The most effective marcomms professionals are those who bring creative vision to the table—not just media contacts. In this piece, GO PR founder and CEO Gizem Ozcelik explores how thinking like a creative consultant can transform a standard campaign into a cultural moment.
Walker Hotel Tribeca 'Peach Fuzz' Pantone room
At the core of PR, it’s all about storytelling. That’s always been true, but in today ’s hyper-saturated, ever-changing media landscape, it takes a truly unique story to cut through the clutter. Today ’s clients aren’t just looking for media liaisons; they want creative partners who can think big and move fast, helping them not only stay visible, but stay relevant. From ideation to execution, the best PR teams act as embedded extensions of their clients, shaping strategy and bringing ambitious ideas to life.
As Condé Nast Traveler called out earlier this year in “The Biggest Travel Trends to Expect in 2025”, creative hotel collaborations are taking center stage. Hotels have evolved to be about much more than heads in beds, and authentic and industry-merging partnerships are driving buzz, especially as editorial teams are getting smaller and smaller, causing writers to expand their scope and cover multiple beats. From Gucci’s pop-up at The Maidstone last summer to Staud’s new collaboration with St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (the brand’s first-ever hospitality partnership), the lines between travel, fashion, art and lifestyle continue to intersect, creating impactful campaigns.
We’re living in a time where every brand is fighting for relevance in a 24-hour news cycle, and as editorial teams shrink and competition grows, PR teams must evolve with the times. Gone are the days when you wait for your clients to give you news. We keep our fingers on the pulse, constantly reading and researching to understand not only what’s happening now, but what’s next. We work in lockstep with our clients to uncover their superpowers and then build the stage that lets them shine.
A key part of that evolution is identifying and connecting with aligned yet out-of-the-box brand partners for these creative collaborations. Some of our most impactful brand partnerships have come from working alongside other PR agencies, creative studios and even cold outreach. The right synergy can turn a good campaign into a cultural moment. This is why it’s not enough for PR professionals to be experts within their client’s industry – we need to be wellness gurus, art lovers, design aficionados and more.
For example, GO PR conceptualized and facilitated the first official U.S. hospitality partnership between Walker Hotel Tribeca and Pantone to celebrate the 2024 Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz. Through the collaboration with Pantone, we transformed one of the hotel’s guest rooms into a completely monochromatic peach sanctuary. We brought in peach linens and amenities from brand partners like Bed Threads and Flamingo to create a story that generated coverage in the likes of Domino and SLEEPER and got millions of views across social media.
Another example is the Astrology Dinner Series, which we ideated and launched at Society Cafe in Greenwich Village. Tapping into the ever-growing metaphysical space, we worked with professionals in the astrology space like the popular Astrology app Sanctuary, and ELLE’s resident astrologers, The AstroTwins, to help Society Cafe curate astrologically inspired culinary experiences. Each month, the restaurant would host a ticketed event with dedicated menus that perfectly represented each zodiac sign – for example, the Aries dinner kicked off with a fiery falafel amuse bouche. We also secured partnerships with celestial brands including Zodica Perfumery, Pink Moon, Cosmopolitan and Modern Mystic Incense for gifting, ultimately creating a series that earned over 136 million media impressions and regularly sold out, simultaneously driving revenue and relevance.
The industry has changed, and today’s most successful PR leaders are the ones thinking beyond the brief – advising clients on strategy, brand alignment and cultural trends. For those of us willing to stretch the traditional boundaries of PR and lean into creativity, it’s a truly exciting time to be a publicist, because in this new era of PR, we’re not just getting our clients in the news. We’re helping them make it.
