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Highlights of my PR career, including the successful
work 1."Help us bring awareness of the dramatic under-representation of minorities in the corporate leadership roles in America." Client: Management Leadership for Tomorrow As a media consultant, I assisted a national non-profit organization, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) in getting national media exposure within three short years of its inception. MLT has made ground-breaking progress to correct the dramatic under-representation of minorities in leadership positions and works to increase the number of minorities in institutions that develop talent, such as first-tier business schools and high-profile companies. Through my media efforts, I helped to secure national exposure in Fortune Magazine, BusinessWeek, Latina Magazine, Essence Magazine, as well as profiles on CNN En Espanol, and New York 1 News (regional). 2."Help Us to Get Major Media Attention When Our World Famous Fleet Pulls Into New York Harbor on Its Last Leg of Circumventing the World." Client: Volvo Ocean Race As a consultant, I oversaw media in New York City for the world's most prestigious state-of-the-art ocean race: The Volvo Ocean Race. They hired me to maximize their PR efforts in the New York metropolitan market when their ships stopped at the port of call. In addition to helping to organize a massive press conference, I also booked the Captains of the boats on two major national talk shows (Fox & Friends and CBS The Early Show) in addition to soliciting press in all major NY dailies, weeklies and on the nightly news shows. 3."We need media exposure for our new Safety Concept Car in seven major markets!" Client: Volvo Cars North America Volvo's futuristic concept car was packed with high-tech safety features like a sensor that "reads" the driver's eye-level and optimally adjusts the seat, pedals and controls; video cameras embedded in the door mirrors that alert the driver to approaching cars in the "blind spot;" and a headlight system that adapts to road conditions and uses infrared technology to improve nighttime vision. My team at CooperKatz optimized coverage of the car, which was only in the U.S. for two weeks, by developing a creative theme for the tour, "The Art and Science of Safety," and then booking highly "mediable" venues to complement the theme
In all seven markets, local affiliates of CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and WB broadcast the story. Leading newspapers like The Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times also featured the Safety Concept Car. In addition, the Associated Press, Wired Magazine, The Industry Standard, Tech TV, CBS Marketwatch, CNET television and CBS radio provided national coverage. The B-roll distribution resulted in 227 airings and over 16 million audience impressions. 3. "Help us raise Americans' awareness of the benefits of a "fishy" Consumer Product Client: Triomega brand Omega3 Dietary Supplement In my role as Vice President, Media Services for a large NYC public relations firm, I helped Norway's Pronova Biocare — the world leader in the production of marine omega-3s — introduce its Triomega brand supplements to the U.S. market.
On launch day, my colleagues and I enlisted 40 classically dressed "newsboys," who took to the streets of Manhattan to distribute The Omegazette, a newspaper "supplement" heralding the arrival of Triomega in the U.S. In addition, CK released a VNR and B-roll package touting the benefits of omega-3s supplementation, followed by a satellite media tour featuring nutritionist to the stars, Alfred Krautgartner. To sustain media coverage, we conducted a national survey on America's fish eating habits, incorporating the results into media materials and a matte release. Results of the campaign include widespread local print and television coverage, as well as national broadcast "hits" on CNN "Daybreak" and FOX NewsChannel. In addition, the launch garnered extensive radio coverage, including health programs such as Aware Talk Radio, Your Health Matters and The Dr. Weary Health Show. 4. "Help us re-launch our reformulated beverage in the highly competitive sports drink category." Client: Coca-Cola's PowerAde Vitamin-infused sports drink In my role as Vice-President, Media Services for CooperKatz & Company, I helped the Coca-Cola Company re-launch PowerAde, a vitamin-infused sports and energy drink, by publicizing a fun-filled event in Manhattan's Union Square.
The launch media results included national hits on CNN, CNNfn and Fox & Friends. Local segments included Good Day New York!, WPIX's The Morning Show and stories in 20 additional markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Washington, Miami and Cincinnati.
