that has earned both media Interval International, the Mango Meghna Patel, Senior Vice and Los Angeles. LHG has built a and consumer recognition. President legendary reputation over the past We work with clients in our prac- Sara Geen Hill, Senior Vice President 33 years as the leading mid-sized tice areas of Travel and Real Es- O’Dwyer’s August issue will profile agency serving the travel industry. tate, Spa & Wellness, Food, Wine Financial PR, Investor Relations, & LDPR is a highly driven and A few things to know: and Spirits, and Consumer brands Professional Services firms. If you innovative travel and lifestyle PR • 40 clients, 40 employees and to craft campaigns and communi- would like to be profiled, contact Ed- agency with headquarters in New 70+ top travel industry awards cations that are exciting, cultural- itor Jon Gingerich at 646/843-2080 or York City and a presence in LA from 2016 alone, including more ly relevant and integrated within [email protected] and Chicago. Guided by industry of the prestigious HSMAI Adrian visionary Laura Davidson, the frm Awards than any other entity. _ Continued on page 30

28 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms & Carroll stationers and STK/The MAGRINO PR AND One Group. SOCIAL MEDIA In a world where substance is _ Continued from page 28 the true indicator of style, you can be assured that our work is driven brand narratives. from meaningful insights that rep- As passionate communicators, resent the image, identity and in- we are adept at telling stories that tent of our brands and clients. reflect brand values, consumer at- titudes and end-user behaviors. We MARDIKS PR believe the heart drives the head in terms of purchase intent and work 261 Madison Avenue with our client teams to bring emo- New York, NY 10016 tional resonance to our campaigns 646/283-5273 and pitches. www.mardikspr.com Our work drives sales, aware- Charles Mardiks, President/ Mardiks PR cooked up a culinary event for Visit San Jose in New York ness and consumer affnity. We are Managing Director showcasing the city’s newly-awarded Michelin star restaurant, Adega proud of our shared success with and the destination’s undiscovered Portuguese heritage and award-win- clients that include Hilton Hotels’ At the intersection of creative and ning, but little-known vineyards and wines. The event was attended by Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Can- strategic, Mardiks PR is a market- more than 50 top-tier travel, culinary and wine and lifestyle media. opy brands; Cosmopolitan of Las ing solution provider, specializing Vegas; Brookfeld Properties; Tish- in travel and tourism. The agency media and industry relationships to MFA MARKETING man-Speyer; Fontainebleau Miami leverages the power of storytelling solve clients’ marketing problems Beach; The Ranch Malibu; Martha to create engaging, integrated cam- with smart, strategic and creative & PR (MISSY Stewart Omnimedia/Sequential paigns. Our multi-channel cam- solutions. FARREN & Brands; Dean & Deluca; Whisper- paigns combine media outreach, Current clients include: Condor ing Angel; James Beard Awards; social media and event activation Airlines, Fareness, GroundLink, ASSOCIATES) Hendrick’s Gin and Moet Hennessy. along with strategic partnerships to Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Visit Our Social PR practice is dynam- build buzz and business for leading Buffalo Niagara, Visit San Jose and 30 Irving Place, 3rd Floor ic and on the leading edge of this global travel brands, destinations Wendy Wu Tours. New York, NY 10003 fast-changing feld of communi- and associations. 212/528-1691 cations. We work with our Social The agency was founded by www.mfaltd.com PR clients to craft, manage and Charles Mardiks. Charles has two MARKETING execute Influencer programs of decades of integrated marketing MAVEN Missy Farren, Founder & CEO multiple sizes and types. We de- and public relations experience in Samantha Lacher, Vice President velop Digital Strategy for clients global travel and tourism, and he 1460 Broadway, 1st Floor Mfa is a full-service communi- who want to make sure their brands brings together a highly networked, New York, NY 10036 cations agency providing sharp come to life on social platforms in nimble team of senior-level, hands- 212/967-5510 strategy and results that matter to the most relevant and engaging on strategists and creative thinkers. www.MarketingMavenPR.com a vast array of travel/tourism, culi- ways. Our content development The dedicated Mardiks team is fu- [email protected] [email protected] nary and hospitality clients. A con- team creates growth-driving im- eled by a love for travel, a nose for summate personal touch accompa- agery for all social feeds. Social news and a scrappiness that gets Los Angeles Headquarters nies extreme professionalism and PR Clients include Farrow & Ball; the job done. As a true extension 310/994-7380 deep expertise. Our passion for Tishman-Speyer; Flor de Cana of our clients’ teams, we work dili- Lindsey Carnett, CEO & President travel drives professional success rum; Grace Bay Club; Dempsey gently to nurture, build and connect Natalie Rucker, Director of and relationships in various nich- Business Development es, including: culinary, Caribbean, Marketing Maven drives brand adventure, ski/snow, family, ro- conversations with traditional trav- mance, arts/culture, wellness/spa, el, hospitality, culinary and life- culture, wine/spirits and ftness/ style media, as well as key travel sports. The agency specializes in influencers via all social channels. strategic media relations; influenc- Representing the largest consumer er campaigns; social media strate- travel show in the nation, Market- gy and management; omni-channel ing Maven has a strong pulse on campaign execution; press trip what brand messaging and promo- planning and execution; partner- tions U.S. travelers want to see to ship development; event facilita- book a trip. tion; spokesperson positioning; Our travel mavens specialize in and crisis communications. Indus- developing and executing reve- try experience includes: Aspen Ski nue-generating communications Co.; Cayman Airways; Cayman strategies. From the creation of Cookout; The Cayman Islands De- engaging online promotions target- partment of Tourism; Charlie Bird ing millennials via social media to Restaurant (NYC); Chatham Bars specialized trips and tours target- Inn; The Colonial Williamsburg ing baby boomers via traditional Foundation; Colorado Ski Coun- media, Marketing Maven segments try; Dart Real Estate (Cayman your target demographic by listen- Islands); Disneyland; Disneyland ing to conversations both offline Food & Beverage; Golden Horse- and online, then uses appropriate shoe Golf Club; Gunter Seeger Marketing Maven coordinated multiple segments with KTLA 5 Morning messaging and mediums to drive restaurant (NYC); Intrawest; Learn News to promote the Travel & Adventure Show at the LA Convention Cen- action. to Ski and Snowboard Month; Limelight Hotel; The Little Nell; ter. Pictured here is reporter Lynette Romero.

