As the founder and sole business owner of my San Francisco-based PR firm and, nearing retirement, I had to find a way to transition with an eye toward continued and future relevance. When Fineman PR was acquired by Phoenix, Arizona, based, Off Madison Ave in 2020, I had three goals to accomplish — an advantageous landing spot for my incredible public relations team, a haven and continuing leverage for my agency’s brand name, and total trust in the buyer’s good will and nurturing team environment. As I review this past year, I know that I scored well on all accounts.

For 32 years, I sought to maintain a high reputation for being an honest broker of information and counsel. We all know that nothing good comes easy. That effort included building a smart, capable, talented, and intuitive team of public relations professionals. A special shout out here to my two savvy Vice Presidents and 20+ year veterans of the firm, Heidi White and Lorna Bush.

With most of my long-term staff having started with me early in their careers, even as interns, I was able to bring them along with a regard for integrity, journalistic values and perspectives, and an understanding of the principles of our public relations work. Fineman PR was not a press release factory, nor were we order takers. Our mission was to help our clients understand and meet the expectations of their marketplace and their audiences.

Of course, we had to maintain financial health, even through the throes of multiple economic disasters. Including the “dot com bust” of the early 2000s and, of course, helping our clients weather their own challenging, industry-wide storms along the way. Let’s not forget the communications transitions from fax to email to text and Siri, or from VHS to Tivo to streaming and how those developments impacted conducting business. Of course, change is constant, but retiring meant I would need a transition to take our agency into the future with strong footing and a competitive edge.

In walked Off Madison Ave and its dealmaker and one of two founding partners, David Anderson, a one-time White House staffer and Chair of the global Entrepreneur’s Organization. David and I share many similarities, including a passion for our people, curiosity about client business and a dedication to substance and honesty in a profession often dominated by spin.

With my goals satisfied, our acquisition by Off Madison Ave gives us so much more in terms of capabilities, in-house design, digital marketing, advertising, and creative services. That means we now offer a full 360-degree marketing communications solution for all our clients. It gives Off Madison Ave a serious bench of public relations specialists and troubleshooters to round out their own offerings.

Our mutual clients and industry thought leaders across CPG, food and beverage, travel and tourism, government, education, and healthcare, are now reaping the collective years of experience, strategy, and success of those who are among the public relations and marketing professions’ finest minds. Our partnership brings together experts in behavior design (David’s brilliant partner and agency glue, Roger Hurni), creative and marketing strategy (operational wizard Sasha Howell) and well-armed media buying and media services teams now collaborating as one team for all agency clients. We remain as nimble and resourceful as ever, guided by the substantive approach for which Fineman PR is recognized.

The timing made sense, too. As the lines between paid, sponsored and earned media intersect more than ever, we, too, have a deeper bench of in-house experts at the ready to provide counsel for the most effective strategies across all channels.

Not least, the wellness-focused company culture at Off Madison Ave, offered me and my team a welcoming camaraderie of human resources and comprehensive systems to take our business further for employees and clients. This was a peg I could easily hang my hat on.

And, the legacy I built lives on and thrives, for which I am so grateful.

The post With Great Pride appeared first on Fineman PR.

When I started my public relations agency in the late eighties, I was determined to further define Public Relations and make it a more powerful and recognized tool in the marketing mix. There was no such thing as social media; fax machines and networked computers were what we thought of as high tech, and we used actual tablets and notebooks made of paper for notes. To say the least, we were less automated by today’s standards but still “smart,” just without smart devices.

For me, back then, defining PR for a wildly competitive marketplace meant developing a dynamic publicity machine, based on memorable, entertaining, and, perhaps, provocative story lines that showcased the values of my clients’ brands. As a brand marketing tool, my public relations methodology was, at its core, trust-building communications for the brand promise. It was to be ethical, attention-getting and crisp. At the same time, I knew there was so much more to public relations than just publicity. As we became more and more successful, clients began giving us more than one-dimensional work.

