Craft & Hobby Association
Company: Craft & Hobby Association, Elmwood Park, NJ
Company Description: The Craft & Hobby Association is a non- profit organization serving more than 3,000 member companies in over 64 different countries engaged in the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of the $27 billion U.S. craft and hobby industry.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications Professional of the Year
Nomination Title: Victor Domine - PR Manager Extraordinaire
Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since January 1 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
In 2009 Victor created and managed the CHA public relations program budget of $286,000. This program generated 942, 328,400 media impressions as tracked by Burrelles/Luce and PRNewswire distribution services.
In 2010 with a decrease in revenues, CHA had to focus on reducing the overall
CHA budget; Victor took this in stride and explored ways to creatively reduce
the overall public relations program by $109,000 while increasing media
coverage by over 300% to generate more than 3.345 BILLION media impressions as
tracked by Burrelles/Luce and PRNewswire distribution services. This massive
increase in media coverage and reduction in PR expenditures was the direct
result of Victor’s savvy PR skills and training.
Instead of reducing services, Victor re-negotiated all existing PR service
contracts from newswire services, to media databases, to spokesperson
contracts. He eliminated redundant work among CHA PR and marketing agencies to
reduce billable time. But most importantly Victor got creative and introduced
many new initiatives that helped expand the reach of the tradition craft trade
media. By creating social media programs, tracking them, and instituting
blogger outreach CHA was able to witness +300% increases in media coverage with
75% of the 3.345 billion media impressions a direct result of blogger outreach.
Recognizing the value of social media, Victor launched a full-scale social
media initiative by creating, hosting and managing CHA profiles on Facebook,
LinkedIn, YouTube, and three CHA Twitter profiles as well as CHABlog, the
Association’s blog. Since their creation in 2010 the CHA Facebook fan page has
seen a +3,000% increase in fans; CHA’s Member LinkedIn! Group increased over
120% in membership; CHABlog had secured over 75,000 page views; CHA’s YouTube
Channel had over 50,000 hits.
In 2010 for less than $200 Victor was able to partner with a company to create
CHA-TV, a free webcasting portal for the craft & hobby industry. This platform
is now used to webcast live from CHA events and will be harnessed for upcoming
virtual CHA meetings, educational sessions, webinars and other CHA programs.
In addition to honing and creating these incredible communications vehicles,
Victor also drove other significant Association initiatives that included:
- The launch the Craft SuperShow consumer event in two markets (Anaheim, CA &
Rosemont, IL.) These first-run events attracted over 8,000 consumers in
Anaheim and more than 4,200 in Rosemont and secured media coverage in major
local news outlets. Victor coordinated fashion shows, charity program, and
created community awareness events.
- The introduction of the Innovations Sneak Peek Media & Buyers Event at the
Summer Show in Rosemont elevated the awareness and demand of new products
launched at the Show. Victor researched and networked to secure media judges
from the Chicago Sun-Times, Super Simple with Terri O TV, She’s Crafty TV and
CraftCritique.com.
- Victor organized, staffed, publicized and hosted a “CHA Giveback Events” in
Rosemont and Rancho Cucamonga which featured an offsite kids craft day event
and product donations in excess of $50,000 from the trade show
- Additionally, Victor worked his connections with celebrities including
Deborah Norville, Vanna White, Kathy Ireland, Debbie Stoller, the Double-Stitch
Twins, Mark Montano, Terri O, Wendy Russell, Suede from Project Runway, Mayors
from Rosemont and Anaheim, and the Illinois Governor's office to make free
appearances at CHA events or to issue official proclamations.
List hyperlinks to any online work samples, news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
Favorable Industry Positioning
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=335
CHA Launches Comprehensive Social Media Program
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=318
CHABlog
http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/author/craftandhobby/
Twitter
http://www.Twitter.com/CHA_TradeShows
http://www.Twitter.com/CraftEducation
http://www.Twitter.com/CraftandHobby
CHA Facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/CraftandHobby?v=wall&ref=ts
CHA YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobby#p/a
Guest Bloggers
http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/guest-blogger-jenny-barnett-rohrs-of-crafttestdummies-what-i-look-for-at-cha/
Innovations Sneak Peek Media & Buyer Event
http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/summer-show-press-event-deadline-extended-until-june-14/
http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/cha-summer-show-media-event-new-products-needed/
CHA-TV Portal Functionality
http://www.linqto.com/rooms/craftandhobby/
CHA Winter Show Celebs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624629554807/
CHA Summer Show
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/5643343469/in/photostream
http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/cha-announces-top-honors-at-summer-show/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobby#p/a/u/0/eMWvBXgBOM4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624696538864/
CHA SuperShow Video
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=352
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157625512789823/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobby#p/a/u/2/RoblwXpERog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624585674111/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CraftandHobby#p/u/3/yER3KzpSYVk
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=317
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624710825802/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624585780199/
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=343
CHA Charity Events
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cha_images/sets/72157624702899196/
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=347
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=346
http://www2.craftandhobby.org/cgi-bin/pressrelease.cgi?func=ShowRelease&releaseid=321
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:
Victor Domine is the public relations manager for the Craft & Hobby Association
and the U.S. craft and hobby industry. Victor has worked at Weber-Shandwick
where he managed leading technology accounts in Silicon Valley. Victor has
managed Fleishman-Hillard’s work on the CHA account and represented products
created by Disney and Paris Hilton, to iconic food brands like French’s
Mustard. Victor earned a B.S. in Public Relations from San Jose State
University and holds membership in the Public Relations Society of America and
the International Association of Exhibitions & Events.