WOC Welcomes New Associate Vice President

Whitaker brings considerable experience and a background in major consumer brands

SAN DIEGO; March 3, 2022 — (W)right On Communications has added Terry Whitaker in the role of Associate Vice President leading the agency’s lifestyle practice group, which includes hospitality and tourism, senior living, wellness, higher education and major events.

Whitaker, a communications veteran with more than 18 years’ experience, brings a passion for creative thinking, fresh ideas and satisfied client partners.

Before joining the (W)right On team, Whitaker was based in Sydney, Australia where he represented American brands including the NFL and MLB as well as Visit California, Budweiser, IBM, TEDx and others. Whitaker’s work has been honored with a Bronze Media Lion Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.

“Terry is a terrific addition and has been warmly welcomed by the team and our client partners,” said (W)right On Communications President Julie Wright. “We created this leadership position specifically to guide our lifestyle team and programs which have been growing sharply as tourism comes back with a vengeance.”

(W)right On Communications is also recruiting for two open positions, a Senior Communications Strategist supporting its B2B group, and an experienced Communications Coordinator or Strategist to support its Lifestyle group.

About (W)right On Communications

Founded in 1998, (W)right On Communications is an award-winning integrated strategic communications firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its client partners, employees and industry plus a focus on creative and measurable results, (W)right On Communications serves organizations in complex and unpredictable business environments working with business innovators, leaders and difference-makers. (W)right On Communications has been named one of America’s Best PR Agencies of 2021 and is a member of IPRN, a global network of more than 50 independently owned and managed communications and public relations agencies in over 40 countries.

For more, see www.wrightoncomm.com.

New Team Members, Office and Global Partnership

SAN DIEGO — (W)right On Communications has added three new team members, a new downtown address for its San Diego head office and joined the International Public Relations Network (IPRN), a global network of more than 50 independently owned and managed communications and public relations agencies in over 40 countries.

The new hires, downtown location and global relationship are investments in the resources, accessibility and global reach needed to serve (W)right On Communications’ growing roster of client partners.

Newly appointed Director of Creative Services Felicia Watson draws on more than 20 years of diverse creative experience to lead all agency creative capabilities including branded print and digital graphic design, videography, photography, animation, motion graphics and emerging creative technologies.

Senior Communications Strategist Parker Little brings more than a decade of agency experience and is focused on providing client partners with luxury hospitality public relations, senior living public relations and education PR services. Little has a passion for cultivating creative co-branded partnerships, organizing large-scale media events and cross-promotional event activations, developing crisis communications plans and creating engaging content that resonates with audiences to generate big buzz.

Communications Coordinator Jen Moynihan supports the (W)right On team and a wide variety of client partner programs with an emphasis on media relations, social media campaigns and other project coordination. Moynihan brings more than six years of experience as a television news anchor in California, Texas and Colorado media markets.

“Felicia, Parker and Jen are terrific new team members who bring key capabilities to drive our client partners’ success,” says Grant Wright, CEO. “Our careful and strategic growth continues to ensure that we have world-class communicators for world-class client partners making an inspiring difference in their respective industries.”

The agency has also moved its headquarters from La Jolla to downtown San Diego offices. Taking the circular 27th floor near the top of the iconic Emerald Plaza towers complex at 402 W. Broadway, the agency chose the location with client partners and team members in mind given its proximity to easy road, rail and air access.

(W)right On Communications has also been welcomed into the prestigious International Public Relations Network (IPRN) based in Madrid, Spain. IPRN members are distributed across more than 50 major cities around the globe.

“(W)right On Communications has client partners coast to coast in North America, one in Europe and several with global communications needs. IPRN extends our reach worldwide wherever our client partners need us to be,” said Wright.

“We continue enlarging our global presence and have expanding representation in one of the most important states in the U.S. and economies of the world, California,” said IPRN President Luis Gonzalez in welcoming (W)right On Communications to the network.