30 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms The Lodge at Woodloch; Martin’s Kenya, Macao, Melbourne Con- Lane Winery; Megpies; Michelin vention Bureau, Nicaragua, Papua Food & Travel; Mountain Collec- New Guinea and Qatar. tive; Mission Hill Family Estate winery; National Trust for Histor- NJF ic Preservation; Pasquale Jones Restaurant (NYC); Peet’s Coffee; An MMGY Global Company The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of New 360 Lexington Avenue York; Roadtrips Inc.; Sandestin 10th Floor Golf and Beach Resort; Ski Utah; New York, NY 10017 The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg; 212/228-1500 Squaw Valley; Steamboat; Twin www.njfpr.com Farms; Westin Hotels & Resorts; Nancy Friedman, Partner Whistler Blackcomb; and more. Julie Freeman, Managing Director Chris Walters, SVP MWWPR Lauren Kaufman, SVP Last year, three long-recognized HEADQUARTERS: 304 Park Avenue South Myriad recreated a Macao city scene at Grand Central Station for com- leaders in travel and hospitali- New York, NY 10010 muters to experience its iconic Senado Square, bustling spice markets ty, MMGY, NJFPR and Spring 212/704-9727 and traditional dancers. O’Brien, joined forces to create a PR industry powerhouse. The com- Sunset Media Center MWWPR’s deep bench of hospi- insights based on proprietary re- bination of MMGY’s PR, Social & 6255 W. Sunset Boulevard tality experts is connected with the search to shape a point of view and Experiential Marketing practice, 18th Floor industry’s most respected influenc- determine what Matters Most to a NJFPR and Spring O’Brien was Los Angeles, CA 90028 ers and is deeply knowledgeable on brand’s key audiences. rebranded NJF, an MMGY Global 323/688-5368 the trends that are shaping the me- www.mww.com company. NJF offers boutique ser- dia landscape today. We’ve worked MYRIAD vice and expertise in consumer and JP Schuerman, President, with both established and emerging trade media relations, social media, Western Region brands within the travel industry, INTERNATIONAL corporate and brand positioning, [email protected] ranging from hotels and destina- experiential and event marketing, tions, to airlines, online travel agen- MARKETING strategic partnerships and promo- MWWPR’s Travel & Tourism cies and travel publishers. Services tions, influencer engagement and practice can take you anywhere include strategic partnerships, visit- An MMGY Global Company crisis communications. you want to go. We believe in 360 Lexington Avenue ing media programs, key executive/ 10th floor For those seeking senior level pushing PR beyond the boundaries spokesperson industry positioning, New York, NY 10017 counsel, unwavering brand advoca- of expected thinking to create at- celebrity and athlete seeding and 212/219-7560 cy and unrivaled media savvy, NJF tention-grabbing communications referrals. Our team of top hospi- www.myriaddestinations.com is a one-stop shop. Hundreds of ho- campaigns. We are a seasoned tality industry strategists, planners, tel, destination, travel and lifestyle group of fearless travelers who un- media specialists and producers has Al Merschen, Partner brands have entrusted their repu- derstand the tourism industry and years of deep-rooted experience in Mike Price, Executive Vice tations to NJF whose “Leave No the forces that drive it. But we’re travel and tourism. President Stone Unturned” philosophy has far more than your traditional trav- Julie Cuesta, Vice President, At MWWPR, we believe you Destination Services catapulted the frm to the top of the el shop. need to be relevant to Matter category in hospitality and travel. As a leading global independent More™ to the people who matter At the close of 2016, Myriad Our integrated public relations and communications agency, with eight most. Our strategic process begins joined MMGY Global to become social media team prides itself on offces across the U.S. and Europe with understanding client business Myriad International Marketing. long-standing client relationships plus a global network of partners, objectives and priorities, map- Specializing in destination repre- and an innate ability to move with- MWWPR develops award-winning ping the influencers that have the sentation, Myriad works with more in many spheres: tapping media campaigns powered by insights, greatest impact on your brand and international destinations in North and industry influencers, forging technology and social media to developing measurable programs America than any other marketing creative partnerships uncovering drive patronage and connect cli- that drive business outcomes. Ev- company. Our executive team pro- strategic advantages, and providing ents with their key stakeholders. ery client program begins with vides senior level strategic direc- global perspective. Our campaigns tion and tactical solutions to clients are rooted in research and insights, in the travel and tourism sector. and we are master storytellers and Many of our clients have been content creators who know how to with us since the day we frst make news out of simple concepts opened for business in 1989. We or large-scale programs. We forge provide a complete range of high- an emotional connection to reach ly integrated services ranging from our audiences where they live, destination representation, creative work and play. direction, media buying, public Industry innovators and thought relations, crisis communication, leaders, NJF is the pioneer of Ho- experiential events, trade relations tel Week NYC and MMGY is the and partnership marketing pro- author of the widely acclaimed grams. With clients ranging from Portrait of American Travelers® international tourist offces to con- annual research study. With offces vention bureaus, airlines to travel in New York City, Kansas City, Los companies, Myriad offers an in Angeles, Madrid, Orlando, Wash- depth global perspective. ington, D.C. and an international Clients include: Australia’s partner network, Travel Consul, we NJF’s powerhouse team of PR and media mavens in our new flagship NYC Northern Territory, Dominica, _ Continued on page 32 office.

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 31 w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms tells vivid stories that capture the York with offces in San Francisco RBB NJF unique qualities of places, people and London. Helping clients see _ Continued from page 31 and products that evoke consumer around the corner and determine COMMUNICATIONS response and brand loyalty. what’s next sets Peppercomm The agency’s Public Relations, apart from other integrated com- 355 Alhambra Circle, Suite 800 serve many of the world’s premier Creative, Media Planning & Buy- munications and marketing frms. Miami, FL 33134 305/448-7450 travel and tourism brands. Other ing, Digital Ops, Video/Studio, It enables us to push boundaries www.rbbcommunications.com MMGY Global areas of exper- Social Media and Account Man- while mitigating risk for clients tise include research and insights, agement departments provide in- in fnancial services, consumer, Lisa Ross, President & Travel strategic communications plan- novative, research-driven strate- B-to-B and multi-industry sectors. Practice Leader ning and implementation, brand gies and solutions for a broad and Our unique approach and dy- Maite Velez-Couto, Vice President Shawn Warmstein, Vice President marketing, traditional and social growing list of clients. namic workplace attract the best media buying, digital/social media The Paradise Public Relations talent who, in turn, help us win rbb is an integrated marketing strategy, website development and team is made up of PR strategists and retain the best clients. While communications frm and four- management, e-CRM and travel with a keen eye for media oppor- we’ve won countless awards, time winner of the Agency of the industry relations. tunities and the savvy to turn them we’re most proud of being named Year title. As the Champion of Clients include: Visit Los Ca- into results. The goal, ultimately, Best Place to Work in New York Breakout Brands, rbb Communi- bos, South Dakota Tourism, Bor- is to ensure return on your invest- City by Crain’s New York Business cations inspires companies with gata Hotel Casino & Spa, Canyon ment. Clients include The Dalí and a Best Workplace for Women insights on creating customer pas- Ranch, Lufthansa, Eurail, Ft. My- Museum, The Vinoy Renaissance by Great Place to Work® and For- sion to increase sales. ers & Sanibel, NH Hotels, Gen- Resort, The JW Marriott Marco tune. rbb’s Travel & Leisure Practice erator Hostels, Cheap Caribbean, Island, Sawgrass Marriott Resort, Our combined years of deep cat- develops breakout campaigns for Intrepid Travel, The Asbury, Gan- Orlando North, Seminole County egory experience and love of what hotel and cruise industry clients sevoort Hotel Group, Pod Hotels, Tourism, Space Florida, Navarre we do shapes our work. We engage that spark new conversations, in- The Bowery, Harley-Davidson Beach CVB and more. your audiences on every level and spire action and drive meaningful Museum, STA Travel and One set your brand apart. And we do business results. The agency’s deep ­Aldwych. all this to help your bottom-line hospitality experience comes from PEPPERCOMM, and build your business. So get in working with companies from all PARADISE INC. touch. We’re all ears. industry segments from global ho- tel chains, boutique resorts and des- ADVERTISING 470 Park Ave. South tinations to airlines, cruise lines and 4th Floor North QUINN 150 Second Avenue North, Ste 800 New York, NY 10016 online travel agencies. Whether a St. Petersburg, FL 33701 212/931-6100 48 West 38th Street, Penthouse client’s goal is to gain more market 727/821-5155 [email protected] New York, NY 10018 share, increase bookings or online [email protected] www.peppercomm.com 212/868-1900 engagement, enhance its reputa- http://paradiseadv.com/ www.quinn.pr tion or all of the above, rbb will get Cedar Hames, Founder, President Steve Cody, Co-CEO & them there faster and smarter. & Chief Strategy Officer Co-Founder 310 NW 26th Street, Suite B Ed Moed, Co-CEO & Co-Founder The rbb difference is our custom- Tom Merrick, Vice President, Chief Miami, FL 33127 ized, integrated breakout approach Creative Officer Ted Birkhahn, Partner & President 786/600-3954 Ann Barlow, Partner & President, to marketing communications. Our Rudy Webb , Vice President, public relations, creative, social and Account Services West Coast 811 West 7th Street Tara Tufo, Vice President, Director Deborah Brown, Partner & Los Angeles, CA 90017 digital teams leverage the right mix of Public Relations Managing Director 424/273-8855 of communication tactics channels, Jacqueline Kolek, Partner & partnership activations, design, me- Paradise Advertising is a Managing Director Florence Quinn, President dia relations, influencer and celeb- Maggie O’Neill, Partner & 212/868-1900 x223 rity engagement, content creation full-service advertising, marketing Managing Director and Public Relations agency with [email protected] and social media strategies, digital offces in St. Petersburg, Naples Peppercomm is an independent- marketing and research/analytics to John Frazier, CSO/Director of effectively deliver measurable out- and Daytona. The agency spe- ly owned 21-year-old integrated Travel cializes in destination, travel, life- communications and marketing 212/868-1900 x230 comes that build brands. style and luxury brands. Paradise agency headquartered in New [email protected] rbb has the vision to introduce a new brand, product or service from Quinn is a 65-person lifestyle all angles and develop engaging public relations frm with a flag- and successful creative launch- ship penthouse in New York City, es and brand refresh strategies. a store-front in Wynwood-Miami Whether it’s an in-market media and a new LA offce in WeWork event, a multi-city PR push or inte- Fine Arts Building. grated digital and direct marketing Our strategic and creative ap- campaigns, generating awareness proach builds audiences, produces and creating emotional connec- revenue and transforms brands. tions to get target audiences to act Our innovative initiatives, which is always our goal. are recognized globally, have re- rbb’s recent work with client sulted in a number of industry Hampton by Hilton for its multicul- “frsts.” tural “Seekender” campaign “First We believe there is magic to be Comes Like, Then Comes Love” found at the intersection of cre- earned a Silver Anvil Award from ative thinking and value-driven the Public Relations Society of strategies. Many of the world’s America (PRSA), and a Platinum most recognized brands, such as Adrian Award in Public Relations Quinn generated 170-million media impressions, including T Magazine Hilton, Marriott, Waldorf Astoria, from the Hospitality Sales and and Vogue, in 4 months for Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, Waikiki’s newest W South Beach, AKA and Paris, Marketing Association Internation- boutique hotel. believe as well. al (HSMAI). In just four weeks,

