Clients
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A Dignified Life Africana.com Big Fun Gymnastics Box-O-Box Cornerstone Executive Development Group Danny Pearl Foundation Dermalogica Devin Crane Gallery Diner En Blanc Discovery Pictures Dmitri Hvorostovsky Dr. Michael Kosdon First Annual Earth Day International Awards Gala NYC Greedy Lying Bastards Guerilla Girls Greenberg & Bass Grace Magazine Hawk Holdings IAC-EZ IMAX Corporation Igudesman & Joo Interfilm Studios Keith Miller Loews Cineplex Entertainment (now AMC Theatres) Lucha Libre USA |
Madame Tussauds New York Maxim Vengerov Michael Colina Michael Moore Modavox Inc. Multivision Inc. My Suicide NBC Television Network's The NBC Experience Open Borders Summer of Music and Art Patron Tequila and Spirits Company Pajama Program PBS Perlman Music Program (now Hamptons Summer Camp) Philippe Quint Ricki Lake Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp SA Baxter Serino Coyne Sharkwater Shock Coffee Sony Style SpotCo Stark Design Steve Lee & Associates Stay Strong Nation Stevenson Fitness Tranquila |
Corporate and Crisis Communications
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Education
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Travis Reid, CEO, Loews Cineplex Entertainment
"Diane worked with us at Loews for 12 years and was very successful in building awareness for the Company, our new locations and our marketing initiatives. Diane is professional, creative and an excellent relationship builder, all of which she leverages to the benefit of her clients."
Tim Gallagher, President, Gallagher 20/20 Consulting
"Cindy is focused energy in motion. She is experienced, clever and well-connected. I often turn to her for help in solving some of the public relations riddles because she has "seen it all." Cindy is one of the most creative people in the business and she never takes "No" for an answer. She finds solutions."
Janine DiGioacchino, General Manager, Madame Tussauds New York
"Diane and I have been professional colleagues since October 1999 when she and her team was selected as the public relations and communications agency of choice for Madame Tussauds New York. During her tenure here, the agency delivered an unparalleled level of media impressions, driving up the brand awareness from 8% domestically to over 60% in year one.
The agency's work ethic and character are outstanding, with a fantastic sense of urgency and the ability to treat you as if you are the only client, providing access and availability to me and my team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
Deborah Shames, Principal, Eloqui Communications
"This woman is exceptional! She has a firm grasp of the PR Industry, and knows how to work it. We've been disappointed with other PR companies who talk a good game but don't deliver. Cindy is the opposite. She has great connections, has a terrific instinct for how to position you, and she is generous with her time, talent and expertise. When you want to promote your company, your services, or brand yourself in the marketplace to grow your business, Cindy is the one to contact."
Scott Baxter, CEO, SA Baxter Ltd.
"There is no one better to SEND YOUR MESSAGE to the world. It takes Strategy, Focus, and an "I do not take no for a answer" attitude in this difficult PR environment to get noticed. Diane Blackman has all three attributes. I have hired her three times over 12 years for three different and successful ventures."
Drew Hodges, President/Director of Creative Services, SpotCo Advertising
"Blackman Rakowitz are smart, committed, frugal, inventive, and tenacious -- all of the things you want in a publicity firm."
Anthony White, SVP, Marketing & Network Development, Playboy Entertainment
"When Cindy and I worked together she was an absolutely solid results oriented public relations professional who consistently delivered outstanding results, on time and on budget. Multifaceted, she was equally facile in creating events, wrangling talent, generating great press, and successfully coaching our executives (including me) through her rigorous media-training curriculum."
Lynn Marschke, VP, IMAX and Event Marketing, Loews Cineplex Entertainment
"Lights! Camera! Action! For over twelve years I was entrusted by the Sony Theatres/Loews Cineplex exhibition chain to generate publicity, awareness and media market exposure for movies, film venues and theatre projects, theatre openings and marketing platforms. Such a formidable task could not have had much success without a true professional partner at my side and I was fortunate to have worked with one in Diane Blackman and her great agency for over 12 years.
Together we achieved levels of accomplishment and innovation that have been widely recognized throughout the world. Using every means imaginable, Diane got us unparalleled coverage in both strong local and national outlets and helped guarantee the fulfillment of our overall marketing efforts. She was unique, creative and demanding in her strategies and left nothing unturned. Her personality was magnetic and resourceful.With an unrelenting drive that yielded top tier, often jaw dropping, results no matter how challenging the project. No business, regardless of focus, should be without a partner like Diane. She is a Superstar in the field of PR. Sign her up today! It will assure you of a critical hit!"
