Register Family's Threshie Starts Magazine for Car Buffs

Hilary Kaye Keeping Up With Expanding Role; PainePR Adds Clients, Employees, Services

MEDIA & MARKETING

A former executive at Santa Ana-based Orange County Register is launching a car magazine.

David Threshie, the Register's former director of market segmentation and a director at Irvine-based parent Freedom Communications Inc. (as weil as the son of former Freedom chairman R. David Threshie), is publishing Velocity, an Irvine-based regional lifestyle magazine aimed at OC's affluent car buffs.

It's something he knows well. Threshie, part of the family of Register founder R.C. Hoiles, is a car enthusiast.

He said the bi-monthly magazine will feature cool cars and profile stories on their owners.

"There is a real void in the market for a product that speaks to the OC car culture in a way that truly reflects their lifestyle," Threshie said. "With Velocity we plan to fill that void."

The magazine launches in October with a circulation of 25,000. It will be delivered to 12,400 homes in South County and sold on racks throughout the area.

IPW Experience in Costa Mesa is helping Velocity get the word out. The shop said it organized an online contest to create buzz and collect contact information on car enthusiasts for future marketing pushes.

The six-week contest is aimed at finding the hottest cars in OC, with winners being announced at a launch party on Nov. 10 at Astor Classics in Anaheim. To enter people can go to the magazine's Web site, www.velocitymag.com.

IPW Experience is also sending crews out to car shows and other events to pass out promotional cards and invite people to enter the contest.

Blog PR

Hilary Kaye, president of HKA Inc. in Tustin, is keeping on top of the latest trends.

Public relations is "undergoing a monumental transition," she said.

The result: PR firms like hers need to use new ways to get clients' messages across. That includes creating blogs and Web sites.

"All of us are enhancing our traditional PR skills as fast as we can," Kaye said. "The media landscape continues to change almost daily."

HKA recently helped client Perfume Bay Inc. of Huntington Beach create a blog that talks about its legal battle over its name with eBay Inc., Kaye said.

The firm expects business to stay steady for the rest of 2007 and into next year.

"Several companies are ready to start campaigns," Kaye said. "Our existing clients have many PR initiatives under way."

But Kaye said she'll keep a close eye on the economy.

Her shop has clients from "diverse industries," which helps it weather downturns, Kaye said.

And HKA should be able to survive any rockiness in the economy itself because it doesn't rely on just one or two clients.

"Our revenue is spread across our client list," she said.

PainePR Adds Clients, Employees

PainePR in Irvine nabbed several clients in the past few months.

Daryl McCuUough, PainePR's chief executive, said the shop landed work from Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. of Massachusetts, a Sony Corp. unit and Procter & Gamble Co.'s pet care brands, lams and Eukanuba.

PainePR also brought in two workers: director of social marketing accounts and a vice president of business development.

"We're optimistic about the new year," McCuUough said.

McCullough said there's been an "evolution" in PR, which has helped bring in work.

Firms are being asked to move beyond "classic publicity" to handle online pushes, a trend other firms are also experiencing, he said.

"Because of this trend we see more companies and brands willing to shift (their) budgets to the PR category," McCuUough said. "Online and influencer programs are reaUy contributing to their bottom lines."

PainePR has ramped up its online offering, including working with bloggers, social networks and other Web marketing programs, McCuUough said.

Expanding Services

WunderMarx/PR in Tustin is set to launch a practice.

Cara Good, cofounder and chief executive, said the public relations firm expanded its services to focus on the hospitality, luxury retail and art and entertainment industries. It also hired a new vice president to oversee the group.

And that isn't the only way WunderMarx/PR has been expanding.

"The size of our average retainer increased by 20%," this past year, Good said.

The shop also tripled its staff, going from five to 15 workers.

Good said she also plans to hire up to three more employees-one this year and two in 2008.

WunderMarx/PR has brought in more business and expanded services with current clients, she said.

"We're seeing tech, life science, lifestyle and professional services be big growth areas for us," Good said.

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Copyright CBJ, L. P. Oct 8-Oct 14, 2007
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