About

Philosophy

DDPR offers strong expertise and insight in developing successful, creative strategies and campaigns that address specific business issues, increase sales and revenue, and raise awareness with target audiences. It is this talent that drives the agency and its philosophy of client partnership. Each client receives an individual approach; with thoughtful and original strategic ideas developed in tandem with the client to address their particular business needs and challenges, and effectively reach their goals.

The same individual approach is taken with the media on behalf of the client. In the luxury market, it is not about mass mailings of press releases, but rather about precision aim. The media outlets that will best serve the client’s goals are identified, the story idea is tailored accordingly, and communicated to the proper journalist in the most appropriate manner.  Creative ideas for the client are developed with both the benefit to the end-user in mind, as well as the potential media interest and publicity opportunities.

Expertise

DDPR’s principals have 35 years of combined experience in luxury lifestyle marketing communications.  During this time, they have developed in-depth knowledge, distinct expertise and strong reputations within the industry for consistently demonstrating exceptional skills to a market niche that knows and trusts us.

DDPR regularly works with the whole spectrum of national and regional media, covering lifestyle topics throughout the U.S.  DDPR’s comprehensive media database has been developed over the course of many years, and is continually updated and expanded.  The list is supported by strong personal relationships and includes powerful contacts at the highest editorial levels as well as key freelance contacts, which are often a backdoor into highly sought-after publications.

Given their extensive experience in luxury lifestyle and travel media relations, DDPR’s principals are regarded by the media as a resource for current industry trends, a reliable news source, and a sounding board for story ideas. Clients benefit from these networking relationships through increased awareness, opportunities for company management to serve as a news sources, and mentions and inclusion in appropriate articles.

Nichole DiBenedetto Bio

With over fifteen years of public relations experience, specifically in the luxury lifestyle and hospitality tourism industry, Nichole L. DiBenedetto brings wealth of destination, travel and consumer marketing experience.

For the past three years, Nichole held the post of Director, Global Public Relations for Preferred Hotel Group™, a global hospitality company that provides sales and marketing support to over 800 independently owned and operated hotels and resorts in 70 countries. She joined Preferred Hotel Group in 2008 as Director, Public Relations – Historic Hotels ofAmerica.  Her responsibilities included developing PR programs for corporate communications, as well as overseeing consumer and trade media relations for five of the company’s six brands.   In addition she supported the global marketing programs as well as Preferred Golf, GIFTTS, the company’s corporate social responsibility program; and I Prefer, the guest loyalty program.

Prior to joining Preferred, Nichole served as Account Director for Middleton & Gendron Brand Communications inNew York City.  The New York native began her career at Rubenstein Associates, Inc., inNew York City, continuing a fast track at the global public relations agency, Ruder Finn, Inc., and Laura Davidson Public Relations.

Her previous account work has included Australian Tourist Commission, Barbados Tourism Authority, Green Giant, Mohegan Sun, SMART Car, South African Airways, Eos Airlines, Flight Options, Mohegan Sun, Sea Island Resort and Preferred Hotel Group.

A passionate media relations expert, Nichole’s clients have appeared in Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, Food + Wine, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic Adventurer, RobbReport, Sherman’s Travel, Town & Country, Travel + Leisure as well as on About.com, Daily Candy, Hotel Chatter, Urban Daddy, MSNBC Travel, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC to name a few.

Avid golfer and ardent traveler, she has visited over 50 cities and 20 countries. Nichole holds a B.A. in Sociology from Providence College, Providence, R.I.

Teresa Delaney Bio

Teresa Delaney has twenty years of experience in marketing communications and public relations in the hospitality and lifestyle arena, including hotels and resorts, real estate, airlines, five-star restaurants, food and beverage, and lifestyle services and products. Her expertise encompasses strategic brand development and marketing, tracking industry trends and research, organizing special events, media planning, creative support, identifying and establishing strategic marketing partnerships, crisis communications and internal communications.

She had her own agency from 2004 to 2009, and then was recruited to an in-house position as Director of Communications for The New York Palace, one of the Dorchester Collection, and GILT, its two Michelin Star restaurant. Prior to starting her firm, Teresa held in-house communication positions at two of the finest hotels in New York City; ironically they grace the East and West corners of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Fifth Street. This hands-on experience in hotel management, operations, and crisis communications, provides her with a genuine and meaningful knowledge of the role public relations and marketing plays in a property’s success, as well as a true understanding of how to run effective campaigns that are congruent with the operation and supported by the staff.

As Director of Public Relations for The St. Regis, she was member of the hotel’s steering Executive Committee, and was involved in all aspects of decision-making for the hotel and contributed to the overall enhancement of the property’s service and reputation – the only hotel in Manhattan to receive Mobil Five Stars and AAA Five Diamonds for ten consecutive years. Her focus was to find new ways to market and promote the hotel and its outlets, and, in many ways, reinvent and redevelop existing services to give a fresh appeal to the media and the public.

Previously, as Regional Director of Communications for The Peninsula Group she was responsible for enhancing and maintaining the company’s brand image in North America via media coverage, publicity, and cooperative marketing partnerships. Acting as corporate spokesperson and media relations specialist in North America, she ensured that unified brand messages were presented and initiated new group-wide programs to further strengthen the corporate profile and underscore the brand’s value.

Initially, Teresa joined The Peninsula New York as Director of Public Relations, when the five-diamond, luxury landmark hotel was re-opening following a $45 million renovation. As the sole public relations representative, she created and executed the communications plan to re-open and re-position this very successful property.

Before these in-house positions, as director of the travel division for Evins Communications, a mid-size New York PR agency, she managed corporate image and branding campaigns on behalf of a stellar roster of luxury travel and lifestyle clients, including: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Hotel de Crillon, and Halekulani.

Prior to joining Evins, Teresa was Public Relations Manager for Relais & Chateaux, an international association of over 400 small luxury inns and restaurants. She was responsible for directing their branding effort in North America and organized the association’s first-ever “Relais & Chateaux Showcase,” an upscale tradeshow uniting more than 400 hoteliers and chefs for a three-day affair consisting of several press, trade, charity and consumer events.  Before Relais & Chateaux, Teresa gained experience at public relations agencies with account work on Cunard Line, Government of Monaco, and Singapore Tourist Promotion Board among others.