Public Relations

Intro to Travel and Tourism PR: Part Two by Kelly Ryan

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This week, the PR New Pros blog is excited to delve deeper into the world of travel and tourism with the second part of our “Intro to Travel and Tourism PR” series.  We already discovered the day-to-day life of a seasoned PR professional in the travel industry with Diane Centeno, APR, the director of marketing for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment in part one. Now we continue with a specific look at the role of the Convention and Visitors Bureau with Kelly Ryan, communications and tourism coordinator at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau.

As young PR professionals, I think it is safe to say that a great majority of us enjoy talking, writing and traveling – though not necessarily in that order.  For me, it’s actually the reverse order. 

When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life (a big question, indeed), my parents advised me to think about the things that made me the most happy, and then build a career around those things.   Interspersed between family and friends, the Green Bay Packers, a well-executed cookout and hammock naps, I came to realize that the time that I was truly happiest was when I was traveling.  I came to find out there are jobs that combine travel with writing (and some talking).  Enter my role at the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).

If you aren’t sure what a CVB is, you’re not alone.  The mission at my office is similar to many CVBs throughout the country—to stimulate economic growth by marketing a destination as a convention and visitor destination.  Essentially, my bureau promotes tourism from both the leisure side (you and I) and the convention side (PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference).  Today, many CVBs are becoming referred to as Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), a term that perhaps better describes our function.

While many CVBs/DMOs have a similar mission, all operate in a unique capacity.  Some are contracted by the city, some are supported by lodgers tax, some have members or partners (businesses that pay or trade membership to be promoted), some have gigantic budgets, some have a one-person staff, etc. As you can imagine, a CVB operating in a city like Las Vegas would have many more resources available to it than a smaller destination like Eau Claire, Wisconsin (hometown shout out – go Blugolds!).

From a PR capacity, depending on the type of bureau you are at, you will have a unique role.  In Albuquerque, I work on a seven-person communications and marketing team that essentially acts as an in-house agency supporting over 900 partner businesses.   This team handles everything from social media for the destination to PR, marketing, advertising, group tour relations, communications and design.  We serve as an extension of our partner businesses’ marketing arm, not a substitution for it. To simplify explaining how PR works in my office, I will highlight the three things that take up most of our time: 

General PR Efforts

In my role, I support our communications and tourism manager in day-to-day PR and media relations efforts.  I pitch stories, write press releases, keep current on local and national news, work with partner businesses and local conventions on PR efforts, monitor our clipping service, work with writers, update website content, etc.  One thing I don’t do?  Bill my hours.  Maybe you like doing that.  I appreciate not having to.

One thing I really like about working at a CVB is that most of the news that we deal with is positive.  A new restaurant opening, a baby seal born at the zoo or a convention coming to town.  Other than in disaster circumstances, most of the news that we deal with is not necessarily breaking news.  This is not to say that things are slow at the office.  We have 900 partners to keep in mind. 

Imagine trying to keep track of 900 clients.  Exactly. 

Press Tours

Our bureau contracts with a public relations firm that specializes in media marketing for travel and tourism industry clients.  While we host journalists and media outside of these press tours, a lot of time and effort goes into planning several major press tours each year.  Albuquerque is unique in that it really offers something for many different audiences.  We have great food, many outdoor recreation opportunities, wonderful weather, an infusion of Hispanic and Native American culture and many more offerings that attract travel and lifestyle media to the area.  There is still a lot left to be discovered by the mainstream media about New Mexico as a whole, so we feel lucky to be promoting this area.   

Social Media

Follow us! Fan us! Love us!  We will reciprocate.  Social media ends up taking a good portion of the day. 

Of course there are other responsibilities that we have from a PR standpoint, but just like everyone else, those responsibilities change on a day-to-day basis.  I feel it fitting to end this post with a quote by Caskie Stinnett that nicely ties tourism with public relations: “I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” 

Isn’t that the truth?

Kelly RyanKelly Ryan, communications and tourism coordinator at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an avid Badger and Packer fan, serving as the president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association for New Mexico.  She is an active member of SouthWest Writers and is involved in her local PRSA chapter.  In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing sports and spending time with her Little Sister (Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program).  Kelly was recently recognized as one of Destination Marketing Association International’s “30 Under 30.”  Follow her on Twitter.

