Otto & Friends

12/20/2022

Our PR campaigns this year received coverage across the globe, resulting in more than 5 billion earned media impressions across 600+ press hits. 🙌🏻

12/15/2022

This year, we collaborated with six clients on their media communications planning, developing a series of strategies and campaigns - both proactive and reactive, launch and evergreen.

Our PR campaigns received coverage across the globe, resulting in a total of 660 press hits.

12/13/2022

The current social media landscape is fraught with platforms surpressing organic posts, teetering on the edge of collapse, and algorithms constantly changing. Brands and social strategists have to work harder and smarter to ensure that their posts are getting in front of the consumer. This year, we've worked with our clients to increase their engagement rate across platforms by an average of 174%! 🙌

12/09/2022

Now, more than ever, consumers are bombarded with email marketing. According to MailChimp, the average open rate across all industries is 21%. This year, we worked with our clients to develop comphrensive email marketing strategies that led to increasing open rates by an average of 62%, with an average open rate of 31%! 🙌

12/07/2022

As we close the books on another year, we're looking back at how we've helped our clients reach new heights by expanding their digitial footprint and ensuring that their important moments got noticed.

In 2022, we launched three websites. Each site now gives visitors an effortless user experience which has increased the amount of time they are spending on each site by an average of 32%! 🙌

11/30/2022

Tony Award-Winning Broadway Legend Chita Rivera and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge Set to Host BWW 20th Anniversary Celebration Event

Our friends and client, BroadwayWorld, have a big announcement! Theatre fans everywhere will not want to miss this show! https://bww20.broadwayworld.com/

BroadwayWorld's 20th Anniversary Concert will take place on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at the iconic Sony Hall (235 W 46th St., NY, NY), in the heart of Broadway’s theatre district. The evening will be hosted by Tony Award-Winning Broadway legend Chita Rivera, along with her longtime friend, BroadwayWor...

11/26/2022

Our NYC Small Business Spotlight is Made Man Barber Founded in 2013, Made Man Barbershop has 6 locations in Manhattan that offer a premiere barber experience in a friendly and comfortable environment (and a beer, if you care to imbibe). It's also where Mark and Ryan have been going for haircuts since they opened - and where they send to anyone who asks for a recommendation!

We support small businesses this Saturday and throughout the year. To read more about our small business support, visit https://ottoandfriends.com/smallbiz/

11/25/2022

Our Buffalo Small Business Spotlight is Cayton's Toys. Clayton's has been in business for over 100 years, and today is the oldest continuously run toy store in America. Kellie & Tera, the current co-owners (and former employees for a combined 40 years!), bought the business in 2016 in an effort to continue Calyton's mission - that for children, there is a constant and important element to help them as they grow and develop in any time, any place. That element is Play. No matter who you are, what you are looking for, or even if you have no idea what you are looking for, Clayton’s is your store! (and, their free gift wrapping skills are on point!). For more, visit https://claytons-toys.myshopify.com/.

We support small businesses this Saturday and throughout the year. To read more about our small business support, visit https://ottoandfriends.com/smallbiz/

11/23/2022

Our Catskills Small Business Spotlight is Totally Good Time. Founded in 2015,Totally Good Time is a lifestyle shop dedicated to inspiring shoppers through nostalgia, pop culture, referential phrases and good will. The shop features original handmade inclusive apparel, accessories, and more for everyone! While originally an e-commerce site, they recently opened a store in downtown Margaretville, NY!

To shop visit: https://www.totallygoodtime.com/

We support small businesses this Saturday and throughout the year. To read more about our small business support, visit https://ottoandfriends.com/smallbiz/

11/22/2022

Last week, we attended NGLCC's Unity Week and had the pleasure of hearing Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. One thing she had to say about really resonated with us, so as we head into the holiday season (and Small Business Saturday) we want to highlight the importance of small businesses to the US economy and culture, and the importance of supporting them both in person and online!

This week we'll be highlighting some of our favorite small businesses in New York City, Buffalo and the Catskills that we support all year.

Learn More about our Small Business Capabilities: https://ottoandfriends.com/smallbiz/

11/14/2022

Mark and Ryan are heading to DC tomorrow to attend Unity Week, hosted by NGLCC - The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with WIPP and the National Business Inclusion Consortium, a coalition of the Nation's leading business organizations representing diverse communities.

Who else will we see there?

The NBIC advocates for the business interests of a diverse range of people, including the le***an, gay, bisexual, and transgender, ethnic minority, disability, and women-owned business communities, representing a total of over $9 trillion in annual consumer spending power and significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace.

11/08/2022

Every vote counts and we are counting on every vote.

See you at the polls today!

