Client: Since 1891, SFERRA has produced several lines of premium Italian sheeting and top-of-the-line bedding for the luxury home. In North America, SFERRA products are available at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, New York’s legendary ABC Home & Carpet and Los Angeles’ H.D. Buttercup store.

Strategy & Tactics: The Brandman Agency was retained to introduce Sferra Linens to shelter and luxury lifestyle media, positioning the brand as synonymous with luxury, and re-establishing the company as the luxury linen industry’s most prominent brand. In addition, goals included: establishing a major presence as a provider to top-level hospitality brands, educating consumers on the unique history and philosophy of the brand through lifestyle, travel and fashion media and launching the “1891 Collection.”

Campaign Highlights: Over the course of four years, introducing SFERRA to a full public relations campaign involved consistent outreach to key shelter and lifestyle publications, consumer launch events, celebrity gifting, product of the month pitches, themed news releases and intimate media events. The resulting media coverage has contributed to heightened name recognition, consumer response, and an increase of 25% in the company’s retail sales.

Results: The Brandman Agency has secured placements in: Robb Report Luxury Homes, Shelter, Town&Country, BestLife, Esquire, USA Today, New York Times, New York Daily News, Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” issue, ForbesLife and Hamptons Cottages & Gardens.

Client: The governing body of Barbados’ tourism infrastructure-and the island as a destination itself-is interested in driving business by distinguishing the culturally rich island from other sun-and-sand Caribbean destinations.

Strategy & Tactics: To differentiate Barbados from the competition, the Agency incorporates key messages of “Authentic Caribbean Experience and World Class Excellence” into all outreach efforts. By leveraging strategic alliances to develop partner programs and sponsorships, and through the implementation of an aggressive Visiting Journalist Program, Brandman generated substantially higher levels of consumer and trade awareness to drive traffic through key markets.

Campaign Highlights: A core driver of the intense media relations campaign will be the Spring 2009 launch of the “Barbados Trails” program, designed to bring visitors of the island for more than just sun, sea and sand and instead for the unexpected-religion, rum history, nature and romance. Similarly, www.idobarbados.com created a niche Web site and product designed for newlyweds and those seeking a destination wedding location to create, book and make their dream Barbados wedding a reality.

Results: Recent Barbados placements include Town & Country Weddings, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Islands Magazine, New York Post, The Boston Globe, National Geographic Adventure, Robb Report Vacation Homes, Jezebel, Virtuoso Life, Sherman’s Travel, Caribbean Travel & Life, Travel Agent and Women’s World

Client: Following a 3-year closure and a $150 million refurbishment, the new InterContinental London Park Lane reopened in early 2007 and became the flagship hotel for the InterContinental brand in Europe. The hotel is located at Number One Park Lane, one of London’s most prestigious addresses and boasts a completely new design and partnerships with Theo Randall and Elemis Spa.

Strategy & Tactics: The hotel has always been very popular for meetings and business travelers. In promoting the reopening in a very saturated market, we sought to establish the hotel as a ‘hot’ urban destination among both business and leisure travelers. To accomplish this, we played up unique attributes that differentiate the hotel from competitors. The agency went beyond the traditional travel media to reach consumers through alternative outlets (shelter, fashion, beauty, culinary, lifestyle) that speak to guests’ lifestyle choices and interests.

Campaign Highlights: The Brandman Agency has hosted media trips to the property, coordinated individual media visits and worked with the hotel to develop unique incentive and business programs and consumer packages that highlighted the brand’s “In the Know” messaging.

Results: The Brandman Agency secured placements in Food & Wine, Women’s Wear Daily, USA Today, The New York Times (business story), Newsweek International (Cinema Suite Coverage), Corporate Meetings and Incentives, Luxury Travel Advisor, Destination Weddings and Honeymoons and SPA. Extensive coverage was also secured in traditional travel publications such as Travel + Leisure, Condè Nast Traveler, and Departures.