Move Up To The Mountain: Rose+Allyn Public & Online Relations’ 2018 Halftime Report

Move Up To The Mountain: Rose+Allyn Public & Online Relations’ 2018 Halftime Report

Desert Mountain is a magical community at the northernmost tip of Scottsdale. Six amazing Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses. A golf training facility and other recreational amenities to match. Beautiful setting. Superb architecture. And an elevation that even makes it a few degrees cooler than the rest of the Valley. It’s fair to say Desert Mountain is the best golf club in the world. 

Recently, Desert Mountain adopted a new slogan in its drive to sell the relatively few remaining lots, and additional memberships for its golf club: “Move Up To The Mountain.”

It’s aspirational as a good marketing sound bite should be. It’s diplomatic in separating itself from area competition, which is significant and impressive. The slogan says and does many things at once. 

That’s kind of like our public relations company, especially in the first half of 2018. Big public affairs projects. Major events. Effective public relations. Impacting elections. And crisis communications. Lots of crisis communications. We do a lot of things at once. Very effectively. In our own way we help clients, many of them, move up the mountain. 

Oh, and we got hired by the Desert Mountain Club. No, we didn’t help craft the marketing slogan cited above. That was all them. But we will be helping produce some additional efforts to accentuate one of the great places in Arizona, and America.  

Before then, however, here are numerous ways we already helped other companies, clients and causes throughout the first six months of 2018. We hope you enjoy the read. 

*ATTENDEES WERE GIDDY WITH GOLDY: There are events. And then there are ones like Paul Goldschmidt’s “Goldy’s Bowling Bash” that remind you just how good, and fun, a night for charity can be. Over the past two years firm partner Jennifer Moser has helped Goldschmidt launch and organize the All-Star first baseman’s new charitable initiative for

Phoenix Children’s Hospital. For its second year Goldschmidt and Moser moved the event to a date after spring training baseball had started but before the onset of games. What a decision it was. Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Andrew Miller, Albert Pujols. Diamondbacks illumanti. And even Larry Fitzgerald.  It was like a Cactus League reunion with star power perhaps only Celebrity Fight Night (another firm client) can match. And with attendance limited to some 250 people it was a sports lovers dream that most importantly raised a lot of money thanks to an athlete who is as good off the diamond as on.  

*NAMING RIGHTS; While we didn’t come up with the new marketing slogan of Desert Mountain we did for an important and innovative real estate project being proposed in Old Town Scottsdale. Slated for a former transit hub site owned by the city of Scottsdale, proceeds from the sale would assist the city at a time of major capital improvement needs, help fund expansion of the adjoining Museum of the West and boost Scottsdale’s gallery row on Main Street. While the project still has numerous approvals to go “Museum Square” as it is now known received its first unanimous Scottsdale City Council approval earlier this year.  

*DON’T MINE US: Mines are an important and critical part of Arizona history. Yet, it seems when one is proposed these days controversy erupts. Sometimes there are good reasons for this, sometimes not. The case of the proposed Gunnison Copper Project in far southeastern Arizona is an example of the latter. A good location and a smart approach have served the project well over the past number of years. Yet, when a potential problem arose we got the call and developed a creative and unorthodox approach to address the mine’s concerns. That’s what we do. Now some 22 years into the public affairs world we have been fortunate to sit at fascinating tables with huge stakes. We are never scared of the moment. And our experience combined with unmatched creativity allows us to see, and recommend things, others cannot and do not.  

*PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, PART ONE: We’ve done pretty much everything one can do on the political consulting front, from presidential elections to mayoral ones. Just last November we ran the campaign for a new half-cent sales tax in Pinal County to provide for a new $640 million road and freeway system there. Our margin of victory? 900 hundred votes. Readers might find it