I fulfilled my vision with message-driven, national news for my clients, and so was born “Brand PR.” I coined that term to show that public relations could make a brand promise so viscerally meaningful – in language, stories, experiences and messages – that other factors (price, for example) lose relevance. In the decades to come, Fineman PR also earned national recognition for its 17-year running of the widely published “Top Ten PR Blunders of the Year” to comically demonstrate the public relations impact of an organization’s every word and action. We also developed the PANTCHEK crisis principals (don’t get caught with your pants down in a watershed moment).

Twenty years in, a new age was upon us, an age of videos, social media, clever digital graphics, significantly shorter attention spans and an exponential surge of online media outlets, citizen journalists and web-based forums.  We upped our game to build that side of the business as client needs and demands continued to evolve.

Over the years, the caliber of Fineman PR’s clients and our results on their behalf have been the source of tremendous pride that continues to this day. From representing the two distinguished Napa Valley wineries that, 20 years previously, put California’s wine industry on the map (beating their French competitors in the 1976 Paris Blind Tasting), to creating memorable Brand PR programs for countless consumer packaged goods and natural foods brands; to coordinating major client events all the way to the White House; and supporting crisis clients around the clock in their most dire moments to do the right thing by their customers, employees and communities. We handled a few colorful and sometimes bizarre high-profile issues that most people wouldn’t believe unless you were in the room with us. At the core, we are known for bringing discretion and fresh thinking to each unique public relations challenge. As anyone who has worked with me will tell you, at Fineman PR, “spin” is a forbidden four-letter word.

Last year, I met David Anderson, co-founder and co-CEO of a highly competent and visionary digital agency based in Phoenix: Off Madison Ave. Besides being like-minded about our areas of expertise and our mutually dry senses of humor, and with David’s agency based on the solid principles of behavior design and digital communications, Off Madison Ave specialized in areas that we sought growth. In turn, David and his founding partner Roger Hurni valued our substantive approach to public relations, our reputation for quality work, our crisis communications expertise, and our 30-year track record. We knew fairly quickly there was a match, the kismet I mentioned in my opening paragraph.

Off Madison Ave’s acquisition of Fineman PR became official November 1^st. Even amid the challenges and changes of 2020, our teams have melded (via Zoom) with high energy, creative sparks and excellent rapport. The two teams are surprisingly similar in temperament, complementary in our skills and strengths, and each appreciative of the capabilities we all bring to the party. I look forward to the next chapter of smart, creative growth and continued excellence. Many thanks to David, Off Madison Ave co-founder Roger Hurni and to my own team as we embark on this new adventure. I am, as always, grateful to my many friends in the business and valued clients who have been part of our journey and look forward to reconnecting as a member of the Off Madison Ave team.

The post It Happened in 2020, and it was Good appeared first on Fineman PR.

The initiative, a $33 million bond authorized by school district voters in June of 2018 to convert an abandoned high school campus in Daly City to 100 apartment units for educators, will help the district retain quality employees in a market where median rent prices for one home – $4,150 – have exceeded starting salary rates.

“(Dale) Scott, the school district financial adviser, has spoken with about a dozen districts already that have expressed interest in putting bonds for teacher housing before voters — and not just in pricey locales like the Peninsula,” per the Politico piece. “At a recent California School Boards Association workshop on the topic, Scott asked how many attendees were from beyond the Bay Area, and (Scott) estimates it was one-third to half of the room.”

The story was the result of a communications campaign Fineman PR launched for Dale Scott & Company when Bond Buyer named the housing measure the winner of its Small Issuer Deal of the Year November 2018. In doing so, the measure was placed among six finalists for the Deal of the Year award.

The awards are given each year by the publication to acknowledge innovations in municipal finance benefitting public projects. Previous winners recognized Kaiser Permanente and the San Diego Unified School District for record breaking sales and transactions that prompted industry change.

In all, the campaign promoting the November 2018 nomination generated about 35 million unique impressions for Dale Scott & Company in just under two weeks. Fineman PR provided strategic counsel focused on capturing momentum from the Bond Buyer announcement for a public relations campaign. Efforts aimed at connecting with contacts familiar with the company and reporters focused on local and regional housing issues.

