McNeil Wilson Wins PRSA Hawaii’s Best of Show

UPDATE: Since this posting, two fellow bloggers - Melissa Chang and Christa Wittmier have passed along kind congratulations in their personal blogs. Thought I would share that with you. Mahalo for the support ladies! The Honolulu Advertiser also covered the event in the paper today.
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The HVCB PR team accepts the Best of Show award with our client Darlene Morikawa (in blue). From left: Kim Miyashiro, me, Rhegan Liwanag-Luat, Janet Crawford (PRSA Hawaii president), Michael Ni, and Karl Nakagawa.

As many know by now, our firm - McNeil Wilson Communications - won “Best of Show” in the 2008 PRSA Hawaii Koa Anvil Awards for its work on the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau’s “Hawaii: As Seen On TV” campaign. This is a program in which we target national broadcast TV shows to come to Hawaii and feature the destination “editorially” into the episodes. This award was won for our work on HGTV’s Design Star Finale, Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, and Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

It was a great night for the agency and in addition to Best of Show, as we won 12 awards total for the night. Most of any agency/organization represented.  Erika Engle of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin did a nice story today on the event and all of the winners.

Mahalo to everyone that won and particularly to everyone at McNeil Wilson Communications. Great job done by all!

For more photos from the night, visit my Flickr page.

[Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lieu, Aloha Tower Marketplace.]

-NGK

Alltop.com Has Public Relations Covered!

Those who work with and know me understand just how much I love my job in public relations. It’s also exciting that our firm - McNeil Wilson Communications - is embracing social media and allowing us to explore ways to incorporate it into our daily work flow. PR and social media are two things I’m really into right now. So you can imagine how excited I was when I received this e-mail today from Alltop.com:

Nathan,

Spoke to Guy and he helped make it happen! PR.Alltop.com is now open thanks to you! Additionally, I added your company’s website to the Acknowledgments.

It would be awesome if you could tell everyone locally, but also PR Newswire Because of you, there is a PR category. We appreciate you very much.

Aloha,
NEENZ.
___
L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine
http://faleafine.com
http://truemors.com
http://alltop.com

UNREAL! I had pitched the idea of creating a PR Alltop category via Twitter to Guy Kawasaki (@guykawasaki) and Neenz (@infinitypro) and they said, “show me the feeds and we’ll consider.” I guess I did good by sending more than 40 of my favorite PR websites and blogs that I follow on a regular basis to get the ball rolling. Now the category has come to fruition which is a good thing for our industry. I’ll call this my contribution to advancing the public relations profession. Part of the mission being a member of PRSA.

BTW, did I mention Alltop received more than 1.2 million page views last month? This site is big time. If anyone has a PR focused blog or website they’d like to add, send your feeds to info@alltop.com.

Big mahalo to Guy and Neenz! You guys rock!

-NGK

Hawaii’s PR Best To Be Honored at Halekulani

Next week Thursday is a big night for Hawaii’s public relations industry as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Hawaii Chapter hosts the 25th Koa Anvil Awards at the Halekulani on July 17. This event has earned the reputation as THE premier communications gala in the Islands celebrating outstanding public relations programs and tactics.

It’s a rare night where PR people will actually be in the spotlight (usually we’re operating behind the scenes) and the McNeil Wilson Communications gang will be out in full force. Our firm has been fortunate over the past few years to win numerous Koa Anvils and Koa Hammers, but most importantly “Best of Show” the past three of the last four years. For those unfamiliar with the event, here’s a couple stories written by Erika Engle of The Honolulu Star-Bulletin from 2006 and 2007.

We’ve got some very strong entries in the competition this year and it will be exciting to see how it all goes down. I look forward to seeing everyone there and if you haven’t reserved your seat, you have until the end of day today to RSVP online. Wish us luck!

-NGK

Does Anyone at The Office Read My Blog?

Melissa Malahoff-Kamei and me enjoying the world-famous Hamura’s Saimin Lilikoi Chiffon Pie.

The Kam Family Blog is coming up on its one year anniversary in August and I think most of my colleagues at McNeil Wilson Communications know I update this thing religiously. So I thought it would be fun to do a little test to see if my fellow PR associates actually visits this site (or has McNeil Wilson setup on their Google News Alerts). I have a feeling the answer is no, but I’m about to find out. Here’s how.