strange to boast such a landslide. That was a joke. But here again experience was important. Elections aren’t just about reading polls and reciting pablum. They are about peaking around corners to identify problems before they sink you. And so it was in Pinal County. Extraordinary steps were taken at the last minute, along with the help of financial backers, to stem the slide and get out the votes in key areas to propel the win. In the past few months, after passing on the pending Phoenix mayoral race, we decided to impact two key issues in a different way. With OUR money. How? First, it was a call from former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard to firm partner Jason Rose after seeing his like-minded comments about the scourge of dark, anonymous money in Arizona elections. Shortly thereafter Rose became Co-Chair of the “Outlaw Dirty Money” ballot measure campaign, contributing important dollars himself and raising substantially more to help get critical resources and momentum for the issue. RMA’s own Mike Scerbo and Mary Turner also provided key pro-bono services with press conferences, petition gathering and other efforts to assist campaign staff and volunteers. The firm also contributed and raised some money for another cause, this one in Scottsdale. And that was to support the greatest grassroots effort in Scottsdale history by citizens rightfully fighting to stop the ill-conceived Desert Discovery Center/Desert Edge project in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve from happening. Many months ago many in Scottsdale scoffed at the notion that a fledgling group of concerned citizens could get the 23,000 valid signatures necessary to force a public vote on the project via the initiative process. Not anymore. Congratulations to one amazing performance that resulted in a staggering 37,000 signatures submitted days before the deadline. 

*PUTTING OUR MONEY WITH OUR MOUTH IS, PART TWO: It’s one thing to encourage prospective and existing clients to give us their money, and we in turn take them to a better public relations place. You better deliver or they won’t keep you around. But we think it’s quite another thing, and statement to all, when WE have put up millions of dollars over the

years to produce our own events, benefiting only if we generate more sales, sponsorships and revenues than costs. That’s how confident we are in what we do. In May we again worked with firm client Turf Paradise for a Kentucky Derby party like no other, putting over 1,000 people at our “party on the rail” at the unique Stella Artois Derby DayClub. It’s the biggest Kentucky Derby party in Arizona besides what takes place elsewhere at Turf Paradise during the “Run for The Roses.” In June we launched the inaugural Scottsdale Fahrenheit Festival: Arms, Legs & Kegs, featuring the world’s greatest arm wrestler, Travis Bagent, the hottest road race on Earth and a new craft brew festival with M Culinary. And we’re very proud to report that Nacho Figueras, the world’s most famous professional polo player and Ralph Lauren model, will be making his first appearance at the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships on

November 10-11 at WestWorld of Scottsdale. Click here to learn more.  He’ll be playing with the Aspen Valley Polo Club, the event’s defending champions.  Teams from across Arizona, Italy, Wales and Work To Ride, the first all African-American high school polo champion in American history, will also be playing. They will be joining an atmosphere like no other that has made the Scottsdale Polo Party the most attended in the United States and “the best polo event in the world” according to the Captain of the Wales Polo Team. All details including new elements this year can be found at ThePoloParty.com.  

*PUTTING OUR MONEY WITH OUR MOUTH IS, PART THREE: Shhhh. In conjunction with the Phoenix Theatre that will soon be celebrating its 100^th year entertaining audiences, Jason Rose is helping to produce what will be the most ambitious and perhaps important original musical to ever come out of Phoenix. The first table reading for the work occurred at the end of June with a world premiere scheduled for September, 2019 or January, 2020. Trust us. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this endeavor. Just not now.  

*BEST IN CLASS: We’re honored and proud to represent many: Steak 44 and Dominick’s Steakhouse. Paul Goldschmidt. Cullum Homes. Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. My Sister’s Closet. Michael Pollack.  Now, Desert Mountain. So when one-time client BASIS Schools contacted us about a pending

Arizona Republic investigative piece we were more than happy to assist. After all, is there a better Arizona export in the past number of years than BASIS? In fact, BASIS Scottsdale was ranked the nation’s top-performing high school in the country by US News and World Report. And four other BASIS schools in Arizona rounded out the top five. While crisis communications can be very difficult at times, this one wasn’t. Great resources like the Arizona Republic can still be wayward occasionally. Their reporting on BASIS being an example. And it helped that as the top dog BASIS wasn’t afraid to bark.  