11/03/2022

Can the founder of Grindr make a better Grindr?

Motto, a sex-positive matchmaking app for gay and q***r hookups and casual dating, from Grindr founder Joel Simkhai and Alex Hostetler, is now available in NYC. Otto & Friends has been working with them over the past few months to lead the development and ex*****on of the PR strategy. We're proud of the work we've done so far, and look forward to a continued and fruitful relationship!

Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/90802003/can-the-founder-of-grindr-make-a-better-grindr

Gizmodo: https://gizmodo.com/grindr-gay-dating-app-motto-joel-simkhai-launches-1849707010

The Advocate: https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/11/01/grindrs-creator-launches-new-gay-app-called-motto#media-gallery-media-1

Tech Times: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/282732/20221101/grindr-founder-launches-motto-new-gay-q***r-matchmaking-app.htm

Tech Hunter: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/motto

Motto, Joel Simkhai’s new app, aims to w**d out the toxic behavior that has plagued Grindr. It’s a noble vision, indeed—but one that still raises a few questions.

10/28/2022

As we head into Halloween weekend, our friends (and award-winning storytellers!) at Sockz Theatre presents "Trick-Or-Treat, Smell My Feet", a hilarious collection of Halloween-themed short films. More kooky than spooky, this is a perfect way to celebrate Halloween with the entire family. Congrats, Eric & Christian!




Watch Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naueA3_k2fI&t=276s

10/19/2022

Today is International ! At Otto & Friends, we share our pronouns, because doing so helps make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. We believe that referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity.

10/13/2022

Hot off of their successful weekend at Atlanta Pride, we are excited to announce our newest client, Queerencia. Queerencia is an LGBTQ+ lifestyle brand that aims to empower all people within the q***r community to embrace their true identity and express themselves boldly & proudly.

As this (big!) small business continues to grow, we will be helping them amplify their voice and strengthen their social strategy. Shop their latest collections at https://q***rencia.co/

10/10/2022

"You can have the right people in the room but you need to make space for them to be heard!" - Lena Waithe

This weekend, Leigh attended CultureCon where she gathered with all shades of creatives in conversations and activations that addressed the power of community and the real impact of purpose when the community is heard!

10/05/2022

! Theatre will always be in our blood. It is where we got our start and where we find inspiration. We are excited to dip our toes back into the great big world of live entertainment as the new press representatives for Gazillion Bubble Show!

10/03/2022

This past weekend, our friends at Buffalo Maritime Center threw their annual fundraising gala. 🥂 We were honored to partner with them for the inaugural event by designing & printing the gala invitation & program. It is always exciting to see our print collateral come to life. Congratulations, BMC!

09/29/2022

Last week, Mark & Whitney attended the annual social media conference where they collaborated with hundreds of other marketing and communications pros to share how they approach digital. Here are key takeaways from the conference.

09/22/2022

Whitney and Mark are in Orlando this week at - a conference focused on the evolution and future of all things social media, from content creation to paid strategy. They promise they’re working.

09/19/2022

Recently, Axios shared an article that highlights the future of earned media engagement with a 'fractured audience' and we thought it was worth a reshare and discussion.

As the industry heads into 2023 planning, we will be strategizing how to get the news in the hands of the best audience - integrating earned with paid, paid with social, social with earned...or however consumers choose to consume it.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/the-future-of-public-relations

09/15/2022

This week, BroadwayWorld announced the kick off of its yearlong 20th Anniversary celebration.

In the weeks and months to come, we are excited to help them commemorate this major milestone with a series of events & updates for the entertainment community to enjoy. Stay tuned for more, and congrats to Rob and the entire Team!

09/13/2022

Happy Gotcha Day to our company's namesake - Otto! 7 years ago, Mark and Ryan adopted Otto from New York Animal Care and Control (Manhattan). They had found Otto lost, roaming around Central Park.

09/06/2022

Team O&F are avid readers! In celebration of , here are the local bookstores where you can find us getting our next reads:

Leigh: The Little BOHO Bookshop, Bayonne, NJ
Mark: Three Lives & Co, West Village, NYC
Ryan: Book Culture, NYC
Whitney: Talking Leaves, Buffalo

09/06/2022

“Being fearless isn’t being 100% unafraid, it’s being terrified but you jump anyway…” - Taylor Swift

Happy Birthday to one of our fearless leaders Ryan Hallett - we hope you jump at every opportunity to make this next year great!

08/26/2022

Happy to our company's namesake, Otto! He embodies the kindness, curiosity, patience and loyalty that is at the core of everything we stand for, and we celebrate him today - and every day!