Within days of outreach, Fineman PR played an instrumental role in a 1,000-word feature about the housing measure on the front page of the San Jose Mercury News.  

The piece was critical in securing coverage in Politico. It attracted California Editor Kevin Yamamura, who cited the San Jose publication in his interview requests. The editor interviewed contacts from Dale Scott & Company and the Jefferson Union High School District before citing the measure as a possible answer to issues with teacher retention as the lead to a 2,000-word roundup.

 “The key to convincing voters, (Scott) said, is to emphasize how much affordable housing for teachers can affect the community by retaining good teachers and staff,” per the piece. “High housing prices force many educators to communities far beyond the expensive enclaves, and it’s only a matter of time before long commutes prompt them to seek work elsewhere.”

To support comprehensive outreach campaigns, Fineman PR provides expertise in strategic planning, content development, media relations and training.

The post Politico Highlights Fineman PR Client Impacting Affordable Teacher Housing appeared first on Fineman PR.

This past year at Fineman PR was marked by the onboarding of new and diverse clients and partnerships. Our work included the planning and content development for startup distilleries, driving the continuing rise in popularity for the San Francisco Marathon, expanding our work in the public sector with two leading-edge public agencies, productizing our media training offering, increasing growth in our healthcare practice, and forming significant new alliances.

Strategic Partnership with Hearst Corporation-backed 46Mile

For the last year-and-a-half, Fineman PR has partnered with the Hearst-backed 46Mile, a full-service marketing and advertising agency, to develop integrated campaigns for clients including Meritage Medical Network, Leading Age California, Loch & Union Distilling, and C-5 Children’s School, among others. Our two agencies develop business together, both independently and as a cohesive, integrated communications unit, and there is discussion on new and enhanced ways of working together for greater client solutions. Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy: 46Mile

Public Sector

Fineman PR is working with the San Francisco Department of the Environment on several initiatives that continue to position San Francisco as a global leader of the green movement. Additionally, along with our partner, D&A Communications, we are providing media relations strategy and counsel to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for the inauguration of the highly anticipated, new Salesforce Transit Center & Salesforce Park. D&A is a top-notch San Francisco public affairs firm specializing in the areas of infrastructure, public health, transportation, environment and community revitalization, and our joint efforts offer clients a powerful combo.

Photo courtesy: Pelli Architects

San Francisco Marathon

The 2017 San Francisco Marathon celebrated its 40^th anniversary. The race sold out at record pace – two months ahead of schedule. We generated a 70 percent increase in media impressions over 2016 with expanded coverage by Bay Area media outlets and in major national media including the New York Times, Bleacher Report and MSN. The San Francisco Marathon was also named by ESPN among the “World’s Best Marathons.”  

Photo courtesy: The San Francisco Marathon

Foster Farms

Our promotional, crisis management and issues management work remained steady for longtime client, West Coast poultry producer Foster Farms. Our team initiated influencer marketer campaigns with fitness and lifestyle bloggers to promote Foster Farms’ Organic turkey products. We were grateful to help support our client’s wildfire relief efforts in Santa Rosa and surrounding Northern California communities as well as in Ventura following the devastating Southern California wildfires.

Our work to promote the company’s partnership with West Coast food banks – and longstanding holiday turkey donations program – resulted in a 69 percent jump in broadcast news coverage over 2016 that helped raise awareness of food insecurity from Seattle to San Diego. Finally, we wrapped up the year at Levi’s Stadium for the Foster Farms Bowl, a game dedicated to fighting hunger, pitting the Purdue Boilermakers against the Arizona Wildcats.

Photo courtesy: Foster Farms

Dunkin’ Donuts

In 2017, we continued work with Dunkin’ Donuts to support the brand’s introduction and expansion in Northern California with new restaurants throughout the region. Last year, we successfully hosted four grand opening celebrations in South San Francisco, Fremont, Santa Cruz, and Hanford, the brand’s first location in the Central Valley.

In each market, we worked with the local business community, government leaders and charities – all hyperlocal – to promote Dunkin’s commitment to the area. In addition, we supported regional promotion of national initiatives, including Free Donut Friday, Freeze the Day with $1K, National Coffee Day, and National Donut Day.

