In our 34 years as a respected, trusted Houston communications firm, we’ve tackled about every kind of assignment imaginable.
As you’d expect, we work for the major industries and organizations that call Houston and Texas home, and help those from outside the state reach the people here with whom they most need to be in relationship.
Check out a sampling of our campaigns to see the breadth of our capability and in a variety of sectors.
The agency of choice for Susan G. Komen, Ward provides valuable strategic and proactive media relations and messaging counsel, identifies strong, viable media angles that allow us to maximize our non-profit budget and, in turn, our media coverage. We are particularly pleased with the steady stream and volume of coverage for Komen Houston as our prior agencies over the years were never able to secure the volume of coverage Ward has achieved. Julie Voss, Executive Director
Susan G. Komen, Houston
Strategy
Results
Throughout the project, Ward provided strategic media relations and events planning counsel, and was instrumental in making our hotel soft opening and grand opening celebrations a tremendous success. We greatly valued Ward’s all-in, can-do approach, the positive working relationship and the firm’s processes to manage our budget and workflow. Kelli Harvey, Director of Sales and Marketing
Houston CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village
Strategy
Direct outreach to key decision-makers through two strategic gala events, and a broad outreach to all target audiences through media relations.
Results
A successful, award-winning opening, with 450+ key decision-makers attending the soft and grand opening events, dozens of tours for those attendees, and 65 media placements achieving 39+ million impressions. The sales team booked 137 events with 8,650 attendees and the property is now sold-out Monday-Wednesday every week.
Camp For All
Strategy
Ward implemented and executed a public relations program designed to raise awareness of Camp For All through an intensive editorial calendar and outreach offering strong story angles.
Results
64 media placements with coverage occurring consistently each month, for approximately 134+ million media impressions in local and regional media, including Austin. Thanks to the robust story angles and proactive pitching, media coverage included in-studio and at-camp placements – overcoming the perceived obstacle of distance.
The Houston Apartment Association enjoys a tremendous relationship with Ward and its team of seasoned, talented professionals. As a trade association, we look to our Ward partners to help shape our organizational brand, and to influence industry perceptions on a larger scale. Their media relations expertise routinely results in positive and accurate media coverage of our members and the industry. Ward adds depth to our marketing projects and campaigns and is a highly valued extension of the association's in-house team. Ward understands our needs and consistently exceeds our expectations. Aimee Arrington, Director of Community Engagement and Media
Houston Apartment Association
Strategy
Results
Ward’s strategic planning and media relations expertise played a critical role in the public relations/marketing efforts for the new JW Marriott Houston Downtown. Through their efforts we were able to position the hotel as ‘the place to be’ even before our grand opening. They are great to work with, built excitement and anticipation among our target audiences in advance of our opening and firmly established our luxury identity in a highly competitive hotel market. Natalie Wiseman, Director of Sales and Marketing
JW Marriott Houston Downtown
Strategy
Pearl Hospitality Corp. purchased Houston’s historic Samuel F. Carter Building – the city’s first skyscraper – in 2009 with plans to restore the building to its former glory in a new form – a luxury boutique hotel located in the heart of downtown Houston. The press launch was the first glimpse Houstonians had of the new hotel plans. PEARL CONTRACTED WARD to develop and execute an 18-month public relations plan from announcement to grand opening. The press conference was the first piece of the overall strategy and:
Formally unveiled the hotel plans
Laid the groundwork for future announcements
Results
Significant, positive local print, trade and online coverage
including the Houston Business Journal, CultureMap, and
BisNow Real Estate
¡ Article with photos and renderings published in the
Houston Chronicle online edition immediately after event
¡ Front-page Houston Chronicle business section coverage
the day following the press conference
¡ Post-event release generated coverage in key meeting, travel and
tourism and real estate media outlets including Frequent Business
Traveler, Travel Weekly, BestHotelsInUSA.com, Hotel News
Resource, Meetings Focus and Meetings & Conventions
NextDecade
Strategy
Establish a brand identity and educate the energy and financial communities on the company's value proposition and project milestones.
Results
Prairie View A&M University
Strategy
With a short two-week window to work, a series of media deskside meetings with key national print and broadcast media outlets were arranged for Dr. Simmons during the challenging week of Thanksgiving in the highly competitive media market.
Results
Deskside meetings were secured with priority outlets including Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal and a feature story ran in Black Enterprise Magazine, exceeding university expectations.
“Ward has added great value to us as a trusted advisor and team member acting as an ‘extension of our staff’. Ward has helped us to implement a wide range of branding strategies for Springwoods Village. Their work has enhanced our visibility locally and nationally and has allowed our key in-house staff to focus on the many other business matters related to new community development." Keith Simon, Executive VP and Development director
Springwoods Village/CDC Houston
Strategy
Results
AC Hotel by Marriott
Strategy
Ward adopted a broad outreach approach, combining media relations and social media and focusing on the historic renovation and unique AC brand offerings, to distinguish the property from other Downtown hotels.
Results
Ward secured 70 media placements, achieving more than 152 million impressions in a cross-section of local, regional and national media leading up to and around the soft opening. Ward also established social media presence for the hotel, resulting in 178,000+ impressions on Facebook, 27,000+ post impressions and 4,600+ stories impressions on Instagram, and more than 5,600 total engagements.