08/26/2022

At a time when it seems the rights of women are being scrutinized and/or rescinded, it's clear there's a lot at stake in the upcoming elections.

Voting at the local and state levels has never been more important and this , we hope you join us in empowering and celebrating women everywhere - by showing up for them at the polls!

See the link to check you status or register to vote.
https://www.headcount.org/verify-voter-registration/

08/24/2022

: The PERT Consortium™, in partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., released a series of videos and an accompanying downloadable PDF that provide education on deep vein thrombosis () and pulmonary embolism ().

Geared toward both patients and clinicians, the series explains what blood clots are, how they can be treated, and how to prevent them.

Watch 's team of experts explain: https://pertconsortium.org/transitions-of-care/

08/19/2022

Today, we wake up spiritually fulfilled and with a renewed spring in our step as we wrap up our quarterly Team O&F retreat. Every moment we get to spend in person brings us closer together, personally, and makes us better partners, professionally.

08/18/2022

: Last month, the Buffalo Maritime Center opened a new museum exhibit - "The Haudenosaunee & the Erie Canal" - at the Longshed at Canalside (44 Prime St. in Buffalo, NY). The BMC aims to offer a more holistic telling of the area known as Buffalo Creek, the Haudenosaunee people who inhabited the region long before Europeans arrived in North America, and the treaties that were agreed upon and broken in the name of “progress.” This discussion is one step toward understanding and honoring the deep Haudenosaunee legacy.

To learn more about the Haudenosaunee people the Erie Canal Boat Project, visit https://buffalomaritimecenter.org/museum/

08/03/2022

Ryan and Mark are in Las Vegas attending the conference!

Here they hope to expand their leadership skills and meet with new partners and peers. They’ll be sharing updates throughout the conference!

07/28/2022

Leading up to the release of "Renaissance", the O&F team is sharing their favorite songs from Queen Bey.

"There are very few songs that bring me sheer unadulterated joy than Bey's "Love on Top." I smile from ear-to-ear and dance my heart out when this one comes up in my playlist . The musical climax paired with her joyful lyrics remind me of the best days of carefree, new love." - Whitney

Listen to "Love on Top": https://open.spotify.com/track/1z6WtY7X4HQJvzxC4UgkSf?si=6e73904634164cfa

07/27/2022

Leading up to the release of "Renaissance", the O&F team is sharing their favorite songs from Queen Bey.

"I assumed Beyoncé would be a successful solo artist, but from the very first time I heard "Crazy In Love", I knew we were in for something different. Something special. Much like the Queen, the song has sustained over the past two decades and manages to get even better with time." - Ryan

Listen to "Crazy in Love":
https://open.spotify.com/track/5IVuqXILoxVWvWEPm82Jxr?si=5b159533cbb940b9

07/26/2022

Leading up to the release of "Rennaissance", the O&F team is sharing their favorite songs from Queen Bey.

"There's a magic to "XO" the keeps me coming back again and again. The lyrics. The beat. The whimsical music video. The idea of being in the moment, and embracing the moment, with the person you love. "XO" was the final song at our wedding reception, a perfect finale to a perfect evening - before they turned the lights out." - Mark

Listen to XO: https://open.spotify.com/track/40xhyfAPDoMtv494MfPevP?si=c128e5c750274ab3

07/25/2022

Leading up to the much anticipated release of Beyonce "Renaissance", the O&F team are sharing their favorite songs from The Queen.

"'End of Time' is often overshadowed by others on the album but it's so good! When performed live, the energy from the stage to the seat is contagious - it is the perfect dance-party, feel good, loving myself and those around me' type of song." - Leigh

Listen to "End of Time": https://open.spotify.com/track/3FPUFltTjg6ClUL2wr9ux6?si=1ce7b020af78409c

06/29/2022

Freedom Oklahoma is an organization that provides education & legislative advocacy for the advancement of LGBT2S+ Oklahomans.

They raise awareness about issues that discriminate, serve as the voice when the community is attackedand create gathering space for their triumphs.

Please consider joining us in supporting this organization this : www.freedomoklahoma.org

06/29/2022

New client alert! It's going to be a BIG year for our friends at BroadwayWorld. We are pleased to announce that they've chosen Otto & Friends as their marketing partner. We're going to help them get the word out, and we can't wait to reveal more!

06/23/2022

PERT Consortium Launches PE Centers of Excellence - Endovascular Today

We recently helped The PERT Consortium announce the PE Centers of Excellence, developed to create and disseminate a universal standard of care for the acute and long-term management of patients with pulmonary embolism. You can read all about it in Endovascular Today.

June 14, 2022—The PERT Consortium announced the creation of PE Centers of Excellence whose mission is to create and disseminate a universal stan