32 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Travelw & Tourism PR Firms marketing agency that began in in travel, food, wine and the arts. 2001 and specializes in the hospi- Since 2001, the agency has ser- tality, lifestyle, fashion, beauty and viced international and domestic design industries—and very often clients from its Orlando, Florida a melding of those worlds. Using location and is a proud recipient our extensive media network, vig- of multiple Hospitality Sales and orously and carefully built over our Marketing International (HSMAI) 16 year history, we tell our clients’ Adrian Awards for Public Rela- stories with passion. We represent tions. As a boutique agency, we a broad spectrum of hospitality focus on delivering personalized providers, from iconic internation- service with an emphasis on inno- al global brands to individual bou- vation, creativity and strategy. Our tiques destinations. work is distinguished by a basis of Since our inception, we have kept strategic marketing. We operate as rbb Communications’ award-winning travel practice helps clients imag- service and results-driven strate- an extension of our clients’ sales ine and execute integrated marketing programs like Hilton All Suites’ gies at the core of our approach and marketing team as trusted new “Bring It” campaign. to Public Relations. Our work has and integrated partners delivering been honored by PRNews as well measurable results and nothing results showed the Seekender mi- tural exhibits, live shows, airlines, as HSMAI, with Gold and Silver less than client satisfaction. crosite drove a 226 percent jump cruise lines, sporting events and wins for the launch of Aloft Ho- TJM Communications has been in visits to Hampton.com. The travel media. We create market- tel’s robotic concierge, Botlr. Our called upon to service clients in innovative campaign also earned ing communications and social team also thrives on creative ide- Spain, South Africa, Canada and 64 million combined impressions media strategies that elevate a cli- ation and execution and has been throughout the United States. We to potential travelers, and signif- ent’s core messages beyond travel responsible for global campaigns have represented domestic and in- cantly increased online mentions outlets and into lifestyle media that include W Hotels’ “Social Me- ternational destinations, hotels and of Hampton, especially on Twit- through the influence of entertain- dia Wedding Concierge” as well major tourism entities. Our travel ter. Success metrics like these are ment. Our distinctive approach as Aloft Hotels’ “Text It. Get It.” practice currently includes clients why companies such as AMRe- goes beyond core media relations Emoji-Only Room Service Menu. such as: Walt Disney World Swan sorts, DHL Express, Hilton, Simon to include destination integration Client experience includes: W and Dolphin Resort, Westgate Riv- Malls, Virgin Voyages and others, into entertainment content, in- Hotels Worldwide, Aloft Hotels, er Ranch Resort, along with other choose rbb as their communica- fluencer programs and outreach, Element Hotels, Four Points by noted hotels, resorts and tourist at- tions partner. experiential events and social me- Sheraton, The Stafford London, tractions. Other rbb specialty practices dia strategies. The agency’s work Anamaya Resort (Costa Rica), include consumer products/ser- has included building awareness Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp and TURNER vices, food & beverage, healthcare, for hotels and resorts through Saira Hospitality. higher education, professional ­celebrity seeding programs, intro- A Fahlgren Mortine company services, entertainment and real ducing new travel services in key 250 W. 39th St., #1602 estate. rbb’s family of brands offer markets through influencer events, TJM New York, NY 10018 media relations, digital marketing, creating online content tied to en- 212/889-1700 influencer engagement, corporate tertainment properties, activating COMMUNICATIONS [email protected] www.turnerpr.com communications, social media sponsorship of sports and enter- 2441 West SR 426, #1061 management and creative services/ tainment events, managing PR for Oviedo, FL 32765 (Orlando) Christine Turner, President advertising. With offces in Miami, consumer-focused travel shows, 407/977-5004 Mariana DiMartino, Senior Vice Fort Lauderdale, New Jersey and and driving ticket sales for shows Fax: 407/977-5009 President Los Angeles, the frm also has an and exhibits. [email protected] Angela Berardino, Chief Strategy international reach that extends Current / past clients include www.tjmcommunications.com + Integration Officer across more than 100 cities in 50 American Airlines, Etihad Air- Facebook.com/ countries through its partnership lines, Canadian Tourism Com- TJMCommunicationsInc. TURNER is a progressive com- with PROI Worldwide, the larg- mission, Universal Studios Holly- Treva J. Marshall, President munications agency dedicated to est global network of independent wood, Mondrian Hotel, Madame the intersection of earned, owned communications agencies. Tussaud’s Hollywood and Las TJM Communications is an and paid media strategy. Specializ- Vegas, and LA Times Food & Wine award-winning boutique lifestyle _ Continued on page 34 ROGERS & COWAN Festival. public relations frm specializing

1840 Century Park E., 18th flr. Los Angeles, CA 90067 THINK PR 310/854-8132 [email protected] 10 E. 23rd Street www.rogersandcowan.com Floor Two Instagram: @rogersandcowan New York, NY 10010 Twitter: @rogersandcowan www.thinkpublicrelations.com Facebook: @rogersandcowan

Mark Owens, CEO 329 North Wetherly Drive Suite 103 Rogers & Cowan offers signif- Beverly Hills, CA 90211 icant experience in creating and 310/278-0180 executing integrated marketing, Elaine Drebot-Hutchins, PR and social media campaigns President for clients in the travel and tourism Tracey Manner, Partner & Vice industries, including resorts and President resort developers, hotel associa- tions, government tourism offces, THINK PR is a full-service pub- visitors bureaus, museum and cul- lic relations, digital influencer and TURNER’s 2016 Holiday Party at Stir.