Photo courtesy: Dunkin’ Donuts

HNTB

HNTB, a national infrastructure solutions firm, experienced a year of wins in 2017, both for its projects as well as its leadership team. HNTB Northern California District Leader Darlene Gee was recognized as Woman of the Year by Women’s Transportation Seminar, a non-profit dedicated to advancing women in transportation, and one of its local project managers received coverage as a rising star in the rail industry.

A major project win, the BART Warm Springs/South Fremont Station, received praise across the Bay Area for its innovative design. HNTB was consistently cited among top-tier regional and trade media, including San Francisco Business Times, Progressive Railroading, ENR California, Mass Transit Magazine, Silicon Valley Business Journal and Curbed, for its growing role as an industry thought leader with experts who are shaping the discussion around infrastructure solutions in the Bay Area.

Photo courtesy: HNTB

Wine Practice

Quintessa, was again featured in Wine Spectator’s biennial Napa issue as a must-visit winery. Napa Valley’s Faust celebrated its 13th anniversary vintage by partnering with noted graffiti artist, known only as “Faust,” from New York City. Faust’s limited release 2015 vintage magnum features the tag which graffiti artist Faust uses internationally.

For Materra І Cunat Family Vineyards, Fineman PR planned and executed a successful 10-year-anniversary media event at the winery which showcased the brand’s range of estate merlots. We also conducted several media training sessions for wineries, including Rodney Strong Vineyards.

Additionally, we continued to assist with crisis and issues management preparedness for Wine Institute, the advocate for California wine and more than 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses.

HealthRIGHT 360

In our third year with HealthRIGHT 360, one of California’s largest community health care providers, we helped mark significant milestones, including a merger with San Francisco-based Women’s Community Clinic and the opening of the organization’s new headquarters and outpatient clinic, the Integrated Care Center. We also created the organization’s first outdoor marketing campaign with the City’s public transit system. Among the year’s big media wins was a national NPR story, a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed, and a New York Times – California Today story. 

Photo courtesy: Drew Altizer Photography

With 2018 underway, the agency is seeing continued growth with new clients and expanded projects for existing clients. We have made several new agency hires, increased our digital and marketing capabilities internally, and look forward to providing the trusted, strategic counsel our clients have come to expect from Fineman PR.

The post Fineman PR State-Of-The-Agency, 2017 appeared first on Fineman PR.

Today, I am looking back at 2016 to pause and reflect. Many of us understand that the rapid pace and flow of business often hinders consideration of where we’ve been and lessons we’ve learned. For our current and potential clients, I believe it serves to review the comprehensive communications services we offer via representations of what we achieved in 2016.

Dale Scott & Company

It was a banner year in 2016 for voter-approved ballot measures providing crucial funding for California school districts. Dale Scott & Company, an independent financial advisor to California K-12 and community college districts, takes a win-win approach to improving schools while protecting taxpayers. We provided communications support to help inform residents of more than 15 districts about the bonds through extensive media coverage and public communications. The bonds were all overwhelmingly supported by voters.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts is world famous for its freshly brewed coffee and wide selection of food offerings, but, surprisingly, it had no presence in the Bay Area until last year. Brought on to introduce this blue-chip brand to Northern California, Fineman PR successfully hosted three grand openings to throngs of crowds and media, some of the latter just as excited as the guests. The ribbon-cutting ceremonies featured mayors, city council members and other local dignitaries to welcome the brand to each community. In ongoing work, we support holiday promotions, including National Coffee Day and National Donut Day with a strong social media presence.

eHarmony Español

Over the last 16 years, eHarmony has become the go-to site for singles looking for lasting and fulfilling relationships, but its general market strength did not extend to Latinos. Mosaico, Fineman PR’s multicultural division, developed a survey of Latinos’ dating behaviors and considerations to promote eHarmony Español, its Spanish-language site. The survey gained favorable broadcast and print coverage in top Latino markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Chicago. We also leveraged a key finding of the survey to develop a satirical “psychic” character, Juanito Talismán, for social media, which resonated with the belief of one-in-five Latinos that superstitions can help them find true love, a playful contrast with eHarmony’s science-based approach.