Intro to Travel and Tourism PR: Part One by Diane Centeno, APR

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The U.S. Travel Association states that travel and tourism is a $759 billion industry responsible for one out of every nine jobs in the country.  PRSA offers a Travel and Tourism Section completely dedicated to PR professionals working in travel and hospitality organizations.  The industry offers an array of opportunities, from tourism offices to restaurants, cruise lines to airlines and PR agencies specializing in tourism communications.  With a projected decrease in the unemployment rate in the tourism industry in 2011, why not consider a PR career in travel and tourism?  This week, the PR New Pros blog is excited to look further into the world of travel and tourism through the eyes of two seasoned PR professionals—first a general portrayal of PR in travel and tourism with Diane Centeno, APR, the director of marketing for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, and then a deeper look into the role of the Convention and Visitor Bureau with Kelly Ryan, communications & tourism coordinator at the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Start your summer off right with the first part of our “Intro to Travel and Tourism PR” series with Diane Centeno, APR!

Taking a line from Kenny Chesney’s song “Summertime” couldn’t be more appropriate this time of year.  “Summertime is finally here, that old ballpark, man, is back in gear.”   However, ballparks are not the only thing back in gear.  Summertime signals the peak of vacation travel for millions of individuals and families in the United States.  From transportation industries like airlines and rail travel, to hotels and resorts, amusement parks and beaches, the travel and tourism industry is back in gear, rebounding as the economic downturn finally starts to show signs of waning and consumer confidence returns.

In addition to rebounding growth, the U.S. Travel Association recently unveiled a plan to create 1.3 million jobs in the industry and add $859 billion to the U.S. economy by 2020 in an effort to solidify the appeal of the United States as a tourist destination for world travelers.  The time has never been better to explore a public relations career working in the travel and tourism industry.  It is an excellent professional path that offers opportunity, challenges and the excitement of working for and with world-class destinations and brands.

I have been employed in the travel and tourism industry for the past 11 years working for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.  While I started my career in healthcare marketing and public relations, which was an incredibly satisfying experience, when a job opportunity for SeaWorld opened, I could not resist the idea of working for a top-notch theme park that had an amazing brand to proactively promote and communicate to moms and families.  I have been able to build relationships with key broadcast, newsprint and magazine outlets across the United States, dive into social media strategies, work with global communication agencies to promote our brands in key markets like the United Kingdom, Brazil and South America, formed partnerships with area Convention & Visitors Bureaus in Virginia and Florida, traveled for competitive research (always fun to visit another tourist attraction in the name of work) and hosted thousands of media personnel at our parks.  While I have ridden roller coasters with reporters to show them our new attractions first hand, toured celebrities and publicized their visits to our parks and traveled with animals for in-studio TV appearances, I have also been able to develop expertise in the areas of public affairs and employee communications in my ever-expanding roles.

As a new public relations practitioner, you may be interested in what types of PR activities you would participate in while working for the travel and tourism industry.  You can expect to cover a range of marketing communications, crisis/public affairs communications and employee communications to provide you with a broad range of skills and scope of practice.  Promotion of your industry, destination and new products allows a practitioner to develop and diversify skills for integrated marketing communications through traditional media channels as well as consumer-centric social platforms.  Industry regulation, safety and legislative initiatives regarding travel allow the new public relations practitioner to become adept at proactive, and sometimes reactive, public affairs communications.  And with more than 7.3 million employed in the tourism sector in the United States, depending upon your role in the organization, you may also have employee communication opportunities that will help further diversify your capabilities as a strong, well-rounded practitioner.

 The travel and tourism industry has allowed me to expand my professional experiences, and I continue to be passionate about my career.  Maintaining membership in PRSA and becoming accredited have also allowed me to build networks that have helped me professionally, as well as create friendships personally.  PRSA membership allows new practitioners to network with seasoned professionals and uncover opportunities in all industries, including travel and tourism.  There are usually a number of internships, as well as entry-level positions available, especially at this time of year, to explore job opportunities and determine whether your career path will be one following the road of travel.