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 33 w Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms by a group of sisters and captained TURNER by Madelyn Willems. The person- _ Continued from page 33 al touch and care that is innate in a family-owned business is reflected ing in travel and lifestyle brands, in the way WEILL also operates. we represent some of the world’s We showcase the heart and soul of best hotel, resort, destination, our clients in this ever-changing fashion, active and modern outdoor media landscape—reaching the brands. Our clients include all of still important print and broadcast the places you’d like to travel, and media, while simultaneously en- what you’d pack for those journeys. gaging bloggers and social media We have three U.S. offces in influencers. New York, Chicago and Denver to best service our worldwide clients ZAPWATER based in the U.S., Canada, Mexi- co, Europe, Caribbean and South COMMUNICATIONS America; our Miami offce will Finland has seen double digit growth of travelers from the USA since open July 2017. Founded in 1997, beginning work with Zapwater. 118 North Peoria Chicago, IL 60601 our tenured team of talented veter- Photo credit: VISIT FINLAND ans has a passion for travel and ac- 312/943-0333 www.zapwater.com tive lifestyles. We live and breathe public relations. Want proof? Our that is relevant to their lifestyle. our clients’ cultures and deliver work landed fve of our travel cli- And above all, we are committed David Zapata, President & Founder meaningful results from our deep ents in a single issue of the New to be “engaging always.” Jennifer Lake, SVP industry relationships with journal- York Times travel section. From Jennifer Barry, Managing Director, ists and influencers. places to go, places to stay, sus- Los Angeles Our dedicated 360 approach to tainability and loyalty, our clients WEILL delivering integrated public rela- were featured throughout the cov- Zapwater Communications is a tions, digital, content and social eted “52 Places to Go” 2017 issue. 29 Broadway public relations agency special- media campaigns continues to de- New York, NY 10006 izing in lifestyle brands, with a We know the traveler’s pur- 212/288-1144 liver bottom-line results for our chase journey is often a long one; focus on travel, hospitality and Toll Free: 866-PRWEILL destination clients. We integrate clients through powerful media it begins months before the plane Fax: 212/288-5855 exposure, influencer followings departs or the ship sails and wan- www.geoffreyweill.com multidisciplinary services — digi- and consumer engagement. We are ders a unique path to purchase. tal engagement, experiential tactics a relationship agency, acting as in- Our mission is to create programs Geoffrey Weill, President and media relations — to drive bot- house support for our clients, and that target consumers and deliver Ann-Rebecca Laschever, EVP tom-line results. we are proud of our culture - we inspiration to them early and often. Mark Liebermann, SVP To date, we have won 105 indus- work hard, we get results and we Digital media platforms open new try awards including Best Travel give back. opportunities for us to influence WEILL, a boutique PR frm spe- Tourism and Destination campaign consumers through innovative cializing in luxury, exclusive travel at the PRSA Los Angeles Chapter WEBER storytelling and content strategy experiences, moved downtown to PRism Awards. Zapwater has also that reaches them in a highly frag- new digs this year, joining the ma- won numerous HSMAI Platinum, SHANDWICK mented media marketplace. We’ve jority of the media now based in Gold, Silver and Bronze (Hospital- proven the success of content lower Manhattan. Our new offc- ity Sales & Marketing Association 909 3rd Avenue creation and know how to blend es at 29 Broadway are situated in International) Adrian Awards in New York, NY 10022 the right mix of paid, owned and a landmarked Art Deco building, both the public relations and digital www.webershandwick.com earned programs. across from the Bull and Fearless marketing categories. Girl statues, and overlooking the Our offces in Chicago and Los Alice Diaz, EVP We inspire. We incite. We shape ideas to move travel and lifestyle Hudson River from our 22nd floor Angeles share a culture that fosters [email protected] creativity, quality, collaboration businesses forward with smart location. The Weber Shandwick Travel programs that reach consumers Run like a close-knit family of and enthusiasm. Long-standing & Lifestyle practice is the leading where they are today — on smart- travel enthusiasts, WEILL rep- relationships and the determination specialist in travel and tourism phones and tablets — with content resents several family-owned hos- to lead in a dynamically evolving pitality businesses. Of more than industry distinguishes Zapwater’s 30 clients, half are family-owned, work. including such iconic hotels as Zapwater is a founding member The Hassler Roma; Baur au Lac of Travel Lifestyle Network (TLN) in Zurich; The Royal Portfolio, and represents the United States South Africa; Soneva resorts in within its international network Thailand and the Maldives, Aqua of owner-managed marketing and Expeditions in Peru and Asia; and communications agencies serv- Ted Turner Expeditions in the US. ing tourism and lifestyle clients. Of those family-owned companies, Network members collaborate to about half of those are owned or led deliver international know-how by women. These include Ashford to clients seeking connections and Castle in Ireland and The Mile- reach across the globe. stone in London, curated by Bea Client experience includes: Visit Tollman of Red Carnation; Adven- Finland, National Tourism Offce tureWomen, owned and operated of Serbia, Visit Maldives, Hainan by the Wineland trio — Judi Wine- Airlines, Icelandair, Fairmont May- land and her two daughters; d’An- akoba Riviera Maya, Coco Prive gleterre in Copenhagen, led by Private Island, The Grand Geneva Else-Marie Remmen, and family; Resort & Spa, Pacifca Hotels and Weill’s new offices. and the Perfect Experiences owned Casa Kimberly Puerto Vallarta. 

34 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION O’DWYER’STRAVEL AND TOURISM RANKINGS PR FIRMS

Firm Net Fees (2016) Firm Net Fees (2016) 1. Edelman, New York, NY $37,352,000 19. Hemsworth Communications, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 1,047,000

2. Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee, FL 11,300,000 20. Red Sky PR, Boise, ID $952,152

3. APCO Worldwide, Washington, DC 11,209,200 21. Padilla, Minneapolis, MN 915,695

4. Development Counsellors Int’l (DCI), New York, NY 10,023,512 22. 360 Public Relations, Boston, MA 802,608

5. Turner, a Fahlgren Mortine company, New York, NY 7,752,258 23. LANE, Portland, OR 700,334

6. Lou Hammond Group, New York, NY 6,922,405 24. North 6th Agency (N6A), New York, NY 563,879

7. J Public Relations, New York, NY 6,877,459 25. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 239,952

8. Finn Partners, New York, NY 5,356,000 26. Marketing Maven Public Relations, Camarillo, CA 184,977

9. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 4,640,585 27. The Buzz Agency, Delray Beach, FL 143,892

10. Hawkins Int’l Public Relations, New York, NY 4,566,288 28. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 141,000

