Super Marketing

Tina Matte often hears two misconceptions about her profession-that the biggest requirement for success is being a people person and that it's a glamorous job.

"It just cracks me up what people perceive public relations to be. We're not doing the Samantha Jones thing," says the vice president of Fort Myers firm Gravina, Smith & Matte, referring to Kim Cattrall's high-powered PR executive from Sex and the City.

These days, the region's public relations and marketing professionals are playing a role in advising businesses on how to meet their objectives, as opposed to merely helping them promote attention-grabbing grand openings and swank parties. Matte and others see marketing as the umbrella term for advertising and public relations, both of which feed into the objectives of an organization.

"We've moved somewhat from cranking out news releases and coordinating special events to more of a role of sitting at a table for strategic planning as advisers," says Laurel Smith, also a vice president with Gravina, Smith & Matte.

Just as Southwest Florida's public relations and marketing firms have grown, their function has changed as clients have become larger and more sophisticated. Some still need firms to write press releases or organize events, but the focus has shifted more toward helping businesses articulate their goals, then determining the best way to get results. "They bring us in early; we have some input into the strategic decisions they're making," Matte says.

Whether the goal is increasing exposure, growing a company or handling a crisis, area firms have implemented surefire strategies for businesses and nonprofits. Here are some real-world examples:

AboveWater Public Relations and Marketing and the Marco Island Film Festival

When Cindy Dobyns opened AboveWater Public Relations and Marketing, the Marco Island Film Festival was her first client. The event was in its fourth year, and Dobyns set up a comprehensive communications plan, creating national media contact lists, marketing extensively through the Internet, setting up a national radio promotion, and advertising extensively in print and broadcast media.

Now the event is a regular stop on the independent film festival circuit, attracting filmmakers and movie fans worldwide. Word of Dobyns' success spread, and two years ago, AboveWater was brought in to help another new festival in the region, the Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, held in April.

M.creative and John R. Wood Realtors

Melinda Isley began working with John R. Wood Realtors in 1998, when the company had 200 employees in three offices and more than $700 million in total sales. The goal was to increase exposure for the firm and its agents.

M.creative researched what public relations and marketing tools were being used and which had been overlooked or underutilized at John R. Wood. Then Isley, company president and CEO Phil Wood, and the internal marketing department mapped out an annual plan of newsworthy press releases, feature story ideas and marketing tools to enhance the company's exposure and build its brand. They launched a quarterly newsletter aimed at the estate market. They also accessed local and regional editorial calendars, highlighting opportunities for management and staff to offer source material.

Personalized letters were sent to local, regional and national editors and writers introducing, or re-introducing, the firm and its management. Isley also worked with the management team on internal employee focus groups to provide feedback on the company's past marketing strategies and what the agents hoped to see in future campaigns.

The strategy helped John R. Wood Realtors grow to more than 350 employees, with four offices in Naples and Bonita Springs and three more opening this summer. The firm expects to set a company record with more than $1.8 billion in sales for 2004.

Spiro & Associates and the Florida Everblades

To prepare for its first season, the Florida Everblades wanted to lease 26 private suites to companies and individuals at $25,000 annually for a minimum of three years. Chris Spiro and his company developed a promotional strategy and package, renaming the suites Ice Boxes to enhance their attractiveness. Pucks embedded in triangular pieces of clear Lucite screen-printed with "Own a Slice of the Ice" were packaged in mini-coolers bearing the Everblades logo. The coolers were filled with real ice and also included a four-color eight-page brochure sealed in waterproof plastic.

Youngsters in Florida Everblades jerseys delivered packages to decision-makers at 250 corporate, professional and medical businesses. The young couriers informed the receptionist at each location that the package contained real ice and required immediate attention. The "Slice of the Ice" campaign led to 25 leased boxes for the team's inaugural 1998-1999 season.

WordPlay Inc. and Taste of Collier

Four years ago, Teresa Morgenstern volunteered to handle public relations for the annual Taste of Collier event, marking the first time organizers had someone working with the media. Her plan was to seek coverage in daily newspapers, radio and TV. The event also needed a Web site, a useful tool for participants and attendees, and a nice perk for the event's sponsors.

Morgenstern developed and implemented a PR strategy that involved increased communication between event organizers and participants. She contacted restaurants, reminding them to save the date for the upcoming event, reserve a booth and/or enter the waiter/waitress race. She contacted sponsors and Collier County high school art departments that might be interested in entering the poster contest. Exploritech was secured to create, launch and maintain a Web site in exchange for sponsorship status. The site included all the entry forms, a gallery of past event posters and contact information.

Working with the media, Morgenstern pitched newspapers on pre-event and post-event stories and photos. Four radio stations covered the event onsite, and she developed a prize package for listeners of all four stations. The week of the event, Morgenstern went on the stations' morning shows to talk about Taste of Collier.

As a result, the number of attendees rose to nearly 10,000 and the amount of money raised increased exponentially. The event, now in its 22nd year, has raised more than $600,000 for local charities and art and culinary school scholarships.

Paula Robertson & Associates and FGCU

In February 2000, Florida Gulf Coast University invited area advertising, public relations and special events firms to show how they would approach the debut of an annual fund-raising gala for the school. Paula Robertson & Associates came out on top.

The goal was to establish a dynamic, dramatic pace in the first year, positioning the event as one of Southwest Florida's leading galas and FGCU's major donor recognition and development event while reaching out to the five-county area, says Paula Robertson. In keeping with FGCU's development brochure, which refers to a "Renaissance in Education," it would draw a parallel between the achievements of our time and those of the Renaissance era, while profiling FGCU's educational depth and range and enhancing relationships with current and future supporters.

For the first President's Renaissance Celebration, Robertson worked closely with event co-chairs FGCU president William C. Merwin, his wife, Debra, and Fred and Stephanie Pezeshkan; a steering committee comprising leaders from Collier, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties; and university representatives and students. The firm was involved in all aspects of strategy, planning and implementation, from concept to design to writing and directing the final program.

The President's Renaissance Celebration 2001 drew 460-plus guests from the five-county area and raised more than $520,000 for FGCU that year. It featured a broad palette of dance, music and theater, with students in page costumes, university officials and guests in Renaissance attire, a knight in shining armor and his steed, and "special appearances" by Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Michelangelo and Queen Isabella.

Since then, the event has grown each year, with 650 attending in 2004 and more than $620,000 raised for FGCU.

Hughes McGrath Public Relations and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile

In its plan to create community awareness of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, Hughes McGrath ran the gamut, from advertising, media relations and marketing to community and employee relations, says president Ann Hughes. The goal was to generate interest among volunteers while garnering community support and donations for the program, which provides underserved children with medical and dental screenings and health services, and acts as a point of entry for medical and dental insurance.

Strong communication was key, so Hughes McGrath created a detailed timeline and a list of responsibilities for all involved. Monthly meetings were held to address every detail of the Care Mobile unveiling at Golden Gate Elementary. The firm created public service announcements, newsletters and press releases; spoke with the media; orchestrated a private preview event; and crafted invitations, a mailing list and flyers.

In the end, more than 930,000 people in Southwest Florida heard or read about the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile through the media, and its first-year costs are already covered through sponsorships and donations. The goal is to help 3,000 children in the first year-and as of the end of January, the Care Mobile was well on its way, serving almost 700 children.

Priority Marketing and First Home Builders

During the 2002 holiday season, First Home Builders donated $50,000 in toys for underprivileged children. While the end result touched 300 families, achieving this success was fraught with problems, says Priority Marketing president Teri Hansen. The process was time-consuming for the staff, they had no way of qualifying the families' needs, and there was no concerted public relations effort.