Foster Farms

The agency launched a highly-targeted lifestyle and food influencer marketing program, on behalf of Foster Farms, dedicated to redefining comfort food for West Coast consumers. The New Comfort Food campaign inspired fresh recipe and visual content from culinary and lifestyle insiders and earned more than 148 million impressions. The program included a Pinterest data partnership, a consumer survey discussed in Parade Magazine and analytical measurement for targeted, focused marketing outreach.

• The brand’s organic and antibiotic-free fresh chicken products were highlighted as staple ingredients for family meals.
• The brand was reinforced as fresh, relevant and in-tune with today’s consumers and trends.
• The New Comfort Food theme resonated with West Coast food and lifestyle influencers in authentic blog and social media posts.
• Compelling imagery and fresh content continue to generate engagement with customized recipes championing Foster Farms values and product quality.
• We broke through to food news influencers who hadn’t previously engaged with Foster Farms.

Fineman PR also expanded Foster Farms’ CSR program and the company’s dedication to feeding local families through expanded partnerships with West Coast food banks.

Foster Farms, 2016 Processor of the Year

Fineman PR successfully advocated for a cover story recognizing Foster Farms as the U.S. meat and poultry industry’s 2016 Processor of the Year for its advances and leadership in water conservancy during California’s epic drought; for becoming the largest producer of organic and antibiotic-free poultry on the West Coast; for rapidly expanding distribution of its frozen and pre-cooked poultry into national markets; and for the consistent excellence of the company’s comprehensive food safety program.

Foster Farms Bowl

As an extension of our work for Foster Farms, our team highlighted the West Coast brand’s offerings to a national audience in the NCAA-official Post Season Foster Farms Bowl game. This year, the Indiana Hoosiers faced the Utes of University of Utah at Levi’s Stadium. To highlight the Northern-California roots of the brand, our team devised a national anthem competition in the weeks leading up to the big play. The 2016 Bowl game kicked off to the tune of a talented Northern California student and singer who won the second annual “Oh Say Can You Sing” contest. As part of the contest prize, Foster Farms donated holiday meals to a Bay Area hunger-relief organization in the winning singer’s name.

Girl Scouts of Northern California

The local council serves a diverse membership of 49,000 girls and more than 32,000 adult volunteers in a 19-county area from Gilroy to the Oregon border. In addition to promoting digital cookie 2.0 with news development and media sampling for cookie season, Fineman PR identified opportunities council-wide to advance the positive community and individual impact of the organization’s programs.  Regional broadcast, print and online feature coverage included stories and interviews for National Young Women of Distinction and Gold Award recipients, the 100-year proclamation in Sacramento with the state’s female legislatures, and the annual Golden Gate Bridging event.

SACRAMENTO, CA – JUNE 23: California Girl Scout Gold Award recipients look onto the Assembly floor during a proclamation recognizing the award’s 100th anniversary on June 23, 2016 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Girl Scouts)

HNTB

Peyton Manning’s career-capping championship at Super Bowl 50 drew significant media attention last February, but HNTB’s innovative design of Levi’s Stadium earned its share of the spotlight. Amid the ubiquitous Super Bowl buzz, Fineman PR tapped into the conversation from an architectural design perspective to secure widespread national media coverage for HNTB. Highlights included features in the Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Post, ESPN, and more, making it one of the most successful PR campaigns in HNTB’s 100+ year history.

Photo courtesy of Jim Simmons

Habitat Horticulture at the SFMOMA

The S.F.-based living wall design firm was commissioned as part of the SFMOMA’s grand redesign. In collaboration with the museum, Fineman PR worked to raise Habitat’s profile and distinguish designer David Brenner’s singular approach. The wall, with breathtaking artistic features, is the largest living wall in the United States. Feature coverage included The San Francisco Business Times, Fast Company, Curbed, Inhabitat, Architect Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and Silicon Valley Magazine, with additional branded exposure in the New York Times, Vogue, Forbes, Bloomberg and Wired.