11. Quinn, New York, NY 4,036,563 29. McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations, Nashville, TN 129,828

12. rbb Communications, Miami, FL 3,508,293 30. TransMedia Group, Boca Raton, FL 70,000

13. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA 3,297,688 31. Singer Associates, Inc., San Francisco, CA 66,451

14. NJF, an MMGY Global company, New York, NY 3,077,847 32. Stuntman PR, New York, NY 63,000

15. 5W Public Relations, New York, NY 2,400,000 33. Maccabee, Minneapolis, MN 53,375

16. Intrepid Agency, Salt Lake City, UT 2,016,785 34. Peppercomm, New York, NY 15,195

17. Coyne, Parsippany, NJ 2,000,000 35. IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 14,000

18. Sachs Media Group, Tallahassee, FL 1,683,552 36. CooperKatz & Co., New York, NY 10,000

© Copyright 2017 The J.R. O’Dwyer Co. OPINION Professional Development Boycotting Alex Jones interview is right PR advice By Fraser Seitel parents whose little children were murdered the content of “news.” They’re merely acting that day were complicit in it. on the same primary concern that’s been the et’s say you’re the public relations direc- The question is: Should JPMorgan Chase focus of similar companies — and the bane tor of the Chase Bank (Full disclosure: underscore its commitment to free speech of Bernie Sanders’ existence — for time im- LI used to be!). You’re sitting blissfully in and a free press by letting its ads run on the memorial: sales, profits, earnings and cus- your Park Avenue headquarters when your program? Or should the bank, in the face of tomer approval. secretary bursts in to alert you that you’ve mounting public pressure, cut and run? JPMorgan Chase, like any other free mar- been summoned to CEO Jamie Dimon’s You bounce off the elevator, nod to the ket company, is in a business that wants to office to discuss the Chase sponsorship of chairman’s secretary, enter the office as the make money. And if you offend your cus- Megyn Kelly’s NBC interview of lunatic sliding glass doors part and declare … tomers, then you’re liable to make less mon- conspiracy theo- Well, here’s what I’d say. “Pull the advertis- ey. So why do it? rist Alex Jones. ing. Announce we’re not being party to pro- Stated another way, most corporations — On the elevator moting Jones’ repulsive views. And move to even those run by outspoken public figures ride upstairs, you the sidelines.” like Jamie Dimon — abhor controversy. know full well Which, by the way, is precisely what They figure there’s no percentage in getting what CEO Dimon JPMorgan’s chief marketing officer an- involved in a pitched battle if the potential will ask of you. nounced, attracting opprobrium from var- result is alienation, or worse, loss of custom- Kelly’s interview ious quarters of the communications spec- ers. And they’re right. is drawing intense trum. There are, of course, exceptions, like Star- fire for giving cre- • The company is getting “too close to the bucks’ founder Howard Schultz, who reg- dence to a man editorial content of one program,” tut-tutted ularly wades into controversies from gun who, among other a marketing professor from his ivory tower control to race relations. But most CEOs Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications crackpot notions, at the Harvard Business School. find that when they stick their necks out on consultant, author and has suggested that • Another college public relations profes- a controversial topic — like when Whole teacher for more than the 2012 Sandy sor found it “frightening” that the bank was Foods CEO John Mackey opposed the 30 years. He is the au- Hook elementary “interfering in news content.” health reform public option or when Chik- thor of the Prentice-Hall school shooting Fear not, my fellow academic travelers. fil-A CEO Dan Cathay opposed same sex text, The Practice of Public Relations. was a hoax and Jamie Dimon and his two-trillion-dollar marriage — they get their heads handed to that some of the bank aren’t interested in trying to dictate them. That, by the way, is why CNN quick- ly dropped Trump-severed head-waving Kathy Griffin from its New Years Eve tele- cast, and why Goya canceled its sponsor- ship of the New York Puerto Rican Day Parade that honored an FALN terrorist, or why Delta Airlines and Bank of America dropped out of sponsoring a Public The- ater production of “Julius Caesar,” in which a Donald Trump lookalike title character gets stabbed in the back by Roman senators. They simply didn’t need the aggravation. Period. End stop. And neither did J.P. Morgan Chase, which made the right decision when it pulled out of Megyn Kelly’s kamikaze interview with a similarly back-stabbing bomb thrower.  PR news brief Ketchum, Daggerwing partner for M&A offering Omnicom Group’s global PR powerhouse Ketchum has teamed up with the ad/PR combine’s manage- ment consulting unit Daggerwing Group to launch an M&A services offering titled DaggerwingTransACT. Ketchum in a statement said the offering aims to focus on “culture-first M&A services,” and would examine desired outcomes for corporate culture and the impact these variables can have on value in deals involving mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and bank- ruptcies. The alliance draws on Daggerwing’s employee engagement and executive management expertise along with the financial and corporate communica- tions prowess of Ketchum’s New York headquarters.

