Public Relations

Overall Efforts

The Bureau continued working with a public relations agency – Development Counsellors International of New York – to assist with the promotion of major events and projects planned for Greater Raleigh. All efforts resulted in more than $1 million of media exposure outside North Carolina.

The DCI program was highlighted by an April New York media mission that featured a dozen media appointments with journalists representing Successful Meetings, Meeting News, Business Travel News, Golf for Women, Country Living Gardener, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, Travel & Leisure Golf, Travel & Leisure Family, Country Living, Family Circle, National Geographic Traveler and More Magazine.

The CVB enjoyed some major breakthroughs via broadcast opportunities. A spring/summer 2003 broadcast release about Raleigh titled, "Vacations for a Lifetime," appeared in 149 different television stations in 38 states which reached 85.5 million homes with nearly 60% of the coverage gained in the country's Top 50 markets. The spot produced $525,000 of exposure for the area from April-July.

A 30-minute feature on Raleigh aired on Globetrotter Jon Haggins on July 26, 2003 on New York's MNN Channel which reaches more than 2 million households. The feature story is a result of Haggin's participation in the First Flight press trip in May 2003 and resulted in almost $30,000 of exposure for the area.

The CVB assisted two Turner South Network broadcast opportunities as "3-Day Weekend" filmed an upcoming episode in Raleigh and "Blue Ribbon" was in town featuring the N.C. State's mascots. It also provided assistance to a Food Network television crew filming a "$40 a Day" episode in the Triangle. All three shows are scheduled to run later in 2004.

The Bureau registered 1,120 media "hits" or "contacts" in local, statewide, national or international publications and broadcasts – up from 935 in 2002-2003. Typically, the coverage featured Greater Raleigh as a destination, highlighted specific area attractions or touted the Bureau's involved in various endeavors.
There were hits in daily newspapers in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Miami, Milwaukee, Orlando, New York, Richmond, San Antonio, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington, magazines like American Way, Ebony, Endless Vacation, Family Fun, Southern Living, Spirit, Successful Meetings, Washington Golf Monthly and World Golfer, and online outlets like MSNBC's Arthur Frommer's Budget Traveler, Bestfares.com, Travel Smart Online, GoWorldTravel.com and TripsandJourneys.com.

The GRCVB hosted or assisted 50 travel writers -- down from 72 a year earlier -- representing the likes of Arthur Frommer's Guidebook to the Carolinas, Atlanta Parent, Birmingham Family Magazine, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Southern Living and major media outlets in Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Martin Armes continued his extensive involvement in the North Carolina Golf Marketing Alliance by organizing the Fourth Annual North Carolina Golf Cup Challenge that featured stops in Raleigh, Asheville and Charlotte for 19 total participants, including 10 British tour operators/travel agents, 6 American journalists and 3 Canadian journalists. The scribes represented the likes of Great Lakes Golf Magazine, New England Golf Magazine, Ottawa Sun, PGATour.com, Savannah Morning News, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, TravelGolf.com, Travel & Leisure Golf, Vermont Golfer and more. In all, the events have generated more than $500,000 of editorial exposure about North Carolina with much more in the pipeline.

What's Ahead

Continue working with Development Counsellors International to promote the many special events and major projects scheduled for Greater Raleigh, including the Matisse and Picasso exhibition, new convention center and hotel projects and the 2005 U.S. Open in nearby Pinehurst.

Transition from group press ainsleyj to individual visits and focus on aforementioned events plus unique angles like BugFest, Raleigh International Spy Conference and Orvis grand opening at Triangle Town Center.

Focus efforts on Top 100 media list with emphasis on complementing marketing efforts along East Coast and internationally in Canada, Germany and Great Britain.

Work closely with North Carolina and feeder market newspapers, magazines and other outlets to promote Raleigh events on a frequent basis.