Len Zimmelman, Creative Director, Kovel/Fuller
"Here's the Cindy I know: A PR wonder woman, with a deep knowledge of both broad-appeal and niche marketing. A strategist with an uncanny skill at making unerring, spot-on judgment calls. A self-confident who cuts through the bull with a blade that has been honed with many years of being tuned in to the behavior of the crude ape-man we know of as the "consumer." I'd consider it a privilege to work with her. Just make sure your seat belts are fastened."
Sara Fitzpatrick, Director of Interactive, SpotCo Advertising
"Diane Blackman is incredibly connected, uniquely assertive, and has a genuine passion about her that energizes her client as well as the media and public! She becomes a true partner in the success of your project. Diane's excitement and enthusiasm for your business is infectious. She is the best at what she does and delivers on every promise she makes. I would highly recommend Diane to anyone who wants their visibility in the marketplace and business to explode. Her agency's first assignment was to make a critical announcement for SpotCo of an important merger for our company. Out of the box she got us a full page in the New York Times!!! We'd hire her again in a nano second!!"
Heather Villa CMA, MBA, MSM, IAC Professionals
"Cindy is creative, caring, and understanding with a passion for what she does. Cindy guided me and my organization(s) as we entered the chaotic media world without stress, hesitation or frustration. She understands what needs to be done to grab press attention and most of all knows how to prepare her clients for the public attention."
Pamela Henning, SVP Sales and Integrated Marketing, FOX Cable Networks
"I have worked with Diane Blackman forever - since 1993. She's an out of the box thinker who doesn't say no. I've brought her on board to every company I have worked with that needed immediate turnaround, strategy, brand building and dedication. Diane delivers results. Hire her now."
Devin Crane, Devin Crane Gallery
"I would highly recommend Cindy Rakowitz to anyone who wants their visibility in the marketplace and business to explode. I have known Cindy for the past 8 years, and was beyond thrilled when I hired her to handle all of the PR work for my last gallery exhibit in Los Angeles. I wanted to extend my reach and attract attention. I wanted to also build a brand for myself. Cindy enabled me to do all of that and more. Before working with her, my Google traffic was only 2500. After Cindy it exploded to 4,000,000. Due to her tireless work and dedication, I was able to begin to extend my brand to so many more people, magazines, high end clients, and various business groups.
I have never met anyone that works as hard as she does. Through Cindy's work I was able to secure magazine articles as well as generate enough interest internationally, that I am having a gallery exhibit this May in Paris, France. Cindy's excitement and enthusiasm for your business is infectious. She is the best at what she does and delivers on every promise she makes. Cindy also makes the process fun. Her creative thinking and vast knowledge puts your mind at ease and makes the whole process so much fun. She manages expectations and exceeds your wildest dreams of maximum exposure."
Bob Bejan, CEO, PBJS Inc.
"Diane is an "A" player in the PR field. I have worked with her in a variety of settings and situations and she has delivered outstanding results in all of the situations and projects we have taken on. I would, without hesitation, recommend Diane to anyone seeking expert advice, council and support in the field of PR and Publicity."
Joe DeCola, Sirius Radio News Reporter, NBC Television News Producer, Sirius Satellite
"There are very few PR professionals who really know how to help a TV Producer make a segment work on television. Press releases don't do it. But intelligence and understanding of what makes good television does. I worked with Diane on several projects over the years when I was a Producer at NBC, first for Nightly News, and then for the Today Show. She knew how to pitch a story for television AND she knew how to make a segment work for her clients and for me as a Producer. She's just the best."
Robert Grossman, President & Executive Producer, Focus Creative Group
"I have had the distinct pleasure or collaborating with Cindy on several projects. One of which was a panel she moderated for a professional group on Social Media. She is driven to be the best for her clients and ensures everyone wins. Her expertise in PR, marketing and social media is clearly puts her in a leadership position in her industry. What you should also know about Cindy is her ability to assemble, lead and manage a powerful team of experts to bring about a successful project for her clients. Bottom line, if she can't get you the publicity you need, very few can."
Jeff Rosen, EVP, Shock Coffee
"At Shock Coffee I hired Blackman/Rakowitz to get our name out. The result: Nightline, CNBC, Good Morning America, Crain's, Playboy, Grand Rapids Press, The Star Ledger, NPR, USA, Business Week, Stuff Magazine, Associated Press, CSI T.V. series, MTV Casting, KYW-TV(CBS), KMOV-TV(CBS), KEZK-FM Morning Show, San Antonio Express, WXXA-TV/Fox, WNTO-FM, WAYV-FM, WDAS-FM, WCTO-FM, WJBR-FM, Many sampling events with celebrities. Our former PR firm said take a number whereas Diane and Cindy took us by the hand and walked us through every detail. I recently partnered with a website design firm and will be utilizing Diane's services."
Henry Eshelman, Managing Director, Platform Media Group
"Cindy and I have been colleagues as well as clients for more than a decade, starting when she hired us when she was President at Playboy. I often cite her as one of the most intelligent and quick thinking people I've ever met in marketing, a client who made our work better by her participation and leadership. Our two agencies have since collaborated on a number of successful projects, which have hugely benefited from her determination, skill and insight."