We celebrated Melissa Malahoff-Kamei’s birthday yesterday with some delicious Hamura’s Saimin Lilikoi Chiffon Pie which Emele Freiberg brought back following her trip to Kauai. At the same time, I took a bunch of candid photos of the Travel and Tourism Division staff who were in the office having fun and working hard. If anything will get them to the site, this is it.

From left: Emele Frieberg, Patrick Dugan, Noreen Kam (@buzzbunny), Melissa Malahoff-Kamei, and Jeanne Datz-Rice.

From left: Dara Lum, Rhegan Liwanag-Luat (@rherhe) and Michael Ni (@kruz808).

From left: Erin Kinoshita (@shmerin), Kimberly Miyashiro, and Andrea Lum (intern).

To my fellow McNeil Wilson colleagues, if you would like your photo removed, please let me know and I’ll take it down. Either post a comment or corner me in my office.

So let the experiment begin!

-NGK (@golfnutn8)

Disclaimer: No PR people were harmed (at least not to my knowledge) during this experimental process. If you don’t know what the “@” references mean that follow some names, click the links or you better ask somebody. Here’s a hint: TWITTER!

Wyland paints final Whaling Wall in China

World famous marine life artist and 2008 Olympic Artist Wyland will announce plans for his 100th and final Whaling Wall project at a press conference tomorrow - July 2 at 11 a.m. HST - at The Wyland Waikiki. Since the hotel is my client, our agency has been assisting in the coordination of the event.

Vernon Brown with 808Talk.com will be live-streaming the press conference so those interested can tune in an be a part of history. The live stream will also be carried on the front page of USTREAM.TV. A big mahalo to V. Brown for his kokua!

The mile-long mural will be painted this summer in Beijing, China with the help of thousands of children from around the world celebrate the Green Olympics. Wyland, 51, has painted murals in more than 75 cities in fourteen countries that are seen by a billion people each year. The artist, who recently completed murals in American Samoa, England, and Brazil, is an official artist of United States Olympic Team for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Wyland’s efforts for conservation awareness have been recognized by the United Nations, Sierra Club, Rotary International, Riverkeeper Alliance, and Surfrider Foundation. His Wyland Foundation, in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is actively engaged in teaching millions of students around the world to become caring, informed stewards of our oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands.

-NGK

[Photo courtesy of The Wyland Foundation.]

What Happens in Vegas…

After reading today’s story in the The Honolulu Advertiser titled “Las Vegas braces for a tough year,” I wish the destination’s infectious “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” tagline was true.  But unfortunately, what’s happening in Las Vegas is happening to all destinations around the country.  As airlines continue to cut routes to cope with rising fuel prices, destinations are seeing fewer visitors and the fight to keep them coming is getting fierce. Which means those in the business of tourism marketing are looking for every opportunity to keep demand strong and prices affordable.

So what’s the solution? Who knows?! But if the research on Hawaii travelers we’re seeing is any indication, there’s still plenty of demand for the destination and plenty of room for the industry to get creative in keeping people coming.

Truth of the matter is the cost of vacations are going to cost you more no matter where you go. The question is what story do you want to be telling around the office water cooler the Monday following that vacation? The one about the unforgettable vacation to Hawaii or the one about the road trip to Arizona (nothing against Arizona!)?

I rest my case! But what’s the key to keeping them coming here?

-NGK

[Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA.]

The Wyland Waikiki launches new blog

One of the exciting things about working in a PR agency is the ability to deal with a variety of different clients. My primary responsibilities these days are the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and The Wyland Waikiki, a chic new art-inspired hotel in the heart of Waikiki.

The Wyland Waikiki is a fun property to work with and with a great story behind it. It’s the only Wyland (yes, the marine life artist guy) branded hotel in the world and Hawaii’s first art-design hotel. It also happens to have one of the coolest general managers with Mr. Robin Graf at the helm.

How cool is he you ask? So cool that he accepted the challenge of starting a blog - Drop In To The Wyland Waikiki - to share his experiences about managing one of Hawaii’s most unique hotels. He also shares tales of his love for surfing, traveling, and Hawaii along the way.

If you’re looking for a great place to stay in Honolulu that won’t hurt your wallet, this is the place!

-NGK

[Photo of the hotel lobby courtesy of The Wyland Waikiki]

Pressure Cook Wraps on the Big Island!

Ralph Pagano works the Legends of the Pacific luau a the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The food and entertainment is fantastic!

