I'm back with new assignments!
Where did this summer go?! I’m back from vacation — bopping around to four countries in Europe with my husband and kids by train and plane — plus a whirlwind July of travels and celebrations. And I’m hitting the ground running with tons of new assignments. Let’s get into it!
August Zoom workshop: Everything you need to know about 2025 holiday gift guide pitching!
Reminder about this fast-filling workshop! I’m teaming up again with fellow Substackers and prolific lifestyle writers
and for what is always our most popular AMA of the year. It’s dedicated to all things holiday gift guide — how to pitch, what to know, pitfalls to avoid, samples and mailers, trends to watch for 2025, and so much more. If landing HGG placements is a goal this year, consider this required education.This Zoom will be open to paid subscribers to any one of our Substacks and capped at 100 attendees (given our Zoom accounts’ unfortunate maximum capacity). We'll get back to you with Zoom credentials and registration confirmation a few days before the event. The key details:
HGG AMA 2025
Tuesday, August 26th
11 am PT/2 pm ET
RSVP below the paywall (scroll all the way down to the end of this email!)
Zoom link to come for confirmed attendees
Mark those calendars — can’t wait to see you there!
Tools of the trade
You already know my own press opportunities live right here in this Substack— but I’m also a media member of Press Hook. It’s built to fix what every publicist deals with: low open rates, ghosted pitches, and wasting hours chasing the wrong contacts. Instead, it gives us an efficient, trust-based system to find sources and products by topic or category— and now even by opportunity type (earned, affiliate, or paid), so you know exactly what you’re opting into. PR pros pitching through Press Hook are seeing an average media response rate of 15% or higher (compared to the industry average of ~3%) because it's built for genuine connection, not cold outreach. There’s also a growing network of newsletters and podcasts using it to source content, including folks like me! If you’re not on Press Hook yet, it’s for sure worth checking out. It’s not PR the old way, it’s a new model for media in this hybrid era. Explore Press Hook here.
Are you a publicist who needs help understanding the affiliate game? This course can really help: Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. (It’s from Sarah Karger, a brilliant affiliate expert who you might remember from some of my past Zoom workshops.) In this course, you’ll learn what affiliate marketing really is, why it has taken over the industry, and how to navigate the waters of all things affiliate to be successful.
Open press opportunities
For Southern Living, I’m working on a story about the best day of the week to book a flight. I’m open to a range of travel experts qualified to speak on this topic.
Also for Southern Living, I’m working on a story that answers the question: If your plane gets stuck on the tarmac, can you get off? Looking for a travel expert qualified to answer this one as well.
For Travel + Leisure, I’m working on a story that will require style and wardrobe tips from a stylist based in London. Please connect me with your qualified sources!
Media job moves
Share your job change news with me to be included! Send to info@alicedubin.com.
Peyton Adzema has recently joined the team at Karla Otto as an account manager on the lifestyle team, working across lifestyle clients.
Boutique travel PR firm GO PR has appointed Mara Bitton as vice president. Bitton will service a large portfolio of the agency’s client roster including clients like Generator x Freehand and NATUROPATHICA Spas, in addition to new clients EYOS Expeditions and BARK Air.
Daylyn Weppner has moved to a new role as director at Small Girls PR. Clients in the lifestyle space include Hover (property visualization and design app), Gen Phoenix (recycled leather manufacturer supplying recycled leather to over 250 airline partners), Cleo (AI-driven money tech tool), and Stitch Fix (online personalized shopping platform).
Carla Tomillo has left Purple PR and joined PRC as associate director, fashion/culture. “In this role, I'll be working on brand strategy, PR and communications for adidas Originals, GapStudio, and Banana Republic.”
I'm really looking forward to continuing to collaborate with all of you in this new chapter,” she says.Element Brand Group has officially been acquired by The Lede Company. (WWD announcement: The Lede Company Acquires Element Brand Group.) Email addresses have changed to the format firstname.lastname@ledecompany.com, but Element emails are still active.
Laura Bottke recently joined REM Public Relations, with clients including The Abaco Club (Marsh Harbor, Bahamas), CDA National Reserve (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho), Ibiza Gran Hotel (Ibiza, Spain. Reach her at laura@rempublicrelations.com.
Julia Feinbloom left J/PR and recently joined Murphy O’Brien as a senior account executive and am now working across a beautiful lineup of luxury travel clients, including Auberge du Soleil (Napa Valley), Viceroy Snowmass (Colorado), The Hermitage Hotel (Nashville), Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, THesis Hotel Miami, and more. Reach her at jfeinbloom@murphyobrien.com.
Marcella Thompkins recently joined J/PR as a senior account director, likely specializing. To start, she’ll be working with Foley Family Wines, Foley Family Spirits, and California Olive Ranch.
Ruby Virchow has recently joined the af&co. team as an account supervisor! She writes: “I'm thrilled to be joining such a well-reversed team with strong roots in the Bay Area hospitality scene.”
Hanae Reith left J/PR and joined Dreamday as an account director.
Amanda Ostrove, formerly of NJF PR/MMGY, has joined REM Public Relations, representing hospitality, travel, and golf across the globe; clients include San Ysidro Ranch, Romer Waikiki, Ibiza Gran Hotel, and more. Her new email is amanda@rempublicrelations.com.
