HomeMy WebLinkAbout12. Malin Yantis PR Report through 2017-01-31
February 9, 2017
TO: Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council
FROM: Kristin Yantis and Melissa Delekta, MYPR
CC: Kelli McDonald, Town of Vail
RE: January 2017 Public Relations Report
The main focus for December and January was the annual New York media mission. In December, the
agency tightened up content for NYC media materials, secured media appointments, made arrangments
with dinner locations, etc. The agency also finalized arrangements for the Feb. 23 media event in Chicago.
The Chicago location was secured, save the date invitation developed and distributed, and initial follow ups
were conducted.
New York Media Mission
Kelli McDonald, Kristin Yantis and Sally Gunter traveled to NYC Jan. 8-11 for media visits. The group had
appointments with 45 writers scheduled for their 2.5 days in the city. The trip included two dinners, a lunch
and numerous one-on-one appointments. Overall, the trip was incredibly successful with a number of leads
for summer 2017 resulting from the trip. Messaging that resnoated with writers includes:
• Hiking with llamas
• The upcoming opening of Hotel Talisa
• The unique programming offered at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences
• Epic Discovery
We also found that publications aimed at different personas were interested in different story angles. Here
are a few examples:
• Cosmopolitan (Active Professional) – interest in Kardashian visit, how their reader can travel like a
celebrity.
• Esquire (Active Boomers & Professionals) – accessible travel, conversational currency.
• Family Circle & Family Fun (Dynamic Families) – keeping kids moving, affordable travel, ease of
travel, multi-generation travel.
• Martha Stewart Weddings (Active Professionals) – bachelorette getaways, destination weddings.
Appointments were secured with the following journalists.
1. Esquire Magazine – Kevin Sintumuang (Culture & Lifestyle Director)
2. Freelance – George Hobica (USA Today, Fox News, The Huffington Post, AirFareWatchDog, etc.)
3. Cosmopolitan Magazine – Julie Vadnal (Senior Editor)
4. Freelance/Influencer – Trishna Patel (TrishList.com, LA Times, etc.)
5. Freelance – Laurie Werner (Forbes.com and others)
6. Freelance – Erik Trinidad (The Huffington Post, Discovery.com, Food Network, National
Geographic Traveler, etc.)
7. Freelance – Margie Goldsmith (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Travel + Leisure, etc.)
8. American Spa – Heather Mikesell (Executive Editor)
9. Freelance – Bruce Northam (USA Today, The Huffington Post, National Geographic Traveler, etc.)
10. Travels With Val – Valerie D’Elia (Founder)
11. The Knot – Rachel Sylvester (Associate Editor)
12. Freelance – Sheryl Nance-Nash (US News & World Report, Orbits, etc.)
13. Freelance – Jennifer Tzeses (Architectural Digest, Parade, Martha Stewart Living, Health, etc.)
14. Travel + Leisure – Adeline Duff (Editorial Assistant)
15. Travel + Leisure – John Scarpinato (Editorial Assistant)
16. Freelance – Katie Jackson (Fox News, US News & World Report, etc.)
17. Freelance – Sherrie Nachman – (Forbes, The Huffington Post, etc.)
18. Freelance Editor – Jill Fergus (AAA Northeast)
19. InStyle – Lindsay Dolak (Editorial Assistant)
20. Self.com – Meg Lappe (Associate Editor)
21. Freelance – Marcy MacDonald (JohnnyJet.com, New York Post, etc.)
22. Men’s Journal – Ryan Krogh (Senior Editor)
23. Condé Nast Traveler – Andrea Whittle (Assistant Editor)
24. BRIDES – Katie James (Associate Editor)
25. Freelance – Clint Brownfield (Reader’s Digest, About.com, Honeymoons, etc.)
26. Hemispheres – Nick DeRenzo (Senior Editor)
27. Rhapsody – Justin Goldman (Managing Editor)
28. Departures Magazine – Rachel Hurn (Associate Editor)
29. Sherman’s Travel – Laura Motta (Director of Publishing)
30. Fodor’s Travel – Margaret Kelly (Senior Editor)
31. Freelance – Adam Robb (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Saveur, T Magazine, Departures,
Travel + Leisure, etc.)
32. Freelance – Jennifer Cunningham (AM New York, NY Daily News)
33. Travel Weekly – Johanna Jainchill (News Editor)
34. Macaroni Kid – Joyce Schulman (CEO and Co-Founder)
35. Freelance – Jay Cheshes (Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Departures, etc.)
36. Freelance – Sheri de Borchgrave (Wine & Dine and Spirits columnist, C&G Media Group)
37. Shape – Lisa Loverro (Managing Editor)
38. Freelance – Charu Suri (New York Times, etc.)
39. US News & World Report – Elizabeth Weiss (Travel Editor)
40. Freelance – Elisabeth Vincentelli (CNN Travel, NY Post, NYT, Arrive, etc.)
41. FamilyCircle Magazine – Kaitlyn Pirie (Associate Health Editor)
42. Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine – Leigh Crandall (Senior Editor)
43. Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine – Brooke Porter-Katz (Senior Editor)
44. FamilyFun Magazine – Shannon Bauer (Assistant Editor)
45. Budget Travel – Robert Firpo-Cappiello (Editor)
As you can see, we had a good mix of in-house editors and freelance writers.
Sample Media Placements
Each month we will provide the VLMDAC with highlight clips. The agency also will provide the VLMDAC
with more comprehensive, analytic reports on a quarterly basis. As expected, there wasn’t a lot of summer
coverage in January, however, following are a few items generated by local partners.
• Wire Release – January 2017
Headline: Vail Dance Festival Kicks-Off 2017 Season on July 29
Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb14016906.htm
Note: This story was picked up by more than 25 online outlets.
• Brides – January 2017
Headline: It Was All About Alpine Romance at This Elevated Wedding in Vail, Colorado
Link: http://www.brides.com/story/black-tie-vail-colorado-wedding-ideas-kt-merry
Note: This story includes more than 30 photos showcasing the town and mountian. The actual
article includes lenghtly descriptions of why this couple thinks that summer in Vail is the ideal
wedding destination.
Focus for February
• Contiunue follow up on all NYC media appointments.
• Pitch Chicago writers for in-market trip at end of the month.
• Prepare all materials for the event and host media in Chicago on February 23.
• Continue to tighten up “what’s new” message for summer 2017.
• Begin outreach for summer press trips.
• Distribute general invite for summer, one-on-one media visits.