About (W)right On Communications

Founded in 1998 with client partners coast to coast, (W)right On Communications is an award-winning integrated strategic communications firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its client partners, employees and the industry plus a focus on creative and measurable results, (W)right On Communications serves organizations in complex and unpredictable business environments working with business innovators, hospitality and tourism leaders and the not-for-profit and public sector. (W)right On Communications has been named one of America’s Best PR Agencies of 2021 and is a member of IPRN, a global network of more than 50 independently owned and managed communications and public relations agencies in over 40 countries.

For more, see www.wrightoncomm.com. 

Only 1 in 5 CEOs report satisfaction with their strategies in 2020, According to Study by (X)

SAN DIEGO; Nov. 23, 2020 — COVID-19 made 2020 the year of the strategy pivot, and independent San Diego State University survey research commissioned by (X) shows how enterprise leaders are evaluating their pivots and providing lessons for improved strategy performance in 2021.

Data collected from more than 100 U.S. CEOs and other corner suite leaders from a cross-section of industries showed how they feel about their enterprise strategy execution:

  • Only 22% of C-level executives felt their enterprises were doing a good job with their strategic initiatives.
  • The majority (66%) said that the biggest obstacle to successful strategy execution was a lack of employee engagement, even though 79% said that employee engagement was a big driver of their internal communication program. 
  • More than half reported that strong communication strategies played a role in their enterprise’s success in 2020. However, 39% reported their internal communication was also strained by COVID-19. 
  • The degree to which strong communication helped enterprises succeed in 2020 correlated significantly with whether an enterprise used consultants: 68% of CEOs who reported using consultants attributed strong communication to their success compared to 50% who don’t use consultants. 

 “Strategy is crafted by few and implemented by many. Getting and keeping employees more engaged through supporting communication could go a long way in helping the 78% of CEOs who aren’t feeling good about their strategic initiatives,” said (W)right On Communications CEO Grant Wright. “This is why we partnered with Excelerate to create (X), a solution to help organizations wring more shareholder ROI out of their initiatives. Senior leaders know strategy implementation and internal and external communication need to be tightly linked, but our research also revealed some gaps, fragmentation and resource issues, with COVID-19 also creating a strain.”

The survey was conducted by the Broom Center at San Diego State University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies and sponsored by (X), an enterprise strategy execution and communication consultancy formed by partners (W)right On Communications and Excelerate. 

“Execution of key strategies is always difficult,” said Jana De Anda, president of Excelerate. “The realities businesses faced in 2020 drove even more complexity in getting key initiatives to the finish line. And with the majority of CEOs reporting that their employee engagement is such a big obstacle to their success, it illustrates the importance of connecting strategic planning and implementation with excellent internal communication just as much as external.”

(X) leaders Julie Wright and Jana De Anda are presenting the survey’s findings in a webinar on Dec. 3 from noon to 1 p.m. PST. The webinar will go deeper into the survey results and share tips on how enterprises can better align strategy and communication to more successfully achieve strategic goals. 

Register for the “Pivoting in 2021: Pitfalls to Avoid” webinar at bit.ly/2021pivotpitfalls. 

About the Study

SDSU’s survey, conducted from Oct. 6 to Oct. 27, examined the strategic planning and implementation and communication practices of enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking to leaders at the highest level, CEOs (87%) made up a majority of the 136 respondents.  These leaders direct companies with annual revenue between $50M to $250M (54%) and more than $250M (46%). The survey gauged CEOs’ communication alignment with their business strategy. The data suggests best practices for upcoming communication strategy for Q1 of 2021. 

About (X) 

Combining the considerable capabilities and reputations of (W)right On Communications and Excelerate, (X) is a joint venture service offering that better connects strategic planning and operational implementation with integrated strategic communications for faster and more impactful results. From offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland and Vancouver, BC and with client partners coast to coast, (X) streamlines multiple agency engagements thereby reducing costs and decreasing redundancy while strengthening outcomes at a faster rate that is essential for organizations to successfully navigate unprecedented change and new opportunities.

