Public Relations
The Challenge
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating August 2023 Maui wildfires, Hawai‘i’s tourism industry was in crisis. There was an urgent need to rebuild traveler confidence and compassionately reignite interest in visiting the Hawaiian Islands. Simultaneously, the global media landscape had undergone a fundamental transformation. The traditional newsroom had largely dissolved, leaving behind a geographically dispersed and digitally driven press corps with shrinking travel budgets and a constant influx of pitches. Suddenly, the standard in-person media blitz was no longer a viable or efficient option. The challenge was finding an innovative way to engage with a decentralized media landscape yet continue to inspire responsible travel coverage honoring Hawai‘i's unique culture, communities, history and natural world, all while working with a lean budget.
The Solution
Anthology partnered with the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau to reimagine the traditional media blitz as a curated, immersive, week-long Virtual Blitz. Rather than asking journalists to travel, we met them where they were, both physically and editorially. We partnered with Hawaiian cultural practitioners and community leaders, creating one-on-one virtual sessions offering journalists authentic, place-based stories and a direct connection to Hawai‘i’s people. A custom microsite streamlined scheduling. Targeted, personalized pitches ensured each conversation was meaningful.
The resulting campaign achieved a 98% virtual-blitz booking rate with national travel editors and freelancers, secured five media visits, and led to features in top-tier media outlets — including Condé Nast Traveler — and a confirmed cover feature in Travel + Leisure focused on Maui's post-wildfire recovery. Our innovative virtual-blitz model not only delivered exceptional results at a fraction of the cost of a traditional in-person blitz but also established a scalable and sustainable approach for future media outreach.