Diane CentenoDiane Centeno, APR, is the director of marketing overseeing advertising, brand development and media strategies for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment working closely with the Busch Gardens and Sesame Place brands.  She began her career at SeaWorld a decade ago as the communications manager for Busch Gardens and Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va., and was promoted to senior communications manager for SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando, Fla.

Summer Book Club–June: UnMarketing

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Returning this year to the PRSA New Pros Blog is the Summer Book Club.  Thanks to all who tweeted and voted, the Summer Book Club has its first PR read for June—UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. by Scott Stratten!  So visit your local bookstore, download it onto your Kindle or borrow it from a friend, but get your copy today and start reading.

Discussion surrounding UnMarketing starts the first week of July.  Check back with the PRSA New Pros blog, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to join in the conversation.

Here’s what amazon.com has to say about UnMarketing:

From one of the leading experts in viral and social marketing-market your business effectively to today’s customers

For generations, marketing has been hypocritical. We’ve been taught to market to others in ways we hate being marketed to (cold-calling, flyers, ads, etc.). So why do we still keep trying the same stale marketing moves?

UnMarketing shows you how to unlearn the old ways and consistently attract and engage the right customers. You’ll stop just pushing out your message and praying that it sticks somewhere. Potential and current customers want to be listened to, validated, and have a platform to be heard-especially online. With UnMarketing, you’ll create such a relationship with your customers, and make yourself the logical choice for their needs.

  • Shows how to create a mindset and systems to roll out a new, 21st century marketing approach
  • Marketing expert Scott Stratten focuses on a Pull & Stay method (pulling your market towards you and staying/engaging with them, leading them to naturally choose you for their needs) rather than Push & Pray
  • Redefines marketing as all points of engagement between a company and its customers, not just a single boxed-in activity

Traditional marketing methods are leading to diminishing returns and disaffected customers. The answer? Stop marketing, start UnMarketing!

New Pros: What are you hoping to learn from this book?  What specific topics would you like to see in our discussion?

Whether you are spending your summer laying on the beach or traveling for business, make sure you bring along your copy of UnMarketing!

The Dos and Don’ts of Building a Media Contact List by Noelle Pennyman

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

More than likely, you’ve dabbled in the art of building media contact lists. If you haven’t yet, this post will serve as a brief introduction because creating lists is a very common practice in public relations.

A media contact list is the foundation of any media relations campaign. For a campaign to be successful, your list must be targeted to the publications, staff and audience that will help your client or company achieve its goals.

The first step to creating a list is determining the audience of the initiative. Is it moms or foodies? Business professionals or frequent travelers? After you identify the audience, you can then target the most appropriate outlets, editors, reporters and producers.

Many industry experts will say you need to conduct extensive research such as reading every article by each media representative that you will be pitching. Although ideal, there may not be enough time to do that kind of thorough research. However, it is always important to make sure you’re selecting the appropriate people and fortunately, PR professionals have tools available to help this process.

Paid services such as Vocus, Cision and BurrellesLuce maintain media databases for communications professionals. You can also do your own research with Google and on each outlet’s websites. Fortunately, most publications, especially larger ones, typically maintain updated websites.

Below are some dos and don’ts to create an effective media contact list:

  • DO work with your company or client to determine a list of criteria in choosing the most appropriate contacts.
  • DO make sure your list is up to date. With a fluctuating industry, media contacts change positions, publications and coverage topics constantly.
  • DON’T have an overload of people from the same publications. There is no set number of contacts to have from each outlet (sometimes, this is determined by your company or superior). However, you don’t want to waste efforts by targeting six people at the same publication (especially if they’re sitting across from each other).
  • DO ask around. If you have colleagues who have pitched these publications in the past, ask them for any information as to the best people to target (if applicable), tips on how to pitch them or any new people.
  • DO create a detailed list. Include publication, contact’s first and last name, specification on the contact’s gender (for gender-neutral names), phone number, email address, position title and publication description.

Like with anything, the more lists you build, the more experienced you become. You will begin to learn which contacts and outlets are the best to target. At any experience level, remember that thoroughness, accuracy and effectiveness are key.