36 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Financial Management Safe harbor plans and best industry practices By Richard Goldstein his month I’m writing about two ar- The QACA Gould+Partners PR Agency Best Practices eas I feel are vastly important in the A qualified automatic contribution plan Benchmarking Report. Next month I will TPR profession: safe harbor retirement is also a form of safe harbor plan. With this review the results of the report that I be- plans and an introduction to the 2017 best approach, you must auto-enroll employees lieve is critical to your agency. practices in the PR industry. into the plan and a qualified default invest- By way of introduction, per the report, Is a safe harbor ment option such as a target date fund. A there are 22 critical benchmarks. The most plan the best move QACA must have a minimum initial de- critical being revenue per professional; ac- now? ferral rate of 3 percent and annual deferred count salaries; labor cost; rent; operating Do you worry rate increases of at least 1 percent until the overhead and profit; billing for travel; min- each year about deferred rate reaches at least 6 percent, but imum fees; and baseline hours, to name a whether your high- no more than 10 percent. few. ly-compensated In addition, the plan must have 100 per- Catch up with you next month.  talent will have ex- cent of deferrals on the first 1 percent de- cess salary deferrals ferred, and at least 50 percent on incremen- PR news brief returned to them tal deferrals up to 6 percent. The net result due to your retire- of all the above is a maximum required Lexis teams up with Text100 ment plan failing match of 3.5 percent. A two-year vesting London-based consumer agency Lexis has been Richard Goldstein is discrimination formula is permissible. integrated into global communications agency a partner at Buchbind- tests? Most smaller Your next step Text100. er Tunick & Company The merger, which primarily affects the Next Fif- LLP, New York, Certified plan sponsors take Safe harbor plans take some planning. teen unit’s UK office, became effective June 22. Public Accountants. advantage of “safe If you want to establish a new safe harbor Lexis specializes in consumer PR, corporate com- harbor” rules that plan, you must do so by October 1 for cal- munications, social media and digital marketing, as nearly always elim- endar year plans. Existing 401(k) plans well as live event management. Clients include glob- inate the need to worry about passing dis- have until January 1 to start as a safe harbor al consumer brands such as Pizza-Hut, Pernod Ricard and Harley-Davidson, among others. The agency, crimination tests. plan. which was founded in 1992 and staffs 30, was ac- What are the test formulas? You must provide participants a notice of quired in 2008 by Text100 parent Next Fifteen. Currently, the threshold for highly com- intent to be a safe harbor plan for the com- All of Lexis’ staff members have moved into pensated employee(HCE) status is an an- ing year at least 30 days prior to the new Text100’s London office, now making it the agency’s largest outpost, with 100 employees (the agency re- nual salary of $120,000, or at least 5 percent plan year. If you currently have a 401(k) located its London offices to the city’s Holborn neigh- company ownership. Using a test called the plan, check your plan documents to ensure borhood in 2015 following Next Fifteen’s acquisition ADP or ACE test, a determination is made you can amend them to add a safe harbor of content marketing agency Republic Publishing and if your HCEs can maximize their annual plan. UK-based digital marketing firm IncrediBull World). deferrals. (Note: I am not discussing the Is this for you? Text100 UK managing director Tara O’Donnell will assume overall responsibility for the combined mechanics of the formula but can provide Going the safe harbor route is the path of agency, and former Lexis deputy MD Ruth Kieran this information if interested.) least resistance, but can also be the more now becomes deputy MD to O’Donnell. What happens if you do not pass the expensive one. Set a time to discuss the Lexis MD Dominic Shales has decided to move on above tests? pros, cons and applicable documentation in light of the merger. Shales joined Lexis in 2012 after that agency acquired his former brand/digital If you consistently fail the test formulas with your benefits advisor. He or she can shop, Paratus Communications. by a wide margin, a safe harbor plan design review the discrimination test with you, The Lexis brand will be phased out later this year. could look attractive. The rules provide two as well as determine whether a safe harbor O’Donnell told O’Dwyer’s that integrating Lexis safe harbor formula categories to choose plan would work for your organization. into the Text100 fold will broaden Text100’s con- from to avoid ADP/ACP testing. An introduction to the PR Industry sumer brand portfolio while providing Lexis clients an armory of design, film, web development, content Your first choice is one of two minimum Best Practices Report marketing and social media capabilities, as well as contribution formulas: I was recently speaking with a person global reach. • Match 100 percent of the first 3 percent knowledgeable with the PR Industry. His “This is a really big deal for all of us. Lexis brings of deferred compensation and 50 percent observation is traditional PR has come and a formidable track record of truly understanding con- sumer behavior as well as serving consumer clients on deferrals between 3 percent and 5 per- gone. Do you agree? I would like to get something that so many Text100 clients will benefit cent (this means the maximum you would some feedback on this: rgoldstein@buch- from. And Text100 brings marketing communications contribute is 4 percent of employee com- binder.com. expertise and extensive skills including branding, pensation), or … An agency without digital PR may not be web development and content marketing across a • Match 100 percent on the first 4 percent able to compete in today’s market place. I range clients from technology to consumer brands. And, Lexis will benefit from Text100’s global net- deferred. asked Rick Gould what he thought about work,” O’Donnell said. The second choice is the non-elective this statement. He agreed that in the long “By uniting we will become a more formidable contribution rate. The PR agency must con- run social media/digital PR is a must. When powerhouse in the UK. And by uniting you can ex- tribute 3 percent of the eligible employee’s I asked him if the it is possible for a more pect to see our work with consumer brands expand in the UK and other offices across the world where compensation, regardless of how much or traditional firm to do a “bolt on” acquisi- our consumer credentials are already growing,” little your non-highly compensated em- tion of a digital shop, he said yes assuming O’Donnell told O’Dwyer’s. ployees save on their own. you can find a digital agency that wants to Text100, which was founded in the UK in 1981, Note, all safe harbor contribution amounts be acquired. More on this next time out. is headquartered in New York and maintains nearly must vest immediately with the employee. Rick Gould just published the two dozen offices worldwide.

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 37 OPINION Guest Column Cutting down on vitriolic political talk

By Arthur Solomon NBC platform to conspiracy theorist Alex unite, instead of divide, should be given the ver since the tragic shooting of Repub- Jones. Kelly’s defenders say the only way time allotted to flamethrowers. lican Congressman Steve Scalise, the to expose someone like Jones is by having • Social media platforms like Facebook, Etypical loop-recording of comments journalists confront him in person, which I YouTube and Twitter should block extrem- stating that “maybe this will be the incident disagree with and history backs me up. ist hate speech content on their sites. that will reunite the Students of journalism know that it’s not None of the above will correct the situ- American people” necessary to provide a platform to a person ation that was largely created by the 24/7 has been echoing like Jones in order to discredit someone. On cable news networks, unless they cease among members of March 9th, 1954, Edward R. Murrow, the sensationalizing news, begin acting like Congress and the renowned and respected CBS journalist — responsible news sources and report factu- cable TV pundits. who became famous for his coverage from ally without the never-ending commentary We all know that London during the German’s World War from so-called analysts. one insane incident II blitz of the city — used his “See It Now” Cable political TV is similar to going to unites the Amer- telecast to highlight the excesses of anoth- a theatrical production or a movie without ican people for er conspiracy theorist, Sen. Joe McCarthy. leaving home. Any resemblance to actu- only a short time. The telecast featured the words, actions and al reporting is coincidental. The cast plays Even 9-11 and the videos of McCarthy and is credited with the roles, acting as beat reporters and anchors. Arthur Solomon was a senior VP at Bur- Sandy Hook trag- Senator’s downfall. The supporting cast plays the roles of pun- son-Marsteller. He now edies didn’t bridge I watched Kelly’s less-than-hard-hitting dits. The vitriolic language that is now part is a contributor to pub- the divide between interview with Jones and found him to be of our political discussions will continue lic relations and sports Republicans and the clear winner. Here’s why: People who forever until the cable TV political shows business publications, disagree with Mr. Jones’ conspiracy theory begin acting responsibly.  consults on PR projects Democrats, includ- and is on the Seoul ing those sitting in were already anti-Jones. But viewers who Peace Prize nominating Congress as well knew nothing about him now do. While the PR news brief committee. He can be as the Joe and Jane interview will not convince Jones’ followers Reputation Partners acquires reached at arthursolo- Does sitting next to to flee, it might attract people who believe [email protected]. you at the diner. as Jones does but knew nothing about him Words&Pictures Different ap- before the telecast. Chicago-based Reputation Partners has ac- It will take decades — if ever —for the rift quired marketing and brand development agency proaches to political problems have always Words&Pictures, Inc. caused a rift between opponents. Usually it between the hard right and hard left to be- The acquisition, the terms of which were not pub- was limited to the legislative halls, but not gin healing. But here are a few ways that are licly disclosed, became effective June 16. always: our country has been victimized by certain to help: Words&Pictures specializes in web development, assassinations and a Civil War. • Members of the media should refrain marketing strategy, brand and identity creation and print and online advertising. The Chicago-based The sorry state of U.S. politics is the re- from using incendiary adjectives when agency, which has done work for regional and na- sult of three main causes: members of Con- talking about politicians they disagree with. tional clients such as The University of Chicago gress, fanatics of the left and right and the • The president should stop denouncing Medicine, Walgreens, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Blue flame-throwing mentality of the media. any story he doesn’t like as “fake news.” Cross Blue Shield, The University of Arizona Medical • Political pundits on TV should be elim- Center and Ingalls Hospital, was founded in 1982. Discussing political differences in a sane All Words&Pictures staff will move into Reputa- manner has gone the way of the five-cent inated. They only create confusion and are tion Partners’ West Monroe St. offices in Chicago’s ice cream cone. Instead, the use of use vit- mostly wrong. Remember their assuredness loop. Principal Nick Quirke joins Reputation Partners riolic language when discussing political for more than a year that Hillary Clinton as senior vice president and director of creative ser- differences has turned a crack into a chasm was a shoo-in. Only news should be report- vices. The agency will retain its branding for now. Reputation Partners founder and president Nick and our free press shares a large part of the ed; opinions should be labeled “editorials.” Kalm told O’Dwyer’s that the acquisition deepens blame. • Cable TV has to stop providing unlim- the agency’s design, website development and I’m against censorship. A free press is ited airtime emphasizing Democrats at- brand strategies toolkit, providing clients with a necessary for the continuation of our de- tacking Republicans, Republicans attacking wider range of capabilities. Democrats, Democrats attacking Demo- “The work we’re doing and our clients’ work has mocracy. Unfortunately, there have been become much more visual in nature, and our clients excesses taken by the media that only they crats and Republicans attacking Republi- are asking for more visual capabilities, whether it’s can change. cans, which only adds to the political divide. design or website development. As a boutique firm, The most important element in binding • Cable TV should stop playing up the that’s something we used to have to hand off to oth- the fracture of the political left and right name calling of politicians by proponents of er companies, but now we’re able to offer our clients what they want and what they need in-house.” rests with a responsible media that keeps the far right and far left and use the time to It’s the second acquisition in as many years for hate mongers from spreading their mes- discuss the ideological differences between the full-service agency: Reputation Partners in April sages by refusing to give them a platform Democrats and Republicans regarding leg- 2016 acquired Milwaukee-based corporate com- on which they spread their hate. That’s an islation. munications and investor relations shop Vollrath • Former flame-throwing elected officials Associates, effectively doubling the agency’s Brew easy fix. Report the news as it is without re- City presence (Reputation Partners has maintained sorting to “he said, she said” guests, which like Newt Gingrich should be treated like a Milwaukee office since the beginning of last year). is the backbone of the pathetic journalism former elected officials and not be given an Reputation Partners, which specializes in corpo- practiced by the cable networks. open mike across the cable TV spectrum rate and consumer PR, issues/crisis management, The latest brouhaha involving responsible to spread their vitriolic attacks. Instead financial/IR and corporate social responsibility, now staffs a total of 25. journalism was Megyn Kelly providing an current members of Congress who seek to

