Here's a tough sell: Position an upscale property as the new face of a neighborhood widely perceived as run-down and perhaps even less than savory. That's what PR firm M Booth
& Associates Inc. set out to do with the launch of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in the summer of 2003. The neighborhood is Atlantic City, NJ, which even supporters admit
had a flagging reputation at that time.
Far from being a ritzy gambling mecca, "people thought it was more of a bus market, with lots of older people coming in for the day," says Susan Ricciardi, director of media
relations at the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority. Indeed, as portrayed in the 1980 film, "Atlantic City," the boardwalk area was viewed as a relic.
Yet the Borgata offered something new -- a wine bar, celebrity chefs, high-end dining, a European-style spa and luxury guest rooms and suites. Hoping to sell a 'new' Atlantic
City, the PR team got an early start, taking a selective approach to media targets. At the same time, the PR team worked in close cooperation with the visitor's authority to
present the hotel as one component in a larger effort to revitalize the entire city.
"That story was being told by the Convention and Visitors Authority, and we met regularly with them. They helped spread our message and we promoted their activities," says Joan
Brower, Senior VP at M Booth. "So the press were able to come to both of us at the same time for their needs."
Primarily, the PR team focused on the Borgata property itself. To woo a skeptical media, the PR team produced Borgata-branded events well in advance of the hotel's official
opening. In January 2003, The Supper Club in New York City hosted "Borgata Style," introducing the press to Borgata's various restaurants.
In order to target the appropriate lifestyle editors, food editors, business publications and travel writers, the PR team also made use of an existing, in-house database that
is broken down not just by general subject matter but by specific areas of interest and geography. Working from this base, M Booth created a smaller list that would be the target
of Borgata's PR efforts.
The team had input and assistance from the in-house PR teams of Borgata, Boyd Gaming Corporation, MGM MIRAGE and Breslow Partners for local, non-travel media and JAM
Communications for the two restaurants of chef Luke Palladino. Throughout the spring of 2003 the PR team created many other events, including preview dinners, property tours and
meetings with the CEO.
To manage the logistics, there were weekly calls with the client, of course, and monthly face-to-face meetings. Perhaps more important was the Extranet, a shared online
workspace where all the PR and marketing execs could access relevant information. The Extranet included the latest news releases, as well as photographs, meeting schedules and
industry news. "Everyone had at their fingertips access to the most up-to-date information on the project," said M Booth Vice President Brad Laney. Borgata executives selected
Groove Networks (http://www.groove.net) to supply the Extranet technology.
As opening day approached, however, M Booth execs realized they may have a problem.
The building was scheduled to open on the July 4th weekend, meaning that many reporters and editors would be home watching the fireworks, or preparing coverage of (local)
celebrations. Coverage could be tricky. To overcome concerns the PR team turned the usual opening-day media tour into a multi-day affair. The team also arranged to have a bus
running back and forth to the site from New York City on a regular basis.
Together, these efforts garnered strong results. Conferences and conventions now exceed expectations, with 85,000 room nights committed. Some 300 key media attended Borgata's
"Opening Media Celebration." More than 180 national and local print stories have appeared since the opening, including feature coverage in the New York Times, Travel Weekly, Wall
Street Journal, USA Today and Forbes.com. More than 35 broadcast segments have run on CNN, CNBC, Fox News and elsewhere.
While the launch effort helped get the Borgata off on the right foot, it also did something more, driving home the message of a new, and improved Atlantic City. "Everything
they did said: You are going to see something different, something that Atlantic City has never had," Ricciardi says.
Contacts: Joan Brower, 212.481.7000, [email protected]; Brad Laney, 212.481.7000, [email protected]
Betting on Change
Prior to the Borgata Hotel & Casino opening, Atlantic City had gained a reputation as a stale and shabby destination. To publicize the new space the PR team from M Booth
& Associates needed to convince the media that the casino was providing a facelift to the entire Atlantic City area. Here's how the team executed:
- Seeing is believing: The PR team arranged for media reps to visit the hotel and its upscale restaurants, as well as media tours with Boragata's CEO.
- Better than one: The PR team worked closely with Atlantic City's visitors' authority to tie its efforts to a larger story of revitalization.
- A glimpse of stocking: Borgata rang the NYSE opening bell July 1, 2003, in an event that included TV interviews with key execs and showcased the property's scantily-clad
cocktail wait staff, known as "Borgata Babes."
Fast Facts: M Booth & Associates Inc.
Founded: 1985
HQ: New York, N.Y.
Staff on this campaign: Joan Brower, Senior VP, Co-Dir, Travel & Lifestyle Practice; Joan Bloom, Senior VP, Co-Dir, Travel & Lifestyle Practice; Brad Laney, VP; Erin
Ahearn, Senior Account Exec; Suzanne Duffy, Account Executive
Campaign timeframe: August 2002 - July 2003