The last two days on Hawaii’s Big Island have been great. We’ve had great weather and Ralph has been working his a$$ off to make enough money for his plane ticket home. As fans of Pressure Cook know, if he fails to do that, there is a penalty. Want to know what that is? Click here. Can you figure out what it is? I’d be a fool to giveaway the ending, so you’ll have to watch the Hawaii episode in December to find out what happens.

But what I will say is more and more people each day have been recognizing Ralph and the guy’s got quite a following. And it’s really no surprise why after watching him in action. He’s passionate about food, genuinely interested in the places he visits, and goes out of his way to make everyone he encounters feel comfortable. For a high-profile celebrity, Ralph is really down to Earth.

So enough of the sappy “man-crush” kind of talk. Let’s recap what he did the remainder of his time in Hawaii. I’ll let the following pictures do the talking.

Mike and Leslie of Wailea Agricultural Group in Honomu put Ralph to work harvesting delicious hearts of palm. This stuff has quickly become one of my favorite vegetables.

Wasting no time after the harvest, Ralph headed to the new Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar in the Queen’s Marketplace at Waikoloa with the fresh palm hearts and went to work. The “Ralph Special” that night was a wonderful seared ahi with hearts of palm salad and a little poke on the side. This dish was “broke da mouth.” Sansei Chef/Owner DK Kodama flew in special for the evening. And “just so happen,” my mom (Rhonda) and dad (Gary) stopped by for dinner and a photo with Ralph. BTW, everything at Sansei is ono…really can’t go wrong.

For the grand finale, Ralph was introduced to the famous Hawaiian luau. He helped get the pig in and out of the imu, prepared a couple of dishes for the night, and worked the crowd. Hilton Waikoloa Village Executive Chef Kenny Omiya was impressed with the end product and so were the guests.

So mission accomplished, right? You’ll have to wait and see.

-NGK

Pressure Cook’s Ralph Pagano doing his thing in Hawaii!

Ralph and me at beautiful Kualoa Ranch.

I found out yesterday that this is Ralph Pagano’s first time to Hawaii, so he’s been enjoying every experience and challenge he’s encountered. The past two day’s of Pressure Cook filming have been intense and it’s been interesting to see how one of my favorite shows on TV is made. Here’s a few photos to give you a “sneak peek” of what’s been going on. Just an “appetizer” if you will!

Ralph heads to The Shack in Hawaii Kai to meet up with Brendan and Chef Mike to prepare for the Spam Jam in Waikiki. Along the way, he meets DK Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar.

Day two, Ralph prepares breakfast for a bikini shoot at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach. Photographer Dave Miyamoto and the models of Pualani Hawaii swimwear reap the rewards of a delicious breakfast after a long morning of work.

Ralph finds a true slice of Hawaii paradise in Kaaawa Valley at Kualoa Ranch.

Along the way, Ralph runs into some locals who just returned from a tako tournament. What an amazing scene to see all the squid hanging in the the garage.

We’re off to Hawaii’s Big Island. More updates soon.

-NGK

Pressure Cook with Ralph Pagano in Hawaii!

The production crew from MOJO network’s Pressure Cook with Ralph Pagano arrived yesterday on Oahu and I have the privilege of working with them this week on the filming of the Hawaii episode. It’s been a long time coming and it was good to finally meet show producers Sandy Green, Brian Reichelt, and Sunny Antrim of Helicon Media in person after many telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges over the past few months.

This is another quality show we (McNeil Wilson Communications) secured on behalf of our client the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) as part of our public relations initiatives for the year to bring more national television shows to the islands.

I’ll be blogging about the production along the way, so fans of the show, stay tuned for a little “behind the scenes” coverage. In case you’re wondering, Ralph (also of Hell’s Kitchen season one fame) is one of the nicest guys (celebrities) I’ve ever met.

And if you want to watch the show online, visit Hulu.com where you’ll find all the episodes of season one.

Back in touch soon with an update.

-NGK

Three Sheets heads to Maui!

It’s a wrap! Eric the Sound Guy, me, Zane, Shay (Ocean Vodka), Garrett (Maui Brewing Co.), and Curtiss the Cameraman below.

After finishing up on Oahu, the Three Sheets crew moved to Maui on Sunday. Again, I’m not going to disclose too much (you’ll need to watch Three Sheets Hawaii in January on MOJO HD) but since you’ve been asking, here’s a little recap of our recent shoot on the island.

Zane at the Ocean Vodka facility in Kahului. This stuff is awesome!