38 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM People in PR

Trout, a New York native, graduated from She also worked in the US and Latin Chicago PR legend Iona College and served in the U.S. Navy as America for Discovery Channel, Sony-Er- a flight navigator. icsson, AT&T and A+E Television. Kraus dies at 95 His initial job was in the ad department Univision is the No. 1 network in the US of General Electric. He joined Ries after Hispanic market, which numbers 57 million erb Kraus, the Chicago publicist who working at Uniroyal, a client of the firm. people and $1.3 trillion in buying power.  represented Inland Steel, Rev. Martin Clients have included DuPont, Merck, HLuther King, Vienna Sausages and IBM, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, Apple and taught PR at Colum- General Mills, Eli Lilly and Intel. Hart pilots United’s PR bia College for three Survivors include his wife, Patricia; six nited Airlines has put Brett Hart in decades, died May children and 15 grandchildren.  20. He was 95. charge of global communications as The former Army Upart of an executive shuffle to acceler- combat correspon- Thomas takes Mower ate its “momentum in elevating the experi- dent and Purple ence it provides to customers” and continu- Heart Award recipi- leadership position ing operational performance. ent launched Herbert The airline’s custom- Herb Kraus M. Kraus & Co. in the pstate New York ad/PR agency Eric er satisfaction level 1950s with American Mower + Associates has named took a major hit fol- Jewish Committee, State of Israel Bonds UGeoff Thomas senior vice president lowing the PR crisis and Chicago Committee for the Truman and managing director of the independent triggered when a pas- Presidential Library and Museum among agency’s Cincinnati outpost. senger was dragged off charter clients, according to press reports. Thomas joins the Syracuse-headquar- a United Express flight. Known for his quick wit and sharp writ- tered shop from global Hart assumes the ing skills, Kraus hired many of the Windy brand design agen- newly created Execu- Brett Hart City’s leading PR people, recruiting many cy LPK, which he tive VP, Chief Admin- of them right from college. joined in 1998 as a istrative Officer and In 1973, he merged his firm into Man- group director and General Counsel slot, where his responsi- ning, Selvage and Lee and managed its ultimately oversaw bilities include PR. Midwest office. business operations He joined United from Sara Lee Corp. in Kraus took the helm of Kraus Dunham and served as chief 2010 and stepped in as interim CEO fol- Nickolich PR ten years later and then re-es- operating officer. lowing United chief Oscar Munoz’s heart Geoff Thomas tablished it under his own name before re- EMA, which main- attack in 2015. tiring in 2007. tains offices in New Jim Olson, Senior VP-Corporate Com-  In 2006, the Publicity Club of Chicago York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syr- munications, now reports to Hart. honored Kraus with its Golden Trumpet acuse, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Charlotte, Award for Lifetime Achievement.  merged with Boston-based B2B and tech marketing agency HB Agency in 2015.  Wentzel charges up Jack Trout, co-author of NEI’s PR ‘Positioning,’ Dies at 82 on Wentzel, who was a top execu- Ravinal tunes in tive at Burson-Marsteller and Ogilvy, ack Trout, co-author in 1981 with ­Univision Jjoined the Nuclear Energy Institute partner Al Ries of Positioning: The this month as VP-communications. JBattle for Your Mind, which sold 2 osemary Ravinal, who was VP-PR The Washing- million+ copies, died June 5 at his home in and Content Communications Chief ton-based executive Greenwich, Conn. Rat Miami’s Republica multicultural is in charge of media Cause of death was intestinal cancer. marketing shop, has moved to Univision at relations, digital and Trout said the basic premise of his book VP-Entertainment and Consumer PR. editorial to “promote was to capitalize on She’s in charge of publicity for the portfo- timely and effective associations and con- lio of the Spanish-language entertainment/ coverage of the nucle- nections that already broadcast/cable com- ar energy industry,” existed for a product pany and PR lead for according to the NEI. or service rather than consumer media. At B-M, Wentzel Jon Wentzel creating something Reporting to Rose- ws Executive VP/Chief Client Officer and from scratch. He au- mary Mercedes, handled the WPP unit’s campaign for Wal- thored or co-authored Ravinal will work greens Boots Alliance. He also chaired the 16 other books on the closely with Univision’s consumer and brand marketing practice. subjects and lectured Jack Trout programming leader- For Ogilvy, he handled corporate commu- widely about it. ship and talent rela- nications and PR practices for its western Ries formed his own consulting firm in tions. Rosemary Ravinal region, providing issues management and 1994 with his daughter, Laura. At Republica, Ravinal counsel to the American Chemistry Coun- Both firms built sizable businesses in Chi- served as Senior Counselor for Hispanic cil and Covered California, and served as na. “Positioning” sold more than 400,000 business strategy for Toyota North Amer- PR rep to OgilvyEarth, the environmental copies in that country. ica.  and sustainability practice. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | JULY 2017 39 WASHINGTON REPORT Team Trump taps Corallo ark Corallo, who was called a “street smart Republican spin doctor” by the National Journal, has been hired to Mhelp Donald Trump’s legal team. The one-time Justice Department Press Secretary and Chief Spokesperson for John Ashcroft during the George W. Bush pres- idency, distributed a statement from Trump’s lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, following Comey’s June testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee which said Trump is pleased that the former FBI Director confirmed that he is not under investigation in any Russian probe. Corallo has worked for high-profile clients such as Blackwater Worldwide, Karl Rove and former American International Group Mark Corallo Chief Hank Greenberg. technical training programs. Prior to working for Ashcroft, Corallo was Press Secretary for While U.S. construction employment has grown at a faster rate former Louisiana Republican Congressman Bob Livingston, who than the overall economy — adding 11,000 jobs in May alone, a chaired the House Appropriations Committee. 2.9 percent year-over-year increase, according to AGC’s analysis of Corallo Media Strategies is based in Alexandria, VA.  government data — construction firms now find themselves strug- gling to find enough suitable workers to meet project demands. According to AGC analysis, the average weekly work rate in con- Lobbyists pilot travel group struction is now 39.9 hours, the highest it has been since 2006.  on Open Skies policy Glover Park nets Netflix ravel trade non-profit the U.S. Travel Association has hired government consulting firm Eris Group to advocate on Cap- etflix, which has spent heavily for its own programming, has Titol Hill on behalf of issues affecting the travel and tourism hired Glover Park Group to build awareness of its original industry. Ncontent on Capitol Hill. According to lobbying registration documents filed in June, The streaming service launched its first program, “House of USTA has retained Eris Group in support of U.S. Open Skies pol- Cards,” in 2013. icies, the bilateral agreements that establish a free-market envi- Susan Brophy, GPG’s managing director and former senior VP in ronment for the airline industry, allowing international passenger Time Warner’s public policy office, is working the Netflix business. and cargo flights to move between the U.S. and foreign nations She served in the legislative affairs unit of the Clinton Admin- without government interference. istration and was chief of staff to ex-Democratic Senators Bryon The United States currently maintains Open Skies agreements Dorgan and Tim Wirth. with about 115 countries. The WPP company’s Netflix team includes Gregg Rothschild, The travel industry’s top trade association, the USTA — for- legislative assistant to former Senator John Kerry (D-MA); An- merly known as the Travel Industry Association of America — drew King, deputy chief of staff to Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and represents the destinations, service providers and travel groups Rob Seidman, legislative assistant to Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). that comprise the U.S.’s $2.1 trillion travel, hospitality and tourism Netflix this month made news with the launch of interactive industry.  programming that lets viewers select the various plots the show should follow.  Construction trade group builds Cassidy recruits Sydnor D.C. lobbying salvo assidy & Assocs. has recruited Chad Sydnor, a Senior Defense rade group the Associated General Contractors of Ameri- Policy Aide to Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), ca has retained law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Cto bolster its defense and infrastructure TDorr for Capitol Hill representation on government con- businesses. tract issues. The Army veteran, who rose to the rank of AGC is the leading association advocating for the U.S. construc- Captain, served as Battalion Intelligence Offi- tion industry, representing general contractors, specialty con- cer and Company Commander. He continues tractors and service providers and suppliers on national policy to serve in the Reserve as an Apache helicopter issues. Founded in 1918 at the request of Woodrow Wilson, the aviation officer. non-profit maintains a nationwide network of chapters and rep- Sydnor, who was an Assistant DA in Raleigh resents more than 32,000 industry firms. before joining the military, moved to Capitol Chad Sydnor AGC has requested that lawmakers address what they charac- Hill in 2011. Prior to working as Burr’s military terize as a construction labor shortage in the U.S. by increasing legislative assistant, Sydnor was a staffer for Sen. John Boozman funding for the Perkins Act, which provides funds for career and (R-AR) and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC). 

