HomeMy WebLinkAbout02. Q1 PR Report 25 - MYPR
April 10, 2025
TO: Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council
FROM: Kristin Yantis & Amanda McNally, MYPR
CC: Mia Vlaar & Liz Gladitsch, Town of Vail
RE: Q1 Public Relations Report
Agency Support
The first quarter typically focuses on developing media materials for the year, initial media
outreach, scheduling in-market media visits, setting up partnerships with local hotels, events
and other businesses as well as beginning outreach for media visits. We also work closely with
Sylvia Rivera in Mexico to develop Q2 plans for launching summer efforts. Following are sample
tactics in support of Discover Vail in the non-winter months.
• One of our key tactics in 2025 is to develop quarterly media tipsheets to share new and
noteworthy happenings with media. We queried community partners for the Q1 media
tipsheet, but unfortunately, did not receive any usable content. Instead, we turned this
opportunity into a summer media tipsheet.
• Confirmed sponsorship with the fall 2025 Travel Classics West event.
• Confirmed the date for our Front Range summer media kickoff dinner.
• Secured dates and started planning for our New York media mission in March.
• Set up calls with various PR partners that represent hotels and events such as The
Hythe, Bravo!, Vail Dance, Vail Craft Beer Classic and GoPro Mountain Games to
discuss how to best partner with one another in 2025.
• Secured participation in May satellite media tour with travel professional Jeanenne
Tournatore.
• Continue to follow up with Bon Appetit regarding possible social media opportunity tied
to Sweet Basil’s cocktail program.
• Ongoing content updates on the DiscoverVail.com media center.
• Pitched summer content to long lead media outlets.
• Participated in several strategic planning conversations for the influencer program with
TOV staff and Miles. Recommendations for the 2025 program are included in the April
packet.
• Tightened up plans for the 2025 Mexico strategy including a media buy, May in-market
events and summer press/influencer trips.
• Started media, influencer and blogger outreach to secure visits this summer/fall.
• Met with select Front Range media to discuss summer 2025 story opportunities.
• Client management including monthly VLMDAC meetings, partner meetings, PR one-on-
ones with Town of Vail staff, etc.
New York Media Mission
Following is a brief recap of our New York media mission in March. Key metrics from the
mission include:
• Two media dinners and individual appointments
• Met with more than 25 writers over three days
• Media representing outlets such as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AFAR,
Forbes.com, Fodors, New York Post, Points Guys, Ski, Bon Appetit, Smithsonian,
PopSugar, WPIX TV New York, Unofficial Networks, Gear Patrol, Business Insider,
Sherman’s Travel, Organic Spa, Yahoo, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report,
USAToday 10Best.com and more.
• Media leads from mission:
o Exploring four summer visits with media who attended our events.
o Two stories confirmed - National Geographic and Unofficial Networks
For the media gift, MYPR identified that it’s the Golden Bear’s 50th anniversary. We purchased
Golden Bear mule mugs and worked with Sweet Basil to develop a mule recipe, which provided
us with the opportunity to tie the media gift back to the destination’s Michelin accolades.
Sample photos from the New York events available in the addendum of this report.
Q1 Media Coverage
KPIs
• Secure at least a dozen stories that include DiscoverVail.com.
o Q1 KPI Update: 0
• Secure at least three dozen stories in outlets noted in our target list. (Please note these
are MYPR specific placements – not other content secured by partners such as Bravo!,
Mountain Games, etc.)
o Q1 KPI Update: 4
Comp Set Coverage
We monitor against our comp set to gauge Vail’s performance versus Aspen and Breckenridge.
Please note that, historically, the first quarter of the year garners less summer coverage with the
majority of stories running April to September. Links to media coverage reports for all three
destinations are noted below.
Vail Coverage Report Breckenridge Coverage Report Aspen Coverage Report
As a reminder, the Vail report goes into greater detail with reach, key message coverage and
top markets for coverage – all items we’ve previously tracked. We do not track for this level of
detail in the other comp set reports.
• Aspen
o Summer event previews including Food & Wine.
o Hotel coverage.
• Breckenridge
o Several stories covering Breckenridge as a great small town to visit in Colorado.
o New hotel coverage.
• Vail
o Majority of coverage was for events.
o Some hotel and meetings coverage of the destination.
Vail Sample Media Placements
• Westword – February 4, 2025
Headline/Link: Top Denver Italian Restaurant, Food Hall Expand to Vail
Note: Result of MYPR having drinks with writer Abigail Bliss in Denver.
• Texas Monthly – March 6, 2025
Headline/Link: I Tried Hiking With a Llama. It Was Way Better Than Hiking with a Human
Note: Result of MYPR pitching and hosting writer Pam LeBlanc in fall 2024.
• 5280 – December 11, 2024
Headline/Link: 9 Ski Town Spa Treatments to Try This Winter
Note: Result of MYPR’s long-standing relationship with writer Laura Beausire. This story
ran in December but we included it because it did not make it into a 2024 report. We
wanted the board to see that from time-to-time, MYPR secures winter stories to support
the destination.
Media, Blogger & Influencer Visits
Still confirming and populating visits.
Awards & Accolades
MYPR continues to track, and where appropriate submit/pitch, key destination and hotel
awards.
• U.S. News & World Report Best Hotels in Vail 2025
o No. 1 – Sonnenalp
o No. 4 – Grand Hyatt Vail
o No. 5 – Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail
o No. 6 – The Sebastian – Vail
o No. 8 – Manor Vail
o No. 9 – The Arrabelle at Vail Square
o No. 10 – The Hythe
• U.S. News & World Report Best Hotels in Colorado 2025
o No. 4 – Sonnenalp
o No. 10 – Grand Hyatt Vail
o No. 20 – Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail
Focus for Q2
Following are priority tactics for Q2.
• Continue to pitch summer messages to target outlets.
• Secure and host summer PR Partners Meeting.
• Finalize content for the May “Kickoff to Summer” satellite media tour.
• Organize and host summer Front Range media dinner on April 29.
• Finalize influencer selections for 2025 and contract, book travel and manage
deliverables.
• Finalize blogger visits for summer 2025 and contract (where appropriate), book travel
and manage deliverables.
• Continue individual outreach for summer and fall media visits.
• Organize and host summer media visits.
• Work with Mexico PR partner Sylvia Rivera to finalize components of the summer
marketing/PR effort including the May events in Mexico, media buy, June
influencer/media visits, etc.
• Continually meet with partners to discuss how to support summer/fall media efforts.
Upon review, please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Photos from New York Events