odwyers-magazine-july-2014

PROFILES OF TRAVEL & TOURISM PR FIRMS
success is the satisfaction of our
clients, the longevity of our client
relationships, and the recognition
we’ve received from industry
influencers and clients alike for
delivering high-quality, substantive
work.
FRENCH/WEST/
VAUGHAN
112 East Hargett St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
919/832-6300
www.fwv-us.com
Rick French, Chairman & CEO
David Gwyn, President / Principal
Natalie Best, Executive Vice
President / Director of Client
Services / Principal
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is
the Southeast’s leading public relations,
public affairs and brand communications
agency, independent
or otherwise. Founded in April
1997 by Agency Chairman & CEO
Rick French, FWV now employs
89 research, public relations, public
affairs, advertising and digital marketing
experts among its Raleigh,
N.C. headquarters and New York
City, Dallas, Los Angeles and
Tampa offices.
FWV’s dedicated travel and
tourism practice, ranked as the #12
firm for Travel and Tourism PR by
O’Dwyer’s, boasts extensive destination
marketing experience, specializing
in lifestyle and leisure
marketing and public relations.
Current travel and tourism industry
clients include the Dude Ranchers’
Association, the Wilmington and
Beaches CVB (N.C.), Carolina
Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville
Beach, and Tweetsie Railroad —
North Carolina’s Oldest Theme
Park. In addition, FWV has worked
with Divi Resorts and its nine
Caribbean properties, and co-operative
destination marketing with
each of the tourism organizations
for Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, St.
Croix (U.S.V.I. Dept. of Tourism)
and St. Maarten; Gatlinburg, Tenn.;
Cabarrus County, N.C. — home to
NASCAR’s Lowe’s Motor
Speedway; Oakland County,
Mich.; Branson, Mo.; the Old
Salem Moravian Village in N.C.;
the Greater Raleigh CVB; and
America’s Historic Triangle, located
in Williamsburg, Va.
In addition to its portfolio of
travel and tourism clients, FWV
works with many of the world’s
leading companies and brands,
including international utility
provider ABB, Saft Batteries,
Wrangler, Justin Brands, Melitta
Coffee, Moe’s Southwest Grill
restaurants, the International
Gemological Institute (IGI) and
Hood River Distillers. The
agency’s fully integrated creative
and digital team provides awardwinning
advertising, graphic
design and digital and social media
services for a wide range of clients.
GRAHAM &
ASSOCIATES
111 Maiden Lane, Ste. #650
San Francisco, CA 94108
415/986-7212
Fax: 415/986-7216
PR@graham-associates.com
www.graham-associates.com
Graham & Associates is
renowned for award-winning
expertise in strategic national and
international PR, communications,
branding and social media
programs for travel and hospitality,
and consumer lifestyle clients.
The agency also has established
expertise working with companies
with an environmental and
socially responsible focus.
Founded in 1996, the agency is
known for its successful launches,
relaunches and highly creative
and results-driven campaigns.
Graham & Associates has a successful
track record with hallmark
and emerging companies
and properties, including Cavallo
Point, Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji
Islands Resort, Post Ranch Inn,
El Capitan Canyon, Evergreen
Lodge, Wyndham Worldwide,
and more.
Graham is recognized in the
industry with more than 80 top
national PR awards including
Stevie’s Best Communication
Campaign, North America;
PRSA’s Silver Anvil; a Special
Creativity Award from the
International Public Relations
Association (all in tourism); and
the Magellan “Best Agency
Communications Campaign
Worldwide.” Graham operates
throughout Europe via Plexus, an
exclusive organization of agencies
it co-founded.
JGAPEPPERCOMM
470 Park Ave. South, 4th Flr. North
New York, NY 10016
212/931-6185
jgordon@peppercomm.com
www.jgapeppercomm.com
Ed Moed, Managing Partner &
Co-Founder
The Dude Ranchers’ Association (DRA), a non-profit representing 95
dude ranches across North America, engaged FWV to increase
awareness of dude ranches and encourage consideration of the
Western U.S. as a vacation option through an earned media campaign.
Janine Gordon, President
Maggie O’Neill, Partner &
Managing Director
JGAPeppercomm is the luxury
and lifestyle specialty team
within Peppercomm, an awardwinning,
independently owned
19-year-old integrated marketing
communications agency
headquartered in New York,
with offices in San Francisco
and London.
Our approach marries fully
integrated marketing strategy
with high-touch service and
depth of experience in the travel,
tourism, hospitality and luxury
lifestyle categories. With
clients ranging from developers
of choice real estate to worldclass
hotels, four-star destination
resorts and more, our team
of experts has the know-how
and passion to build and nurture
brands. We’ve partnered multimillion
dollar residential properties
with the jets that get you
there, educated UHNWI regarding
the finer points of travel and
counseled some of the world’s
leading financial and consulting
groups on the relationship
among lifestyle, leisure and
investment.
The key to success, we
believe, is to understand premium
brand values. We craft compelling
stories based upon a thorough
appreciation of your brand’s attributes.
Our approach is focused on
“outside-in” thinking: strategy and
execution that let clients envision
— and realize — the potential of
connecting with their target audiences
more effectively and more
meaningfully than ever before.
We listen to our clients’ needs
and to those of their stakeholders.
By putting ourselves at the table
with your customers, we are able to
fully engage and build powerful
connections with them — where
they live, work, play, shop and
0Continued on page 26
ADVERTISING SECTION 3 JULY 2014 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 25