The show wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Ocean Vodka and its “unmarked” distillery in Kahului. Zane had a bast getting to know the family that makes this unbelievably delicious handcrafted spirit and also getting hands on working in the factory. By the way, there was a “Three Sheets First” that occurred during this visit, so you’ll have to watch the show. Let’s just say it involves the number 1-9-2. Any guesses what this means?

Zane also visited a new bar in Lahaina called the Mai Tai Lounge on Front Street. Sorry, no photos of this one as I was responsible for taking care of Curtiss the Cameraman’s light on the floor below all the action.

Yesterday, we shot the open of the show which included a little spoof on the whole Magnum P.I. thing! This open alone will be worth tuning into the show.

Then Zane was invited to a backyard paina to drink it up local style. The segment will speak for itself when you see it, so I’ll keep you hanging there. The folks from Ocean Vodka were in attendance, along with Garrett Marrero of Maui Brewing Company. I became a big fan of their Coconut Porter during a visit to Maui with the family a month or so ago. Garrett and Zane broke it all down and tasted a few of the brewery’s offerings. Ocean Vodka cocktails were also abundant and a good time was had by all. George Kahumoku Jr. also showed up and played some Hawaiian music, while girls from the Old Lahaina Luau showed Zane how to hula.

Garrett from Maui Brewing Company with Zane and guests.

Everyone yelling “Three Sheets Hawaii” for the camera. Curtiss the Cameraman and Eric the Sound Guy with the lovely girls from Old Lahaina Luau. Zane with Grammy Award-winning entertainer George Kahumoku, Jr.

Zane with Shay and Garrett. Producer Christina with the guys. Zane being entertained.

The production winds down over the next couple days with more fun stuff on the schedule. Stay tuned for more vague updates. Once production wraps I’ll get into more detail as we head towards January’s airing of the Hawaii episode.

Okole ma luna (bottoms up)!

-NGK

Three Sheets and Zane Lamprey in Hawaii!

The one and only Zane Lamprey with yours truly.

As a fan of the drinking show Three Sheets with Zane Lamprey on MOJO HD (Oceanic Channel 1561), it was amazing to finally meet the man himself on Oahu the other day at Duke’s Canoe Club (Outrigger Waikiki). You never know what these celebrity encounters will be like, but Zane is as cool as they come and the guy is funny as hell!

Don’t have HD cable? No problem. You can still watch the show online at MOJOHD.com or Hulu.com.

I’ve been working with Zane’s production team (Christina, Curtiss, and Eric you guys are awesome!) to get the show to Hawaii since the beginning of the year and all the hard work has finally come to fruition. A little PR project for my client the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau to showcase a little different side of what Hawaii is all about.

Shooting a scene with Zane on the beach in Waikiki. Those familiar with the show, that’s Curtiss the Cameraman and Eric the Sound Guy to the right.

I’m not going to give away anything about the show, but I can assure you the stuff we’ve been filming the past two days on Oahu have been great. Things even the locals here probably didn’t know about.

We’re off to Maui today for more fun and exploration of Hawaii’s drinking culture. I’ll try to post more tidbits along the way. Oh, and by the way, Pleepleus the monkey made the trip too!

-NGK

The week from hell!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a week like this.

First Aloha Airlines shuts down, then ATA decides to cease its operations a day later. Working for the firm handling the public relations for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau meant the atmosphere around McNeil Wilson Communications was busy like hell to say the least. Priority number one: get accurate information out to the local and national media as quickly as possible daily regarding the situation here in Hawaii and assure travelers they could still get in and out of  the islands. All in all, the team did a heck of a job on all levels and it was mission accomplished…so far. A big mahalo to Hawaiian Airlines and all of the other carriers and hotels throughout the state that stepped up to accommodate our visitors. We’ve shown what makes Hawaii truly special.

Did I mention our sitter is on vacation for the next two weeks as well?  Amidst all the happenings above, I needed to take a day off on Wednesday to watch Ensen and Kelly and I are thankful and fortunate Aunty Kim was able to fill in today and yesterday. Kona Grandma arrives on Sunday to cover all of next week.  Thank goodness for family!

And why not throw in the urgent need for an oil change for the RAV since the maintenance light on the dashboard came on weeks ago. So it was a car-less Friday for me which only makes life more difficult when you’re in PR.

I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that. I just hope nothing crazy happens over the weekend…like another “you know what” going under.

-NGK

So long Uncle Buck!

Yours truly with Lori Abe, Buck and Donivee Laird, and David McNeil.

