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McDade flourishes in public relations industry |
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Written by Publisher
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Saturday, 09 January 2010 |
 Kim McDade, right, poses with John Rzeznik, lead singer/guitarist of the rock band Goo Goo Dolls, at the U.S. Capitol building where they were part of a group launching a music education initiative as they testified before Congress.
By Amy Cherry
Staff Writer
From the halls of Elk County Christian High School to the streets of New York City, Kim McDade, 32, has worked her way to the top as a marketing and public relations consultant in the entertainment industry.
Although she has been in her current position for only a year-and-a-half, McDade has worked in the entertainment industry since 2000. She is currently working for Bravo TV and handling accounts at several public relations agencies in New York.
“I love my job because no two days are ever the same. There’s an excitement that makes going to work everyday an adventure,” McDade said. “I also enjoy the creativity. New York is the number one media market in the country, so the get the attention of television and newspapers here you really have to do something new or big, and its typically PR or marketing who come up with those ideas. The more creative the better chance it will get media coverage.”
McDade has managed to garner coveted media attention for numerous events. Among those noteworthy events she has organized are a cattle drive through Times Square with Luke Perry, built a deserted island in the middle of the Hudson River and organized a world record attempt at the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink.
When she’s not writing speeches, press releases, biographies and media pitches, McDade particularly enjoys the event planning aspect of her job. Last year, she planned Bravo’s Top Chef segments for the Super Bowl pre-game show as well as NBC’s Kentucky Derby special. Currently, she is busy planning events at the Sundance Film Festival beginning Jan. 21.
McDade spends a significant portion of her job dealing with the media from newspaper reporters, TV producers and bloggers on a daily basis.
“Working with them to develop interesting story ideas involving my clients are sometimes my favorite because you can use creative thinking to come up with a news angle,” McDade said.
In addition she also works on licensing by developing the look and content of such products as DVDs, books, shirts and other merchandise surrounding network shows. Through Bravo McDade is currently overseeing production of items surrounding the network’s Top Chef and Real Housewives series.
McDade explained that many projects are often delegated to PR or marketing when people are unsure of what departments should oversee projects. From those projects McDade has written legal contracts, designed posters and even chosen shows to air.
When dealing with big celebrities also comes big egos.
“Celebrity egos can test your patience. People who think the word ‘no’ does not apply to them are more numerous than you would think,” McDade said. “Finding a balance between giving the media what they need and what you (and your client) want them to have is a big challenge. This industry is a little surreal at times.”
“I also think creating a good reputation has helped. New York can be an incredibly small town in some ways, like the fact that everybody knows someone who knows someone,” McDade said.
McDade often deals with celebrity experiences outside of work as well. Outside of her Union Square/East Village apartment McDade often spots Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and their daughter Suri, who reside in the adjacent building.
“The street is constantly crowded with Paparazzi,” McDade said about the crazed cameramen are rather annoying to walk around.
From small town to big city
McDade’s journey to the “Big Apple” began in Johnsonburg where she and her brother Craig of Florence, Ariz. were raised by her parents William McDade and the late Rose Marie McDade. She is the granddaughter of the late Victor and Jean Notarianni of Johnsonburg and Walden and Ellen McDade of Kane.
Growing up she was a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Johnsonburg where was a Sunday school teacher. After attending Holy Rosary Grade School, she moved on to Elk County Christian High School where she was a member of the Class of 1995.
“In the past few years I’ve really come to appreciate where and how I grew up, especially the longer I’m away from it,” McDade said. “Growing up in a small town, with a caring family, around inherently good people gave me a conscious, the confidence to trust my instincts and the strength to not be a follower. This has helped me become successful as a publicist, but still be able to live with myself as a person.”
At Syracuse University, McDade earned two degrees, one in Public Relations the second in Marketing Management, graduating in 1999. While in college she participated in the “Semester at Sea” program. McDade was joined by 500 fellow college students on a ship for a 100-day trip around the world visiting Hiroshima, Japan; the Great Wall of China; India’s Taj Mahal; Egypt’s Giza Pyramids; the Holy Land in Israel; The Parthanon in Greece; and Casablanca, Morocco, as well as stops in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Turkey.
A dream fulfilled
“My time in New York and in the entertainment industry has led me to so many incredible experiences and interesting people, but the evening I’ll always remember is July 15, 2005, in L.A. sitting at a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard., having dinner with Jordan Knight,” McDade said
She recollected the moment she knew she wanted to enter the PR/marketing field was at the age of 13 when she and her mom attended a New Kids on the Block concert at Starlake Amphitheater in Pittsburgh. The next day McDade swore to her mom she would meet Knight, who was the lead singer for New Kids on the Block.
“When she passed away in 1993, meeting Jordan became a goal for me. So I set about figuring how to do it,” McDade said.
After visiting Syracuse during her junior year of high school, McDade watched a video by a Marketing major who worked as a concert organizer.
“I thought that would be a good way to meet a musician, so my goals became to move to New York, become an entertainment publicist and meet Jordan Knight,” she said.
McDade credits her sheer determination in where she is today.
A day in the life....
Throughout her career, McDade is most proud of her persistence in booking country superstar Kenny Chesney as a musical guest on the Rockefeller Tree Lighting Show. Although it took more than a year, McDade succeed in her quest which she described as “a personal victory.”
One of her most memorable experiences was during the launch of WE’s (Women’s Entertainment) new season of “Bridezillas.” The event featured 20 engaged women who jumped into a 15-foot tall wedding cake located in Times Square. The winner received $50,00. She added that footage of the event appeared on Good Morning America, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Entertainment Tonight and even made it as the number nine moment on ESPN’s Play of the Day.
“Publicists in the city still talk about it and try to top it, but no one has,” McDade said.
In 2004, McDade accompanied country singer Martina McBride to Sesame Street.
“This was the first time in my career that I stopped, looked around and wondered ‘how the heck did a kid from Johnsonburg end up here - literally on Sesame Street’ We were surrounded by Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover and Oscar’s trash can,” McDade said.
In what seems like a never ending list of celebrity projects, McDade spent six months on the road with Tammy Faye Messner (Baker) to promote her documentary about battling cancer.
“Growing up I always heard things adults would say about Tammy and her then-husband Jim Baker, but after meeting her I realized she was the nicest, most loving woman ever,” McDade said. “Her cancer came back while we were on tour, but she had such an amazing attitude about it. It broke my hear the day she passed away.”
McDade was also part of a team of publicists who managed Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Music Festival the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas and organized an autograph session with members of the cast of Disney’s High School Musical.
For the past four years she has managed the red carpet and press room for the International Emmy Awards. This project involved McDade working with international press requests, booking celebrities to appear at the event and dealing with all caliber of paparazzi.
“Many reporters told me it was the most organized, media friendly event they’d ever covered. It was also the first event of this level that I had overseen alone, so to hear that made me feel like maybe I could do this,” McDade said.
To date, McDade has worked with a plethora of celebrities ranging from such actors as Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Glenn Close, Donald Trump, Tina Fey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Kim Cattrall, Clive Davis, Jimmy Fallon and Rosie O’ Donnell, as well as musicians Pat Benatar, Prince, Dionne Warwick, Collective Soul, Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, ZZ Top, Patti Labelle, Missy Elliott, John Mayer, the cast of Entourage, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Ashanti, Quincy Jones, Brian Wilson, Sara Evans, Hiliary Duff and Lenny Kravitz.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 March 2010 )
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