PR vet Ty Bentsen has launched P-22 Agency, with a namesake inspired by Los Angeles’ famous mountain lion. It offers “a new breed of founder-led, strategic communications for leading luxury and lifestyle travel, tourism, commercial and private aviation, and wine/spirits clients. Operating in Los Angeles and New York City, the bi-coastal agency brings big, brand-level thinking to clients at scale with an ethos that prioritizes high-touch service over ego.”
After 10 years at White Oak Communications, Annie Goldenberg is now at MMGY, where she’ll be working on travel accounts including Visit Greater Palm Springs, Visit SLO CAL, LUMA Hotels in SF and NY, and more.
Meredith Strodel has left C&R after more than 10 years at the agency. She’s currently consulting and taking on select clients under her own new PR Lab brand umbrella.
Buy an ad and reach 6,000+ engaged publicists
Do you have a coaching program, online course, service, platform, or anything else that makes sense to get in front of my highly engaged PR and media readers? Reach out to me at alice@alicedubin.com to discuss sponsorship in this newsletter.
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Open jobs
Job posts in this newsletter are now a free perk for paying subscribers. Do you have an open opportunity you want me to promote? First, upgrade here if you need to. Then email me at info@alicedubin.com.
Katalyst PR, a Southern California-based agency headquartered in San Diego, specializing in providing public relations and social media services to culinary, hospitality, lifestyle, CPG, and real estate brands is seeking a dynamic and creative Influencer manager and content creator. “This full-time hybrid role blends influencer relationship management with hands-on digital content creation tailored for restaurant, hotel and travel brands. You will lead influencer outreach campaigns, build lasting partnerships, and produce compelling visual and written content that aligns with client goals and brand identity. Must be San Diego-based, 2-4 years of experience with influencer marketing and content creation.” This is a hybrid position with one day per week in office. Interested candidates can send resumes directly to katherine@katalyst-pr.com or apply on LinkedIn.
Carli PR is looking to bring on two new contract positions for the hospitality, restaurant, and travel-focused PR agency. These are remote positions, with preference for regional candidates. Email interest for both jobs to cb@carlipr.com.
PR Account Director (New York City)/ approx 20 hrs/ wk: This role will support various NYC accounts and potentially also manage new accounts that come online (with commensurate compensation). This role requires restaurant and hospitality PR experience in the NYC market.
PR Administrative Officer (NYC or South Florida)/ approx 30 hrs pr/ wk: This role will support the agency with day-to-day administrative tasks, such as scheduling and coordinating, note taking and call recaps, shepherding communications/ keeping teams on task and on deadlines, etc. This is ideal for someone who is extremely organized and enjoys playing an essential support role for a team.
Modern Currency PR is currently seeking a dynamic, media-savvy PR account executive with a deep passion for luxury travel and hospitality. “We’re looking for a true media relations powerhouse with someone with 2-3 years of hands-on experience, strong media relations, and a proven track record of securing results. The ideal candidate brings a sharp strategic mind, fresh creative thinking, and an unwavering work ethic to the table each day. If you're energized by luxury travel, storytelling, and thrive in a collaborative, high-performance environment, we’d love to hear from you.” This position is fully remote but must be based in Los Angeles with the ability to be mobile for on-site client meetings/shoots/influencer tours and meet-ups, etc. Interested candidates can send resumes directly to meghan@moderncurrencypr.com and jordan@moderncurrencypr.com.
MMGY is hiring for a senior account executive based in the Los Angeles office. The role would entail storytelling via pitch and press release writing, creative development of packages, promotions, events and partnerships, arranging interviews and landing thought leadership pieces, coordinating and hosting amazing press trips (“you will rack up miles!”) and more. Candidates should have a BA/BS college degree in communications or journalism and 3-5+ years PR; related experience with direct travel and lifestyle client background preferred. MMGY Global provides a comprehensive PTO + benefits package that includes a hybrid telework policy. Full information, including how to apply, is available on LinkedIn or the MMGY website.
Work with me
I am available for project-based consulting. Please reach out to discuss your needs: info@alicedubin.com.
Feedback from a recent agency after a consulting session: “That was amazing!!! Thank you SO much, you really gave us so many valuable insights to think about, and I could tell what you were saying was really resonating with the team. Really appreciate your thoughtful answers to all our questions and feedback on our pitches.”
Here’s how to pitch: Simply respond to this email with a new subject line or pitch me at pitch@alicedubin.com.
Are you a writer hoping to reach my engaged audience of publicists? A publicist hoping to connect with brands? A digital media type with a product or service for the industry? Maybe you’d like to sponsor this newsletter with a featured ad. I’m also open to well-matched affiliate partnerships. Let’s chat: info@alicedubin.com.
How to help
Donate to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country for its Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, which, according to its website, will “support nonprofit organizations, first responder agencies, and local governments actively involved in response, relief, and recovery efforts.”
Immigrant Defenders Law Center is a nonprofit that provides deportation defense, legal representation, and social services for kids and adults. Support their work with a donation.
De Sol a Sol Collective, a mutual aid group for undocumented Indigenous immigrants has a list of GoFundMe pages to support.
Donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross and Save the Children.
Donate to the Anti-Defamation League to support the fight against hate.
Donate to Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Donate to Planned Parenthood.
Donate to Pasadena Humane Society