HealthRIGHT 360

Fineman PR continued to support the marketing and development team for one of California’s largest community healthcare providers, originating from the merger of the historic Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic and Walden House.  Executing on media strategy, expert positioning/thought leadership, event promotion, and collateral development, we secured regional and national features on critical programs and mergers underscoring the organization’s expanding influence. We also continued to promote its breakthrough Capital Campaign project.

IPREX Annual World Meeting Host

Last May, Fineman PR hosted our industry partners at the annual IPREX conference in San Francisco. IPREX is an international network of independent Public Relations firms with 1,800 staff and 115 offices worldwide working across the spectrum of industry sectors and practice disciplines. The conference had a record turnout of members from all over the world – Australia, Finland, Ireland, Prague, Berlin, Mexico City, Belgium, Dubai, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Paris, and, of course, from leading agencies throughout the U.S.

Materra Ɩ Cunat Family Vineyards

Materra Ɩ Cunat Family Vineyards has one of the newest winemaking and hospitality facilities in Napa Valley and engaged Fineman PR to build brand awareness and drive guest traffic. The agency brought a steady stream of wine media to the property and is developing the brand’s 10^th anniversary event.

Quintessa in Napa Valley

In our fourth year with Quintessa, we continued to generate top-tier wine coverage, highlighting the outstanding estate wine and unforgettable guest experience. Coverage included Conde Nast Traveler, Travel Channel, the San Francisco Chronicle’s best-of-wine country guide and an Associated Press exclusive harvest story that ran in dozens of major metropolitan newspapers and electronic news sites.

Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey

Though Feld Entertainment recently discontinued its universally known circus franchise after a 100-year run due to high operating costs and a changing entertainment model, the company turned to Fineman PR in 2016 for breakout publicity in the Bay Area, a traditionally difficult market for the national touring brand. The Bay Area venue reimagined the circus experience for the 21^st century with its “Out of This World” show. In turn, Fineman PR exceeded expectations for feature coverage and brand-positive tone. It was exciting, and they will be missed.

Ritter Center

Fineman PR was called upon to help address a threat to the continuing operation of a Marin County mainstay and nonprofit organization, one that provided critical resources for homeless and low-income residents. We moved quickly to garner support through a grassroots digital campaign and editorial message development to advocate for what resulted in a successful outcome for the organization.

San Francisco Marathon

The 2016 race hosted the largest number of participants in the Marathon’s history, attracting runners from 67 countries and all 50 states. In our third year of working with the Marathon, we continued to generate momentum for its development via international media attention. Our Spanish-speaking staff worked closely with the ESPN Latin America crew to develop a feature on a local Latina runner. Our analytics team also worked closely with the S.F. Chronicle’s interactive division to develop a special report with data visualization.

The San Francisco Chronicle analyzed data from the San Francisco Marathon’s official results from July 31 for more than 8,000 registered racers, plus the individual runs of nearly 900 people who uploaded the details of their GPS-tracked races to Strava, the San Francisco-based running and cycling social network.

Sonoma County Vintners

The agency assisted the Sonoma County Vintners with a community outreach program, called Community Connection, to address the challenges of increasing numbers of visitors to the region. Member wineries pledged cooperation to controls set by use and event permits, a compliance officer position was created to monitor events at the winery venues, and the SCV expanded its best practices member education.

Wine Institute

Wine Institute, an advocate for California wine and more than 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses, engaged Fineman PR for a crisis preparedness and issues management initiative. As the project continues, we are equipping the organization to prepare for crisis risks to the California wine industry and expanding the Institute’s expert resource pool to address challenging and highly technical industry issues.

The post State of the Agency 2016 appeared first on Fineman PR.

IPREX provides a channel for member agencies to share knowledge, experiences and expertise. Our involvement allows us to extend our network beyond our geographic headquarters so that we are equipped with an arsenal of global resources, including personnel, to serve our clients’ needs across the country and around the globe. Thanks to IPREX, we can provide access to even the most complex international markets and industries. From trends to sales numbers, IPREX gives us insights and ideas that help inform the strategies and approaches we offer our clients.

