How PR fits into the marketing mix?

During an online Trades Learning Center Event held in May, Georgi Bohrod Gordon, RRP, and I swapped ‘war stories’ and thoughts about how PR fits into the timeshare industry. We also chatted a little about how we’re using it in our businesses – she as head of an award-winning strategic planning, marketing and public relations company, GBG & Associates; and me when it comes to publishing the only monthly print publication in the timeshare industry, as well as our digital properties.

Georgi told how she had just started working for a PR and advertising agency in Del Mar and was very content. The only problem was that the three owners would meet behind closed doors every Friday to yell and scream at each other, after which they’d come out, and hand employees their weekly paychecks. This went on for about six months. I imagine everyone got pretty accustomed to the weekly fight until one Friday. This time when they emerged from the Friday meeting they gave each person a check for two weeks’ pay and said they were closing the firm!

Poor Georgi! She was helping support a baby and a husband in law school; she really needed a job! Fortunately, a woman down the hall told her that Winner’s Circle Resorts was looking for a marketing “gal.” Georgi interviewed with Jim Watkins, got the job, and immediately went home to have a big sobbing fit for hours. How was she going to get the courage to confess to her parents that she was going to work in the timeshare industry?

In my case, I had graduated from American University in Washington, DC. The only industries in DC were – and still are – government and trade associations for the most part. I took the association route and wound up as Membership Director of ARDA (or ARRDA at the time). Long story short: I first wrote for Resort Trades beginning in 1997. At one time, I had tried to negotiate a deal to buy the magazine from its founder, Tim Wilson, but he decided against selling it. Years later, after Tim and I married, I took over as publisher while Tim focused on his retirement community development. These days I joke that although I was unable to buy the magazine, I acquired it the ‘hard way”!

Throughout the online chat, Georgi and I tossed around thoughts on how professionals in the timeshare industry – those who operate resorts, as well as those businesses that provide goods and services – can best include PR in their marketing mix. Georgi reminded viewers of the importance of knowing exactly what their message is and how best to define their goal. “What do you wish to communicate and who do you hope to speak to?” One tip she shared was for companies to fill their website with information, including an “about” page to share photos and bios of your staff. This helps encourage resort visitors, media, and other stakeholders to feel you’re authentic.

Georgi asked about Resort Trades’ use of print and broadcasting to reach resort professionals. I explained we have a 30-year history of sending a print edition of our monthly magazine to virtually every resort professional in the industry. In both print and online, we have a substantial directory listing of businesses supplying goods and services to resorts. Added to all this is our Resort Trades Weekly, which is emailed to a substantial subscriber base. Weekly is an e-publication that shares the latest news releases we’ve received, as well as original feature articles.

Most recently, we launched a weekly free webinar series in May of last year and invited speakers to appear at no charge in free “Lunch Bunch” events. Our idea was to offer a ‘brown bag lunch’ 30-minute get-away: “Grab a sandwich and listen to one of your peers.” We began our online event initiative at the beginning of COVID. With so many working from home or worse yet, not working at all, we felt it almost a public service to help connect us all. Topics for the Trades Lunch Bunch events are meant to be of general interest to timeshare resort professionals. Even now as we continue to expand and improve the Resort Trades Learning Center, we still feel we are contributing to the improvement and connectivity of our community.

In addition, I explained that we recently introduced the ability for vendors to purchase a “Showcase.” For a nominal fee, we provide them with a platform to specifically discuss their products and services and describe their companies. We promote the showcases, both prior to and after the event. Plus, we are available to help them craft an interview, slideshow, and rehearsals for what can be used as a virtual brochure that they can then circulate to prospects and clients and which will have the third-party credibility of The Trades Publishing Company.

We have been able to host two Showcases since the launch of this product. The first of these featured the president of Vacation Innovations, Bryan Rand. Go to https://www.youtube.com/resorttrades. We were greatly impressed with the aggressive growth plans Bryan discussed for the company.

Another Showcase held in May featured Jordan Beckner, president of Fiberbuilt Umbrellas & Cushions. Jordan was able to share the trends they’re currently seeing. His company is seeing pent-up demand for shade products.

PR and marketing – whether using traditional print or today’s online tools – as Georgi said, “It’s all about communication.” And while there are more tools than ever today, it goes back to ‘old-time’ PR: marketers still need to make sure they create the right messaging for the right listeners.