*COLD CALLS: We get a lot of them for a variety of public relations services. Many times they are not good fits and we decline or refer them on. But every now and then something compelling comes in that you want to do all you can to help. Like a couple of years ago when a young Air Force veteran asked us to help him launch a church in a…Scottsdale nightclub. That friendship and relationship endures. Or when a lawyer like Samuel Moeller calls, wanting to share his story after saving himself and passengers from a plane crash. On a moment’s notice firm Communications Director Jennifer Parks-Sturgeon as well as Mike Scerbo rolled into action arranging television and other media interviews around the state.

 *LOVE OVER HATE: It’s actually LoveOverH8. And it is a new fashion line launched by highly regarded Paradise Valley resident Cheryl Najafi. Why did she? To respond pro-actively, forcefully and differently to her displeasure with President Trump’s travel ban. No matter how one feels about various issues we can all admire the passion and vision to turn an idea into reality as Najafi has done. Sales continue to escalate with portions of each going to social justice organizations Najafi supports. It’s been a privilege to assist over the past couple of months with new public relations efforts.  

*RIGHTING WRONGS: Readers may recall the horrific beating of Robert Lee Johnson at the hands of the Mesa Police Department. It made national news. And it should have. Police officers are the front and last lines ensuring community peace and welfare. Yet, mistakes can be made, as happened in Mesa. We were called by Johnson’s attorney Benjamin Taylor to increase media exposure for the situation. We did and are grateful to have played a small role helping the right result of charges being dismissed at the request of the prosecution.

*POTPOURRI: Congratulations to Rose+Allyn client Maricopa Ambulance for successfully launching its new service in Scottsdale, replacing a tired incumbent… Something was in the water during the first half of 2018. Crisis communications clients came in fast and furious . . . The success of the Bentley

Scottsdale Polo Championships has led to several spin-offs including the Stella Artois Derby DayClub and now the Fried & Fizzy Food Truck, featuring fried chicken and champagne. In partnership with M Culinary we debuted the truck at a Cullum Homes’ event in February and it’s been out and about ever since. For more details go to friedandfizzy.com . And possibly look for the debut of a Polo Party Pilsner at this year’s event too! . . After successfully

running Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane’s re-election campaigns in 2012 and 2016 we helped him successfully launch his “At Our Best” political action committee two months ago with an event at Barrett-Jackson’s Showroom. Money raised will be used to help candidates in and around Scottsdale… Speaking of Barrett-Jackson what it does for Arizona and Scottsdale with its multiple auction and television impact across the world is staggering…Few more public affairs efforts have been as important and challenging for us as those on behalf of solar companies against the fierce onslaught from the state’s utilities. Unfortunately,

 Tucson Electric Power thinks it now needs to get in on the act too with a proposal before the Arizona Corporation Commission that would make fees on new solar the highest in the nation. What an awful statement that would be for Arizona and its Corporation Commission when it and they need it least. Fortunately, there may be some optimism later this month because of a sagacious philosophy called “gradualism” and a template via a recent solar compromise with APS . . . Congratulations to Rose+Allyn public affairs clients Apex Motor Club and all of its legal victories to help make happen a landmark new automobile country club in Maricopa, AZ… To True North and its legal winnings as it seeks to revitalize the former Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix in a fight over property rights that should matter to every owner of them…And to Crown Realty & Development for prevailing in complex litigation over the future of Desert Ridge. Sometimes issues move very fast, other times slower, especially when litigation is involved. But we enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to strategize and communicate these complexities and nuances for these three quality companies and projects, among many others. 

*LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST: Jennifer Parks-Sturgeon had a baby! Born April 24, 2018, Rainer Christian Sturgeon is a beautiful boy lighting up his mom’s world, and keeping her up a little at night too! Congratulations to Rose+Allyn’s Director of Logistics, point guard and Zen-master Mandy McGee who got engaged May 9^th, 2018 at the top of Mount Humphrey’s in Flagstaff. And welcome to former Miss Alabama Finalist Cassidy Jacks who recently joined our staff as an Account

Coordinator, helping the new mother with earned media and other communications projects.

And that our friends is a wrap on a most eventful first half of 2018 when many engaged us to move up, not down, the mountain.