We meet with our partner agencies several times a year to continue an ongoing dialogue about our industry. We discuss regional and global public relations trends and best practices to broaden our horizons and enable us to better serve our clients. This priceless exchange of information opens the door to a world of opportunities.

The Paris conference was intended for agency account people to help promote staff education and build leadership skills. Our meeting room was abuzz with a palpable electricity that emerged from the conflation of distinct voices, accents and perspectives. From Estonia to Australia, communications professionals face similar challenges and opportunities, yet may have different ways of approaching them. Having a discussion with my international peers about PR approaches, strategies and responses was enlightening and integral to realizing the importance of diversity – on a broad spectrum – for successful communications programs.

As communications professionals, we seek to reach a range of audiences depending on our clients’ brand identities and business objectives. We are tasked with understanding our audiences so that we can develop appropriate, impactful strategies. To reach an audience is to genuinely and authentically understand those we are targeting.

Working with agencies from all over the world offers important lessons in cultural diversity – a value we prioritize at Fineman PR. Communicating – and resonating – with multicultural audiences demands a deep knowledge of cultural values and identity, and IPREX helps to expand the cross-cultural strengths and consumer insights of our own diverse and multiculturally-savvy staff.

Currently, 51 brands turn to more than one IPREX partner for their PR needs. The collaborative relationships we’ve forged with one another allow us to serve our clients strategically and efficiently. When we join forces with other agencies, we work together under one umbrella with a common purpose. The result is a deep bench of expertise and global perspective that strengthens our agency and equips it with the tools needed to best serve our clients.

The post How IPREX educates, elevates and empowers Fineman PR appeared first on Fineman PR.

An independent website, in operation since 2015, eHarmony Español has experienced significant growth in users. The company is now ready to expand further into the pool of Hispanic singles. Mosaico will develop a strategic approach to communicate the brand’s benefits on a national scale with a strong focus on the top Hispanic markets in the U.S. The program will leverage the dating nuances of Latino culture to better communicate the many benefits eHarmony Español offers and show how these align with Latino cultural traditions and values.

“We are delighted to be working with such an iconic brand and industry leader,” said Mosaico Senior Director Juan F. Lezama. “We believe our work with eHarmony will grow the website’s user base and help generate awareness of the benefits that eHarmony offers to the U.S. Spanish-speaking population.”

“We are eager to work with Mosaico,” said Harmony Espanol’s Senior Product Manager Francine Nicholson “We selected Mosaico because of its comprehensive understanding of the Hispanic market and its culturally relevant strategies that will convey our brand’s promise to Latino consumers. We are enthusiastic about helping more people find love and fulfillment through our unique, scientific approach.”

About Mosaico PR

Mosaico PR combines the insights of a Latino communications and marketing agency with the substantive, wide-ranging brand and issues savvy for which parent company Fineman PR is recognized in the general market. Since 2005, Mosaico has led highly successful Brand PR, crisis and issues management programs for clients that exceed expectations and resonate with Latino communities. For more information visit www.mosaico-pr.com.

About eHarmony

eHarmony, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is a pioneer in using relationship science to match singles seeking long-term relationships. Its service presents users with compatible matches based on key dimensions of personality that are scientifically proven to predict highly successful long-term relationships. New peer-reviewed research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) ranks eHarmony as number one for producing the most marriages and the most satisfied marriages. Of all meeting places measured, eHarmony also had the lowest divorce rate.* On average, 438 people marry every day in the U.S. as a result of being matched on eHarmony, nearly 4 percent of new marriages. Currently, eHarmony operates online matchmaking services in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

*2012 survey conducted for eHarmony by Harris Interactive^®.

(Covered in MediaPost and Bulldog Reporter).

The post Mosaico PR Lands eHarmony Español appeared first on Fineman PR.

As examples, I’ve managed media-only golf course previews with golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller and promoted Warren Miller ski films with Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley and World Champion Darren Rahlves. Through publicizing events, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several San Francisco Giants players and Manager Bruce Bochy, as well as Grammy Award and Oscar winner Lionel Ritchie.

