Brand Public Relations Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Gaylord Hotels brand public relations manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day execution and development of the brand public relations strategy. They are a primary storyteller for the Gaylord brand and responsible for developing the proactive PR strategy for the Gaylord Hotels brand, inclusive of its six resorts, F&B outlets, group and meetings business, water parks, innovative special events and Christmas programming, and more. They will work closely with media and influencer partners to develop long-term relationships, build pitch strategies, draft and review press releases, and find opportunities to secure earned media placements aligned with brand priorities. They will work closely with brand and property stakeholders to align with local PR strategies and priorities and identify the most effective strategic approach. They will also be responsible for compiling clip reports and reporting out on efforts across the brand, communicating wins and opportunities with stakeholders across the organization. 

The ideal candidate has strong written and verbal communication skills, relationships with and knowledge of the national media landscape as well as applicable regional media aligned with Gaylord Hotels key locations (Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Nashville, DC, and San Diego). They will have a strong knowledge of social media and its impact on public relations and brand reputation as well as experience with influencer marketing. 

The brand public relations manager will report to the Sr. Director, Integrated Marketing as part of the brand integrated marketing team. Success in this role is measured through quantity and quality of earned media placements in alignment with business strategies/priorities.  

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience 

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, marketing, business, or a related major
• 2-5 years’ experience in public relations or related professional area (in-house or agency)
• Hospitality experience a plus
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement successful public relations strategies and tactics in support of business priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including development of press materials (e.g. press releases). 
• Experience with influencer marketing.  
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including senior leadership level. 
• Project management experience and demonstrated experience managing multiple priorities with deadlines. 

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategy & Relationships

• Develop the brand’s proactive public relations and influencer strategy, in support of business priorities and objectives. 
• Serve as a primary public relations subject matter expert in the brand, identifying opportunities for PR support across a variety of tactics, activations, and stories. 
• Work closely with cross-discipline counterparts to understand key goals, stories, and opportunities to support these using public relations tactics and strategies. 
• Collaborate closely with local property PR teams to define ongoing PR strategy and align on most effective execution. 
• Develop public relations strategy to support group and leisure priorities and strategy. Identify partners, tactics, budget, and timeline needed to execute. Develop plans to implement and manage execution of this strategy. 

Public Relations Activities 

• Serve as public relations subject matter expert and main point of contact for brand public relations needs. Determine best practices and manage execution of these best practices. 
• Write, edit, and distribute press releases, media advisories, fact sheets, and other media materials. 
• Collaborate with creative team on additional media needs (e.g. photo, b-roll, etc.) and manage distribution to key partners. 
• Develop and maintain media contact list and relationships. Seek to expand reach among relevant publications and audiences. 
• Develop regular pitch and content calendar. 
• Pitch both proactive and reactive stories to media partners. 
• Develop brand influencer strategy in partnership with social media manager. Identify influencers, manage agreements and relationships, manage execution of influencer events and tactics. 
• Compile clip reports, reporting of key PR metrics, and communicate to key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with owned and paid channel owners to ensure alignment of PR strategy with rest of integrated marketing strategy. 
• Support crisis management, in collaboration with crisis management center of excellence and brand leadership. 
• Organize promotional events such as press tours, media visits, and fam trips. 
• Ideate innovative strategies and tactics to ensure continued relevance and success in public relations and earned media space. 
• Ideate and help execute programming, package, and other collaboration recommendations to help secure media coverage. 
• Vetting of all media and influencer requests (proactive/reactive). 
• Manage all public relations/press materials, including identifying which pieces to create, and developing content in partnership with content studio. Manage updates and distribution of these tools. Manage press pages on website in collaboration with property teams. 
• Develop and implement a public relations plan for group marketing, in partnership with local and brand group marketing resources. 
• Collaboration with ownership and Marriott International PR teams. Identify areas of opportunity for partnership and support of key messages. 

General

• Provide training and public relations leadership, while acting as a subject matter expert in discipline. 
• Ensure knowledge of and adherence to brand standards and strategy. 
• Coordinate with property teams and/or brand creative and marketing team to create assets, build messaging, and refine placements across relevant channels. 
• Obtain and determine creative specs and requirements from partners, build creative briefs, and communicate needs to creative team. 
• Manage assigned budget and associated finance protocols
• Manage marketing plans, flow charts, timelines, and processes. 
• Other duties as assigned
• Manage projects, timelines, and production for PR campaigns. 
• Support project management, brief creation and intake, job and resource management, reviews, and creative trafficking for relevant jobs.
• Support department technical tools and resources (e.g. Asana, DAM, Canva), as needed