More than 100 staff of Anthology Marketing Group gathered at the Banker’s Club last night to say aloha to Buck Laird who retired after a 35-year advertising career in Hawaii. Buck was one of the most recognized figures in the advertising community and co-founded of the state’s largest advertising agency, Laird Christianson Advertising, in 1989 with David McNeil and David Wilson (founders of McNeil Wilson Communications).

It was a great night filled with humorous and heartfelt speeches, creative videos, and with Buck surrounded by his family, friends, and co-workers. I’ll miss seeing Uncle Buck around the office and wish him a fun and exciting retirement. Word on the street is he’s got a cool new Mini Cooper to keep him occupied. Here’s a few photos from last night’s gathering.

From left: Buck with his family. Everyone giving Buck a round of applause. David and Buck.

From left: Anthology Marketing Group CEO Dennis Christianson with Buck in a couple of poses. Page, Keith, Mary, Mei Jeanne, Jenni’s husband (sorry, don’t know your name), Amy, Brad, Chris, and Jenni with the man of the night.

-NGK

Life in PR and Generation-Why

My friend and colleague Melissa Chang, director of marketing for Aloha Tower Marketplace and Honolulu Advertiser blogger, wrote a thoughtful post the other day titled “Welcome to my life” about the realities of public relations and misperceptions of our profession. I think she hit the bullseye (and some) as she shared a tale about a recent day at the office. It’s exactly this kind of chaotic schedule that attracted me to the profession more than nine years ago. I really believe you need to have some kind of “madness” within you to enter a career in PR. Just ask my wife…I’m sure she’d agree.

After graduating from UH Manoa in 1999 with a journalism/PR degree in hand, I fully understood what I was getting into when I got my first PR job at the now defunct PRWorks in Waikiki. After completing an internship and working part time there as an assistant account coordinator (don’t think you can have a lower title than that), it taught me that PR was a tough job that required a thick skin, long hours, sometimes working on the weekend, a lot of “grunt” work to start, and the ability to work with a bunch of different personalities to get the job done. Oh, did I mention the low pay? Who cares! It was the perfect job and I couldn’t wait to start!

As an eager 20-something at the time I did it all. I faxed, photocopied, filed, stuffed envelopes, made coffee, got the bosses lunch, answered the phone, took the mail down to the post office, took meeting notes, compiled horrendous clipping reports, and probably a lot more that I can’t remember. Not the most glorious of jobs coming out of college, but one that I loved. And I must have been pretty good at it because in short time, I was promoted to account executive. My attitude was work hard, learn everything I could, show my bosses I could do what was asked of me well, exceed their expectations, PAY MY DUES, then wait for the rewards to come. And they did.

Sure things are different now. I get to work with great clients, deal with important business people, develop and execute exciting PR initiatives, and manage a great team. But I still have the same attitude today as I did when I started at PRWorks and came to McNeil Wilson Communications in 2000. I take nothing for granted, am still learning something every day, and striving to deliver to the best of my ability. It doesn’t hurt that I had great mentors along the way like Craig Miyamoto, Deborah Sharkey, David McNeil, and David Wilson. Ultimately, I attribute my work ethic to my parents who always supported me, pushed me to do my best, and never let me give up. It’s also the attitude I try to instill in those I work with.

As a supervisor of people and workloads now, it’s hard to dismiss Melissa’s observation about the growing Generation Y work force coming into the marketplace. It’s also a subject of great discussion lately. In her post she writes:

“Yes, it (PR) can be glamorous, but you have to pay your dues and put in the hard work it takes to get there. If you are the type who physically punches in at 8 and out at 5, and demands to have a balance of “me” time, get a government job. If you are fresh out of school and looking to start at the top, call all the shots, make top dollar, and not have to do much but look pretty, … good luck.”

It’s the reality every company is facing today. A story in the Daily Mail describes Gen-Y as “those born after 1982 who expect everything to fall into their laps but who, in reality, massively overestimate their own abilities.” Yikes!

I’m still trying to figure out if this is a fair way to characterize this talented pool of “young-uns,” but one thing is certain in my opinion. This new work force is at our doorstep and cannot be ignored. The challenge for us Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers is to find ways to peacefully co-exist with Gen-Y, manage their expectations, keep them engaged and motivated, and show them that a little hard work never hurt anyone. Will this be easier said than done? Either way, I’m up for the challenge!

If anyone’s got some best practices to share, I’m all ears!

-NGK