In specializing in culinary and wine clients, I’ve worked with acclaimed chefs including Thomas Keller and Ken Frank and celebrated winemakers Philippe Melka and Heidi Peterson Barrett, the first winemaker for Napa Valley cult wine Screaming Eagle.

While it’s personally and professionally thrilling to meet and work with famous individuals and leaders in their respective fields, it’s also gratifying to work with those who may be on their way to the top, perhaps even contributing to their rise to prominence.

Chef Roy Choi pioneered the food truck movement in Los Angeles, a trend that has now literally swept the entire country. You can’t walk a block in Portland without running into a food truck. You can say the same about Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and New York City. I worked with Roy when he was the chef at the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Resort. Who knew he would go on to be named one of the top 10 “Best New Chefs” of 2010 by Food and Wine magazine, the first food truck operator to win that distinction.

Now, Fineman PR has the privilege of meeting nine-year-old James Savage. Earlier this year, James completed the three-mile swim from San Francisco Aquatic Park to Alcatraz in a little more than two hours, becoming the youngest person to accomplish this feat.

Working with our client, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Out of This World, we’ve invited James to be the honorary “Space Fleet Launch Captain” to lead the countdown for tonight’s performance at the SAP Center in San Jose. James’ role with performance has been covered by the Associated Press and he was live, in-studio this morning, on the popular drive-time radio show Sarah & Vinnie.

Will James continue his swimming career and go on to further achievements? Maybe he’ll be the next Michael Phelps, and we can say we knew him when.

The post Before They Were Famous appeared first on Fineman PR.

America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods plans to expand in California with the opening of more than 300 restaurants over the next several years with a long-term statewide goal of 1,000 restaurants. Fineman PR will provide local market support for the opening of new restaurants and establishing a stronger Dunkin’ Donuts brand presence from Fresno north to the border with Oregon, including the San Francisco Bay Area. Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first Bay Area restaurant in Walnut Creek on June 22, 2016.

“We look forward to working with Dunkin’ Donuts as it expands into our backyard,” said Michael Fineman, agency president. “We see tremendous potential to build on Dunkin’ Donuts’ reputation as one of the world’s leading baked goods and coffee chains.”

“We’re delighted to be working with Fineman PR,” said Amy Atkins, field marketing manager for Dunkin’ Donuts. “We selected them out of a highly competitive field for their thorough familiarity both with the distinctive Northern California and Central Valley markets, and with the food and beverage industry.”

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About Fineman PR

Fineman PR is an award-winning, full service public relations agency specializing in Brand PR, multicultural communications, community relations and crisis communications. The agency works in a variety of industries that include food and beverage, consumer package goods, health care, construction and education. Fineman PR is a partner of IPREX, a global network of communication agencies. The agency reaches diverse audiences with its multicultural division, Mosaico, helping to facilitate ethnic community communications and culturally relevant events for general market clients. For more information, visit www.FinemanPR.com.

About Dunkin’ Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories in the U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 10 years running in the U.S. The company has more than 11,800 restaurants in 44 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

The post Fineman PR Lands Dunkin’ Donuts for Northern and Central California appeared first on Fineman PR.

It’s award season in the PR industry, and we are proud to update you on recognition for Fineman PR’s work over the past year.

The best news first: our agency is honored to receive a Media Relations award from the prominent PR industry outlet Bulldog Reporter. Fineman PR won “Best Campaign Under $50,000” in the Bulldog Bronze category for our work with HNTB – lead designer of the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium. This will be Fineman PR’s third Bulldog Award in two years.

Earlier this month, we told you about becoming a Holmes Report 2016 Sabre Awards, North America finalist. We’re also a finalist for Ragan’s PR Daily Media Relations Awards 2016 in the category of Brand Messaging or Positioning for our Foster Farms Raises National Thanksgiving Turkey Fit for a President(ial Pardon) campaign.

It takes a village to run a successful campaign, and from producing events to digital/social impact, we are so proud of our teams’ work for masterful execution on these stellar projects.

The post Fineman PR Wins 2016 Bulldog Award appeared first on Fineman PR.