Est. 1968
Our agency has served clients across a myriad of industries. When asked what our area of expertise is, we usually reply: "Our expertise is in PR, Marketing and Media Relations." In other words, we've virtually done it all in our 40-plus years of business and tailor marketing programs for each individual client's needs.
Among the industries where we have expertise includes:
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
GOLF & TENNIS
Our agency represents numerous golf courses and golf resorts throughout the Midwest. By helping them to secure media coverage in the consumer and trade press, and position their online exposure, we allow them to remain in the public’s eye. In the
off-season, many of our golf clients request help in creating (and maintaining) their social media programs. In the golf arena, Silbar brings a tremendous amount of experience and understanding of the game and media that cover it. Clients include Stonewall Orchard Golf Club (site of final stage qualifying for the U.S. Open and host to the Illinois PGA Section Championship), White Deer Run Golf Club, Golf Chicago Magazine, Golf Chicago Television, Klein Creek Golf Club and TopGolf Wooddale.
This comes naturally to agency president Dave Silbar, who was professional golf major in college prior to beginning his career as a Chicago Tribune sports reporter covering professional golf tournaments. This knowledge and passion for the game allows him to not only speak the same language as our golf clients, but also allows him to occasionally play competitively in Illinois Amateur Tournaments.
As the agency of record for Midtown Tennis and Athletic Clubs in Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Kansas City, SilbarPR led a balanced mix of press outreach, social media and digital support to each at an individual and corporate level. Great pride was taken in developing key partnerships for Midtown with local, non-profit organizations and other local business entities.
HEALTH, FITNESS & WELLNESS
SilbarPR has worked extensively with Chicago-based clients in the medical-health arena, representing diverse organizations including Midtown Athletic Clubs, LifeSource Blood Centers, Virginia Blood Services, Central Blood Bank, the Leukemia Research Foundation, American Brain Tumor Association, American Lung Association, Chicagoland Alzheimer's Association, National Headache Foundation, Acculaser Therapy, LLC (pioneers of cold laser therapy for smoking cessation), Les Turner ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Foundation, and Rush North Shore Medical Center in suburbanChicago.
We work closely with each organization’s team of senior managers and communication specialists to envision new, PR campaigns, while and helping them to shape a strategic direction that can be followed long after our contractual obligation has been completed.
NON-PROFIT
SilbarPR began its foray in the PR world four decades ago by representing downtown Chicago hotels, which naturally led to its involvement with dozens and dozens of non-profit organizations. Over the years, we’ve come to specialize in delivering full-scope media relations, as well as planning events, developing sponsorships, and working closely with the media to shape partner tie-ins.
We’ve consistently secured local and high-profile, national press coverage for our non-profit clients on media outlets like CNN, as well as feature articles published in the USA Today, People Magazine, TIME Magazine, and hundreds of other, local newspapers, magazines, TV stations and web sites.
As ambassadors for your non-profit or charitable brand, we attend committee meetings, work closely with your volunteers, and consult with your board members to shape an effective, public message. We also assist with strategic planning, and oversee interplay among other
non-profit constituencies. To date, our innovative fundraising ideas have generated more than $1 million for our non-profit clients and their related charities.
HOTEL-RESORT-HOSPITALITY
To date, SilbarPR has represented more than 30 major hotel and resort properties—including prominent properties like the AAA Four Diamond Grand Geneva Resort & Spa (Lake Geneva, Wis.), Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark (Lake Geneva, Wis.), and The Lodge of Four Seasons (Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.). Our agency has also enjoyed a 10-year relationship with a local Hilton Hotel property on Chicago’s North Shore.
We’re also proud of our long-standing relationship with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Our agency has serviced numerous Starwood owned and/or managed hotels, including: The Westin Michigan Avenue; The Westin Chicago North Shore; The Westin O'Hare; The Westin River North; Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers; Sheraton Gateway Suites O'Hare; and Sheraton Suites Elk Grove.
This expertise dovetails nicely with our work on the tourism side. Most recently, we worked closely with the VisitMilwaukee, a tourism and convention bureau, to assist with promoting the Summer of China exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum, among other activities.
MEDIA REPRESENTATION
While all successful PR agencies pitch the media daily, we’ve enjoyed the view from the other side of the fence by representing Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine for more than a decade. Our relationship with Crain’s began in 1981, when agency founder Mert Silbar envisioned the Crain’s Quarterback Club Luncheon Series, a weekly luncheon series featuring Chicago Bear players. The luncheon series ran 18 consecutive seasons.
Our work to establish Crain’s Chicago Business reporters and editors as “expert resources” for other mediums (like broadcast news) reinforced the Crain’s brand, while also creating strategic partnerships with local organizations to drive traffic to the its web site.
RESTAURANTS
We’ve represented more than 20 restaurants in our half-decade of being in business and are the agency of record for 40 Chicagoland Culver’s restaurants, providing hands on, personal attention to the group as a whole as well as to each individual franchisee. Famous for its ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard, Culver’s relies on the expertise of SilbarPR to ensure millions living in and around Chicago see its brand. Whether it’s an area-wide promotional fundraising campaign or a stand-alone ‘donate and dine’ event, our team is often involved from day one.
In addition to promoting what’s happening inside the restaurants, our agency digs in and works with the media to communicate how our restaurants are making an impact in their local communities. While guests are familiar with the delicious food and impeccable service they’ll enjoy at Culver’s, it’s the strides made to support their local communities that is often the focus of our efforts.
GROCERY & RETAIL
As agency of record for The Grand Food Center, a grocery chain serving customers on Chicago’s North Shore since 1987, SilbarPR has established itself as a full-service resource. Successes including having its owners interviewed live on Fox Business News, WGN-TV, NBC5, ABC7 and consistently with the local press
Our day-to-day activities for this client include providing a positive brand image through the store's active community involvement, working to establish promotional opportunties in and around the community, coordination of weekly e-blasts and text marketing and creating unique, thoughtful, and timely events each quarter that provide an "out of the box" mentality. Memorable events include a "Royal Wedding Promotion" and annual Super Tailgate Party held the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday.
