Winner: Gail L. Moaney, APR, Managing Partner and Director of Finn Partners’ Travel / Lifestyle Group
Gail Moaney is a trailblazer in the industry, showing extraordinary dedication to advancing diversity and excellence. As managing partner and director of Finn Partners’ Travel / Lifestyle Group, Moaney has had a distinguished career.
Her role as a trusted point of counsel to some of the world’s most influential brands has been a hallmark, and her work as mentor to other PR professionals of color is what truly makes her a deserving and worthy “diversity hero.” From clients to co-workers to students, Moaney’s willingness to “lift as she climbs” continues to have a positive impact on those around her.
One recent effort involved promoting Jamaica’s many tourism offerings to target diverse travelers, including African American, Hispanic American, Asian American and Jewish American audiences. Prior to Moaney’s work with the Tourist Board, Jamaica had been plagued by misconceptions about violence and drugs.
Through the development and execution of the “Genius of Jamaica” campaign, Moaney led her team in generating positive media coverage by showcasing Jamaica’s unique cultural attributes. She successfully promoted the positive aspects of the nation by spotlighting their excellent accomplishments in design, fine arts, music, literature, cuisine and sports. Since being retained, Moaney’s team has generated more than 27 billion media impressions in the Americas and increased stopover arrivals to Jamaica by 44% from the U.S.
In addition, Moaney and her team of eight Hispanic market specialists worked with Dunkin Donuts to engage Hispanic consumers. A key measure of success was the launch of a Spanish-language Twitter handle for the brand that went from zero to 28,000 followers in a matter of weeks.