Ira Yoffee, VP/Creative Director, Parade Magazine
"I first met Diane years ago when I was the VP/ Creative Director at PARADE magazine. She was doing publicity for a new book and TV series that Julia Child was about to introduce. Diane did an amazing job then and has only gotten better over the years. In these times no one can afford to make a misstep when you are looking to promote yourself or your brand. Diane is the real thing. She is creative, innovative and tireless in the pursuit of excellence."
Steve Lee, Managing Partner, Steve Lee & Associates
"Linkedin forced me to choose three top attributes for Cindy Rakowitz, but she is equal parts personable, expert, on time, high in integrity, high in energy, a great value, exceptionally creative and offers extraordinary results. For public relations and crisis communications - whether you are an executive in the Fortune 500 or a business owner in the middle market - you cannot do better than Cindy Rakowitz. Ditto for her partner Diane Blackman and their colleagues. A very impressive group of professionals."
Brent Bamburger, Vice President Marketing, Multivision
"BR Public Relations took our completely unknown business and put it on the map in the industry we wanted to target - ironically, the PR industry itself. We hired Diane and her stellar team to position our brand to the PR trade and to find creative ways to leverage the data we could provide for PR firms and corporate marketing departments. As a result, we ended up selling the company to a global information services firm in less than 18 months later. I'd hire Diane back in a heartbeat."
David Nordella, Vice President of Business Development, The Commercial Finance Group
"Cindy Rakowitz did a great job on moderating a conference that provided profound insights into the rapidly evolving world of LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. She led a panel of four experts in the social media field and instructed an audience of 150 professionals through the necessity of a social media strategy and how to implement a personal strategy. Cindy was informative and upbeat while managing to keep the conversation moving forward. I came away with a lot of content that should enable me to use the social networking sites much more effectively. I recommend Cindy for your consideration with confidence."
Jim Felber, Entertainment Relations, Gibson Guitar
"My go-to agency in New York, Los Angeles and nationally for all things PR. Great rolodex, on time results and professional integrity. Two thumbs up."
Scott Flacks, President, Stickam
"Cindy was an exceptional asset to our company. Her ability to quickly assess several critical crisis situations and provide credible solutions to defuse each of them made her an invaluable resource for our organization. She has a remarkable reputation and respect throughout the media marketplace which translates to significant opportunities to leverage the company's messaging time and time again. I couldn't imagine dealing with the complexities of the media landscape without her, it would be like going to a gunfight without bullets."
Steve Bainson, VP Sales, Bacons Multivision
"Diane Blackman has been a client of mine for 14 years and has proven to me that she knows her business, knows the media and knows how to get results brilliantly! I have seen her in action and I am always impressed. I work day in and day out with large PR agencies and when I was asked to find and evaluate a PR firm to represent Bacons Multivision, her agency was my only recommendation."
Stuart Kricun, Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.
"Cindy and I interfaced on a number of issues while I was in Legal at Playboy and she showed great acumen in addressing the legal issues that crossed over into P.R. areas. She also is very intuitive and provided good input on matters that needed to be addressed in a legal fashion."
Kenneth Marinelli, CEO, Marinelli & Company
"Diane and I have worked on a variety of innovative promotional campaigns within the entertainment industry. Diane is not only a true professional but she has a wonderful way to personally get involved and understands how to get a communication noticed in this ever-changing environment. I highly recommend Diane and her team."
Lisa Million Horowitz, Art Director, Performance Labs, Inc.
"Cindy joined the company I work for (Performance Labs, Inc.) as a consultant to add some public relations guidance for a new product launch. I have rarely met someone so enthusiastic and positive to work with every day. She was always full of ideas, creativity, and humor. If she knew someone who could also assist us, that person would appear ready and willing almost immediately at our doorstep. Her network of professionals has given her much deserved devotion and loyalty, because she also knows how to deliver the same. With all of her exuberance, Cindy remains a consummate professional to all her colleagues and clients. I recommend her without reservation. She delivered as promised and was wonderful to work with as a bonus."
Tom Hayes, Producer, Telemotions LLC
"I have worked with Diane on several of her leading accounts providing EPKs and other supporting video. She is incredibly savvy when it comes to knowing how to make the media listen and react. One particular memory was how she was able to place video I produced about the introduction of Fandango to every single local news program in the New York market, as well as a multitude of national TV outlets. You're in good hands with Diane."
Harry Forbes, Director of PR, PBS
"Diane Blackman is a terrific publicist whom I've known and respected for years. During my tenure as head of Program Press Relations for PBS, I hired Diane for several of our most prestigious series and programs and she did a masterful job each time, proving she could work successfully with some very difficult talent. She consistently delivered excellent placements. If you're looking to promote your project or personality, you couldn't do better than Diane."