For more, see PivotWithX.com or email AskUs@PivotWithX.com

Forbes Names (W)right On Communications to Best PR Agencies List

SAN DIEGO; Oct. 30, 2020 —  (W)right On Communications, Inc. a leading public relations agency headquartered in California, has been named to Forbes’ Best PR Agencies list.

From among about 12,000 PR firms across the nation of which 5,000 were nominated, (W)right On was named among the Top 200. Of these, (W)right On is one of only 20 firms based in California that was rated with five of five stars according to Forbes research and analysis.

“It’s an honor receiving this national recognition, particularly since it’s driven by what client partners say about us”, said Grant Wright, CEO of (W)right On Communications. “PR takes a lot of strategy, experience and creativity to execute well, and credit goes to Julie for never wavering from the high standards she set when founding the agency 23 years ago, the terrific (W)right On team members for their savvy, progressive nature and relentless effort to achieve results, and our wonderful client partners it’s a privilege to support.”

Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista for its inaugural ranking of America’s Best PR Agencies. To develop the list, Statista surveyed more than 12,700 experts and 20,500 customers who made the nominations. Participants were asked to indicate how likely they were to nominate a particular agency on a scale of zero (very unlikely) to 10 (very likely). Statista then narrowed the list to the Top 200 and gave those that received at least the median score a four-star rating and those that exceeded the median score a five-star rating.

With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its team members, client partners and industry, (W)right On Communications delivers world-class results from a team of award-winning communicators. The agency’s investment in comprehensive capabilities including data collection and analysis, certification by the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communications (AMEC), and remaining on the industry forefront of integrated PR and marketing approaches has helped it successfully navigate the ever-evolving world of information and influence. Coupled with its steadfast commitment to operating in accordance with its Core Values, this approach has led to a growing list of diversified client partners in technology, hospitality, healthcare, education, cleantech, food and entertainment, life science, energy, manufacturing, government and not-for-profit sectors among others.

About (W)right On Communications

Founded in 1998 with client partners coast to coast, (W)right On Communications is an award-winning integrated strategic communications firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its client partners, employees and the industry plus a focus on creative and measurable results, (W)right On Communications serves organizations in complex and unpredictable business environments working with business innovators, hospitality and tourism leaders and the not-for-profit and public sector. (W)right On is also a parent company of subsidiary brand (X) that seamlessly blends strategic planning, analysis and implementation with unparalleled strategic communications for exceptional results.

(X) Blends Business and Communications Consulting Services to Speed Clients’ Post-Pandemic Recoveries

(W)right On Communications and Excelerate join forces to bring business leaders a turnkey team of cross-functional experts to plan and implement their 2020 and 2021 priorities

SAN DIEGO; June 2, 2020 — San Diego-based (W)right On Communications, Inc. and Excelerate, LLC have created a joint venture, (X), to help organizations navigate the new normal emerging from the worldwide pandemic faster and more successfully. Created by one of California’s premier communication agencies in partnership with one of the West Coast’s best management consulting firms, (X) provides seamless integration of business strategy implementation with supporting complex communications.

“Business and communication strategies are two sides of the same coin. When one is overlooked or shortchanged, the other can’t succeed,” says Grant Wright, CEO of (W)right On Communications. “Many CEOs are making abrupt pivots, evaluating new business strategies and struggling to keep stakeholders and customers engaged and informed. (X) provides a streamlined resource to achieve faster planning and successful implementation for better outcomes.”

“With (X), we are filling a market need for speed that is informed by data-driven insights, which has always been a key part of Excelerate’s mission and client value,” says Jana De Anda, President of Excelerate. “Together with (W)right On, we can help organizations rethink their business models, operational plans and communication strategies to protect and grow their business or market share.”