Noelle PennymanNoelle Pennyman
Public Relations Coordinator at thunder::tech

Noelle Pennyman is a public relations coordinator at thunder::tech, an integrated marketing agency located in MidTown Cleveland. As a public relations coordinator, Pennyman works with clients to develop communication strategies and tactics including brand messaging, media relations and social media. Prior to joining the team at thunder::tech, she served as the marketing assistant at Kent State University’s College of Communication and Information and account executive intern at the university’s student public relations agency, Flash Communications. Pennyman received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Kent State University in 2009. She is an active member of the Greater Cleveland chapter of PRSA’s Young Pros group and serves as the membership co-chair of the PRSA New Professionals Executive Committee.

Intro to Military PR by Lt. Colonel Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M

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Ann KnabeIt is hard to believe I have been in military public affairs – the military’s version of PR – for almost two decades. I joined the Air Force Reserve in college and along the way was commissioned as an officer. Just like in the 1990s, today’s public affairs field is very exciting.

What exactly do I do? Right now I am assigned as a Reservist to the Pentagon, serving in a public affairs role with the office of the Secretary of the Air Force – Public Affairs. My immediate role is to support the outreach, opinion and engagement division.

My primary job for the last couple of months has been working on media training for high-level defense and federal officials. I develop training scripts, play the role of reporter and help with scheduling (this is all in addition to my full-time teaching job in Wisconsin). My favorite part of this job is playing the role of a reporter live from a remote location in New York. The trainee cannot see me, so it can be quite challenging. We provide feedback, offer other scenarios and give the trainees a video of everything that occurred. The Air Force has a very comprehensive media training program at the Pentagon – it shares the same tech qualities and capabilities of regular TV.

But PA – as we call public affairs – is not limited to media training. For many years, I served as the director of public affairs at an Air Force wing. I was responsible for community relations (tours, special events, and outreach), internal communications (employee newsletters and related communications), media relations and congressional relations. As a part-time employee, I had a lot of fun and gained exceptional experience. We managed a variety of projects, ranging from military balls to Presidential visits.

More recently, I have been involved in the Reserve’s social media strategy and have supported special projects like Tour for the Troops. In the Tour for the Troops, I executed the social media plan for Air Force Reserve as we flew Kid Rock around to various concerts in the war zone. Now THAT was interesting!

It is also important to note that you do not have to wear the uniform or join the military to do public affairs. The different branches of service have hundreds of opportunities to work as a civilian in PA.  Of course, as a civilian, you are less likely to deploy to remote places.

If I had to identify when my role really transformed, it would be 9/11. Ten years ago, my military job changed significantly, as did the “ops tempo” or rate we were supporting the active duty Air Force. Suddenly, we were helping activated Reservists, managing multiple media requests, honoring returning Airmen and Soldiers and executing other wartime activities in addition to our regular work. I was also activated – or deployed – three times in the last five years. I completed two tours in Southwest Asia, where we have a large base flying daily missions into Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. I served as the Pentagon’s spokesperson for the Guantanamo Bay War Court in my most recent tour. Throughout these experiences, I have made the greatest friends of my life. After sacrificing and facing daily uncertainty with my brothers and sisters in arms, we cannot help but become closer because of the trust needed in a mission. I love this aspect of the military.

I love the Air Force, and cannot say enough positive things about my experience in the Reserve. I have worked in more than 20 different countries, met lifelong friends and mastered tough communication skills. The Reserve has also given me priceless education and extra income. There is room for more public affairs officers and civilians – the military can be a fabulous career.

It is not a piece of cake, though. On those days that seem especially hard or challenging, I always remember this quote: “If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Ann KnabeLt. Colonel Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M, Air Force Reserve Public Affairs Officer

Knabe is a dynamic change-agent in public relations. She believes innovation and progressive thinking are keys to survival in today’s competitive global PR environment. Her 20+ years in military public affairs and international NATO settings leverage her civilian and educational experiences. Knabe is a “relationship-builder,” referring to her extensive work in media relations, internal communications, social media, community relations, international public affairs and congressional relations.