Client: Virgin Mobile, USA I assisted my team at CooperKatz in securing local and national media consumer coverage for Virgin Mobile, USA as it ramped up to debut its new national wireless service. We first orchestrated a business-focused launch in late June, followed by a consumer-focused launch in late July. This two-phase approach heralded the U.S. arrival of the Virgin Mobile brand not just to the wireless industry and business community, but to the entire country. 6. "Help us encourage more Americans to embrace a fuel-efficient, eco-friendly and fun mode of stylish transportation." Client: Vespa
7. "Help us build awareness of our home furnishings e-commerce site during the critical end-of-year shopping period." Client: Homepoint.com
8. "Help Us Raise Funds for Two Cancer Care Organizations on Both Sides of the Atlantic By Organizing a Mass Event on the streets of NYC" Client: Gilda's Club Worldwide and Marie Curie Cancer Care
9. "Help Us Promote the Annual Family Television Awards in Beverly Hills" Client: The Association of National Advertisers
10. "Help us take Mood Enhancement to the Masses" Client: Reckitt Benckiser's Air Wick brand air fresheners
11."Help us generate national awareness for the role that our digital imaging technology plays in helping to recover missing children." Client: Canon USA In my role as Vice President, Media Services, for a top NYC-based PR firm, I worked with Canon, U.S.A. to highlight the company's long-time relationship with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Canon's partnership with the nonprofit organization has helped to recover more than 44 missing kids. Activities included generating local and national media interest in the Canon Celebrity Golf Challenge, an annual event that takes place just prior to the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas. The 2002 event drew a host of television personalities who participated, including TV personality John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted" and "The John Walsh Show." To elevate the issue onto the national media scene, I developed a "Tip Sheet" and a B-roll package showing parents how to take digital photos of their children that could be distributed to law enforcement officials quickly and easily in the event of an abduction. The B-roll package included interviews with Walsh and Canon executives, as well as bi-lingual interviews with members of the Las Vegas Police Department, which received an equipment donation as part of the campaign. I also wrote and help film a public service announcement (PSA) featuring Walsh that encourages parents to photograph their children regularly for this purpose. The PSA continues to air nationally on television. Contact: Andrea Martone, 917.929.0527 (mobile) 516.944.9764 (office) andrea@intuitivevision.com |
To
maximize human interest and visual appeal, I invited school children
to the venues to learn about auto safety from Volvo's experts.
And to reach beyond the six markets, we created B-roll and distributed
it to TV stations nationwide. I also traveled on site to all the
cities we visited (eight in all) and oversaw all local interviews
with media.
Targeting a broad range of media, my strategy was to distribute an announcement
release and introductory press kit to health and lifestyle editors at magazines
and newspapers, as well as television and radio producers nationwide. Select
media also received an attention-grabbing creative delivery featuring the Triomega
product.
A nationally-known body airbrush artist and her team were flown in from the
midwest to NYC and used their skills to airbrush PowerAde graphics from head
to toe on
30 male and female models and two world-class strongmen. The event drew nearly
a thousand spectators who enjoyed samples of the new PowerAde distributed by
the painted models and watched the strongmen participate in a "PowerAde
Pull" where they tested their strength by pulling two PowerAde-painted tractor
trailers. Pre-publicity for the event began the morning of the Union Square event
with studio interviews with the strongmen, models and airbrush artist on Fox & Friends
and Good Day, NY! The hosts of the programs invited the public to Union Square
to see the "PowerAde Pull" and other activities sponsored by Coca-Cola.
5. "Help us launch the nation's first wireless service provider designed
exclusively around the needs of the youth market."
The Italian manufacturer of the iconic Vespa motor
scooters, wanted to launch the company's new LX line of scooters,
in anticipation of Vespa's
60th anniversary. I helped to develop – and oversaw the PR campaign
that included a "Vesparade" of classic and new Vespa models in New
York City to generate media attention and consumer buzz, test drives for automotive
reporters, appearances on top morning shows and national B-roll distribution.
I helped to plan and execute the four-month,
36-city Bunker Bob Y2K Tour Across America, sponsored by HomePoint.com.
This special event comprised a 50-foot glass house on wheels – beautifully
furnished by HomePoint.com – with a live character (Bunker
Bob) traveling inside and "searching for the ideal place to ‘bunker
down' in the new millennium." In each city we visited,
we held a unique special event and invited the public to attend,
distributing promotional material, prizes and giveaways. The Tour
garnered massive television, radio and print coverage and resulted
in significant incremental HomePoint.com site traffic and registrations.
Following
the 9/11 attacks, I helped organize the world's largest bagpipe
parade in New York City called The Tunes of Glory, and secured
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sean Connery to be the Grand Marshals
(wearing
kilts!). The parade drew 9,000 pipers and drummers from 26 countries
and every U.S. state. The parade organizers and some of the marchers
were featured on every news show in the tri-state area, as well
as appearances on three national morning shows to promote the event. 
To promote the goals of the Family Friendly Programming Forum, a
group of 46 major marketers who are part of the Association of National
Advertisers, I helped organize the nation's first "red
carpet" awards that honors the best family friendly shows aired
on the networks that families can watch together during prime time
hours. This is our seventh year of honoring shows, actors and producers
who star in hit series.
In
my role as Vice President, Media Services, for a top NYC-based PR
firm, I helped Reckitt Benckiser's Air Wick brand air fresheners
introduce the first line of essential oil electrical air fresheners
available in mass retail outlets. Our agency converted a 32-foot
luxury RV into a home environment, complete with a "home spa," and drove right to the publications' doorsteps. Editors each
joined us for a one-on-one introduction to the product and a personalized,
sensory experience — a spa treatment by an aromatherapist,
complete with the scent of the Air Wick's Scented Oil. In addition
to the print editors who enjoyed the experience, the on-air hosts
of FOX NewsChannel's morning show FOX & Friends cablecast
a live remote from the vehicle.