Michael Hauke and Justin Zucker, Co-Founders, Box-O-Box
"BR Public Relations came in clutch to give our business a well needed boost. They executed very effectively on a finite time-line, with the diligence and decisiveness needed to accomplish the tasks at hand. They have resources they leverage to successfully land all kinds of promotional placements; from very large national placements, to a laundry list of 'mom & pop' type outlets as well. All in all BRPR was a great fit for our business; positioning us to the media of much larger proportions all-the-while giving us the attention that one hopes for from a boutique agency. My relatives who are in the industry were impressed with their performance and reporting, and I know my partner and I look forward to working with them on upcoming campaigns."
Jacob Stein, Partner, Klueger & Stein, LLP
"Cindy has to be the best PR expert in town. She has done wonders for our law firm, propelling us to the top stratosphere of our practice. We get quoted and cited in relevant news stories that are carried by some of the biggest publications in the country. She took time to really understand our business and continually manages to successfully pick out the right news events to showcase our practice.
She works tirelessly to get us in front of reporters and onto high-traffic websites. Best marketing money we ever spent."
Pamela Henning, FOX Cable Networks
"I have worked with Diane Blackman forever - since 1993. She's an out of the box thinker who doesn't say no. I've brought her on board to every company I have worked with that needed immediate turnaround, strategy, brand building and dedication. Diane delivers results. Hire her now."
Hugh Hefner, Founder, Playboy Enterprises Inc.
"In other words…they don't make PR people like Cindy anymore."
New York Times
"Legendary PR Guru, Cindy Rakowitz."
Michael S. Perlis, CEO, Softbank
"There isn't a person in the world who works more energetically and passionately than Cindy Rakowitz. She continues to make a cultural impact and always gets results! She has an extraordinary track record in entertainment, publishing, product marketing and is highly regarded as a respected US business ambassador during her frequent international assignments."
Bill Franzblau, President, Franzblau Media
"Diane Blackman is very results oriented and passionately believes in her clients. I could not recommend the agency more highly. I have hired her for every company I have managed."
Richard Burke, CEO, Performance Labs Inc.
"Cindy is the Rachel Ray of the public relations world-she's always cooking something!"
Jim Felber, Gibson Guitar
"My go-to agency in New York, Los Angeles and nationally for all things PR. Great rolodex, on time results and professional integrity. Two thumbs up."
Steve Bainson, Bacons Multivision
"Diane Blackman has been a client of mine for 14 years and has proven to me that she knows her business, knows the media and knows how to get results brilliantly! I have seen her in action and I am always impressed. I work day in and day out with large PR agencies and when I was asked to find and evaluate a PR firm to represent Bacons Multivision, her agency was my only recommendation."
PR News
"Rakowitz is filling a void in the public relations business."
Arthur Greenberg, Founder, Greenberg & Bass
"Early one morning we received a call from a distressed client, the owner of a national home improvement franchise company, who had just been contacted by a Wall Street Journal reporter and advised that she would be the primary focus of a soon to be published investigative article on fraud in the franchise industry.
Obviously, the mention of our client's name in the same breath as fraud would effectively destroy her business. Before commenting on the allegations being levied against her, our client wisely decided to bring us into the picture and, as we have done many times in the past in similar sensitive situations, we called Cindy Rakowitz, our "go to" crisis communications expert.
By the end of the following day, after having calmed our client, gathered all relevant information, developed a media communications strategy and trained our client on how to communicate with the press, Cindy contacted the reporter, argued that the allegations against our client were false and convinced him to "kill" the article, all without our grateful client ever having to issue any comment.
Cindy Rakowitz is a "no nonsense", "roll up your sleeves", "take no prisoners" kind of public relations professional, who works passionately and tirelessly on behalf of her clients and who prides herself on achieving desired results. Equally comfortable in the board room or the press room, Cindy understands the ins and outs of the public relations world and the need to manage the media in potentially volatile situations. Cindy, with her knowledge of legal principles, has proven to us time and time again that the disciplines of law and public relations, while seemingly strange bedfellows, can and often must work hand in hand to avert, or at the very least minimize, almost any potential crisis.
Let Cindy tell you how she helped a distraught Ruth Pearl ready herself for the Larry King Show immediately after her son Danny, the Wall Street Journal reporter, was beheaded by Muslim terrorists in Afghanistan. Let Cindy tell you how she rallied the community behind the Artesia High School boys varsity basketball program threatened with suspension due to recruiting violations and, in doing so, salvaged the hopes and dreams of many young men who are now playing NCAA basketball. These situations are typical of Cindy's extraordinary work. It is with great pleasure and conviction that I recommend Cindy Rakowitz."