40 JULY 2017 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM International PR News Beirut Bank appoints Avenue nett served as a senior advisor to the Trump election campaign. Prior to that, he managed Dr. Ben Carson’s presidential run. Strategies Avenue Strategies, which was founded in December, also runs a super PAC to aid Trump’s 2020 re-election. Corey Lewandowski venue Strategies, the D.C. political consulting and lobbying left the firm in May after it was reported that he did not formally firm formed by veteran Republican strategist Barry Bennett register as a lobbyist.  Aand former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandows- ki, has been hired by the Bank of Beirut to improve the image of Qatar locks in Ashcroft Lebanon’s banking system in Washington. A financial hub of banking activities throughout the Middle East atar, which is locked into a messy political squabble with and Mediterranean, Lebanon has come under fire in recent years its Persian Gulf State neighbors Saudi Arabia, as well as for harboring a financial climate that the U.S. State Department QEgypt, Bahrain, Libya, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, has characterized as facing “significant money laundering and ter- has tapped former Attorney General John Ashcroft’s firm for com- rorism financing challenges,” where Beirut’s banks are often used pliance and US government/media work. to launder funds from foreign organized crime groups as well as Qatar, which fellow Arab states have charged with supporting terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood., is home of According to lobbying registration documents filed in June, the Arab satellite TV channel Al Jazeera. The country has called the Bank of Beirut has hired Avenue Strategies for the purpose of edu- allegations “complete fabrications” and nothing more than a cam- cating Capitol Hill on the Lebanese financial sector. paign to weaken it. That Lebanese commercial bank, which was founded in 1963, A $2.5 million retainer covers that effort. The hefty flat fee high- operates nearly 100 branches across the Middle East, Australia, lights the “urgent need to commence work immediately and the Europe and Africa. In 2015, it was fined £2.1 million (about $3.2 firm’s intention to make this matter a top priority.” million) in the UK after Britain’s financial authority determined The Ashcroft Law Firm will provide the Qataris with strategic the Bank of Beirut had misled regulators regarding its efforts to advice, legal counsel, crisis response and management, media out- hamper money laundering activities. reach and advocacy regarding Qatar’s efforts to combat terror. Beirut-based Al-Mawarid Bank, trade group the Association of John Ashcroft, who leads the effort, plans to enlist the support of Banks in Lebanon and Lebanon’s central bank, Banque du Liban, former members of the US intelligence community and Treasury/ all signed similar image-building pacts several years ago with lob- Homeland Security departments to complete the engagement. He bying powerhouses such as Squire Patton Boggs and DLA Piper. was George W. Bush’s AG and former Senator from Missouri. Barry Bennett manages the Bank of Beirut account. He was for- UK-based Portland PR, which was founded by former UK merly chief of staff to Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and communica- prime minister Tony Blair’s press secretary Tim Allan, has also tions director to the G8 Summit under President George W. Bush. been separately retained to support with Qatar’s D.C. embassy’s He has also founded super PACs for Rick Perry and for the Senate government relations and lobbying activities. Portland also advis- campaigns for Liz Cheney and Rob Portman. Most recently, Ben- es Qatar on public diplomacy and strategic communications.  FARA News  NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS 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 on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov.

Hogan Lovells US LLP, Washington, D.C., registered June 19, 2017 for Unidad de Analisis Financiero y Economico, Quito, Ecuador, regarding discussions with the U.S. government, including those in relation to the principal’s exchange with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Indianapolis, IN, registered June 2, 2017 for Coalicion del Congreso de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala, to assist with developing a close working relationship between the Guatemalan government and the U.S. government.

Sonoran Policy Group, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 6, 2017 for Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, Washington, D.C., regarding tour- ism, trade, investment and the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. Lobbying News G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

Eris Group (formerly Bartlett & Bendall), Washington, D.C., registered June 23, 2017 for E*TRADE Financial Corporation, Arlington, VA, regarding issues related to Dodd-Frank reform, as well as banking and securities regulation.

Crowell & Moring International, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 26, 2017 for National Association of Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., regarding advocacy during the renegotiation of NAFTA.

SMW Partners, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 22, 2017 for Build a Better New York Infrastructure Inc., Albany, NY, regarding federal infrastructure agreement as it relates to the Davis Bacon Act, which guarantees local prevailing wages on public works projects.

Cornerstone Government Affairs, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered June 21, 2017 for National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Washington, D.C., regarding funding for charter schools.

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