Top Media Relations Wins of the Summer of 2021
By: Paige Liston, Media & Communications Manager
As the summer of 2021 came to a close, I thought it would be perfect to look back on the work Bohlsen Group has done for clients in the PR and media relations space.
Summer is always a busy time in the world of PR, as there seems to be a different event almost every weekend. This summer was particularly busy with organizations finally getting the opportunity to host events, produce campaigns, and launch new products that were previously on hold due to COVID. Here are three of my favorite media relations wins that our team got to work on during the 2021 summer.
1. Seven Corners Travel Insurance – Tips for Travel During 2021
This year was also a very busy time for the travel market. Travelers were finally able to take those long-awaited trips and use flight credits they had saved from 2020. However, many people were still a bit wary due to the unknowns of the pandemic. Seven Corners, a global travel insurance company, acted as a leading voice in the industry by providing thought leadership and advice on the best way to ensure travelers were safe and prepared.
Throughout the summer, we pitched various topics, including why travel insurance should be a vacation staple, tips for taking a summer vacation and travel trends Seven Corners was seeing throughout the pandemic. By quickly reacting to the ever-changing news around travel trends and pitching such a timely topic, we were able to score coverage and quotes for Seven Corners’ president in top-tier publications, including Forbes, USA Today, Reuters, Yahoo! News, The Washington Post and CNBC.
2. The Launch of The Bradley Hotel
In July 2021, The Bradley hotel opened in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in partnership with hotel owner/operator Provenance and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, the co-founder of the iconic women’s fashion label, Vera Bradley. This was such a fun project to work on, as our team was able to stay at the beautiful boutique hotel and promote a trendy new space in the heart of an up-and-coming city.
We pitched Barbara for interviews, discussing how the launch of The Bradley was her gift to the city of Fort Wayne, as well as the team at Provenance and The Bradley. We also coordinated a media tour, giving media members access to the first exclusive tours of the property.
The Bradley is incredibly unique — its designs mirror Barbara’s personal style rather than the more commonly known Vera Bradley patterns, it includes local artists’ work throughout the property, and it features a stunning rooftop bar complete with a firepit and a great view of downtown Fort Wayne. It excited me to be able to promote such a notable addition to the city. We secured over 100 pieces of coverage for the hotel, with segments running throughout the state, including WANE-TV, The Journal Gazette, WPTA and Inside Indiana Business, as well as coverage in hotel trade publications, including Hospitality Design, Hospitality Net and Hotel Business. We are continuing to promote the hotel through the fall, but my next step is to stay there for a weekend!
3. Gleaners No One Runs on Empty Campaign
This May, Gleaners Food Bank teamed up with Andretti Autosport to raise awareness about food insecurity in Indiana and how the public can help for their No One Runs on Empty campaign. Indianapolis 500 driver Marco Andretti drove with the Gleaners’ name and mission on his car as part of the campaign. We were tasked with developing a multi-tactic campaign strategy that included earned media, and we pitched the unique story of Brenda Hamm.
Brenda lives in Speedway, Indiana, and participated in the 500 Spectacle of Homes by decorating her house in race themed décor. This year, she decorated her home in honor of Gleaners, she hosted a virtual food drive, and she donated a portion of her race day parking money to Gleaners. We shared this story with the media, and they loved it. It provided a unique Indianapolis 500 tie-in while promoting a great cause.
We received coverage on every Indianapolis TV station, including WTHR, WRTV, WISH-TV and Fox59, and the segment ran nationally on Yahoo! News.