Wright and De Anda will co-lead (X) supported by their respective teams, combined resources and offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland and Vancouver, B.C.

The two firms both have client partners coast to coast and share deep expertise working with retail, conservation, financial services, energy and water utilities, cleantech innovators, tourism and hospitality leaders, higher education institutions, not-for-profits, land developers, healthcare centers, manufacturers, regional and city governments and numerous other industries.

Follow (X) on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About (X)
Combining the considerable capabilities and reputations of (W)right On Communications and Excelerate, (X) is a joint venture service offering that better connects strategic planning and operational implementation with integrated strategic communications for faster and more impactful results. From offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland and Vancouver, BC, and with client partners coast to coast, (X) streamlines multiple agency engagements thereby reducing costs and decreasing redundancy while strengthening outcomes at a faster rate that is essential for organizations to successfully navigate unprecedented change and new opportunities. For more, see www.PivotWithX.com 

About (W)right On Communications
Founded in 1998 with client partners coast to coast, (W)right On Communications is an award-winning integrated strategic communications firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its client partners, employees and the industry plus a focus on creative and measurable results, (W)right On Communications serves organizations in complex and unpredictable business environments working with business innovators, hospitality and tourism leaders and the not-for-profit and public sector. For more, see www.wrightoncomm.com.

About Excelerate
Excelerate is a strategy implementation firm that delivers high value consulting across a variety of practice areas (customer & employee experience optimization, process improvement, digital transformation and operational design). With a maniacal focus on the belief that there is no ROI until a project is live, it uses a facilitative consulting style that engages stakeholders in the process to ensure high levels of buy-in and adoption. Excelerate’s motto is to help companies “go faster” by being the force multiplier to deliver solutions for how to achieve business goals and execution of those initiatives. With a west coast focus and San Diego HQ, Excelerate is a trusted advisor to many brands across retail, manufacturing, conservation, financial services and healthcare. For more, see www.Exceleratellc.com.

(W)right On Communications further strengthens digital marketing and PR capabilities with two new hires

SAN DIEGO, Calif.; May 1, 2020—San Diego public relations agency, (W)right On Communications, welcomes new digital design and hospitality and tourism talent to its team with the recent hiring of Senior Visual Strategist Rick Tinney and Communications Strategist Licia Walsworth.
Tinney brings nearly 20 years of experience in graphic design and digital marketing in addition to his industry expertise which will assist the agency’s technology public relations and healthcare and life sciences public relations practices.

Prior to joining (W)right On Communications, Tinney was Digital Marketing Manager for Tealium where he served for six years leading graphic and identity design, branding direction, video production, web design and management, UI/UX design, analytics and front-end development.
Walsworth also brings over 20 years of progressive communications, sales and hospitality experience to (W)right On. A natural leader and gifted program manager, Walsworth was awarded Manager of the Year in 2016 and the Cultural Warrior Award in 2018 in her previous director role with Omni Hotels and Resorts. She has worked with major convention properties and global brands as well as beachfront destination properties. And contributes substantially to the agency’s hospitality public relations programs.

Prior to her significant hospitality industry experience, Walsworth spent six years at Timex Group USA where she led marketing, advertising and merchandising for all Timex retail stores. Walsworth also developed learning systems for in-store staff as well as conceiving and implementing a customer service brand training tool resulting in increased sales.

“Rick and Licia are wonderful additions to our agency family,” says Julie Wright, president and founder of (W)right On Communications. “Apart from being great teammates, they each bring deep technical skills and industry knowledge that will add even more value for our clients.”

About (W)right On Communications

Founded in 1998 with client partners coast to coast, (W)right On Communications is an award-winning integrated strategic communications firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C. With a mission to elevate the agency experience for its client partners, employees and the industry plus a focus on creative and measurable results, (W)right On Communications serves organizations in complex and unpredictable business environments working with business innovators, hospitality and tourism leaders and the not-for-profit and public sector. For more, see www.wrightoncomm.com.

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