Public Relations Profile

Laura Baddish

PayIng It ForwarD

If you work in the spirits, wine or beverage industries, perhaps you know the name Laura Baddish. Her firm, The Baddish Group, is one of a growing number of boutique public relations firms that represent brands both big and small, some on the cusp of recognition and others powerhouses. With a reputation for professionalism and ingenuity she’s a force that can help move brands off the shelves and into the hands of consumers. Her humble beginnings in the events business taught Laura the patience and resourcefulness she needed to invent a design for how she would work with clients. Despite opening her firm during the tumultuous aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, when trying to plan events in a travel-nervous world seemed irrational, Laura held tight and tenaciously built her business into the ‘go-to’ PR firm it is today.

Coming from a large family, Laura learned early on how to get her point across quickly at the dinner table. Rather than endlessly rambling on, she mastered the art of communicating succinctly in meaningful sound bytes, a skill she brought to Macy’s where she began her career. As coordinator of events like the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Easter Egg Roll at the White House and the world renowned Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular she quickly learned to prioritize. “My experience at Macy’s was invaluable, shaping the professional integrity we uphold at The Baddish Group each and every day,” says Laura. “Learning to be a master juggler also helped. When I was at Macy’s working on the Thanksgiving Day Parade, I had to make choices. Did I find a saxophone for the band member who forgot his? Did I rush to the Museum of Natural History with a garbage bag, also known as a ‘bandage’, because the Snoopy balloon sprung a leak? Without a doubt.” For Laura, years of experience have made decision-making much easier these days.

In the beginning, Laura’s decision to start her own company was not an easy one. She recalls the time as being both challenging and exhilarating simultaneously. “Starting out, the most time-intensive task was developing a blueprint for how we would work with clients, a protocol that we’ve managed to uphold to this day,” explains Laura. “We are very professional, so we communicate that in everything we do. We strive for consistency. Even our Tweets and Facebook posts elevate issues, consumer trends, client activities and pop culture shifts. We try to be informative and smart, educating our clients, fans and followers all at the same time. We never lose sight of the fact we’re the voice and face of the brands we represent, so we always put our best foot forward.”

The Baddish Group started with the launch of Bacardi O during their first year, while also working with brands like Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Martini & Rossi. Nowadays, their growing portfolio includes world-class brands that range from iconic Perrier to the legendary Dalmore and Distillerie Branca brands and other major names in between. Laura’s “get-up-and-go” attitude has helped her to create one of the most influential public relations groups in the business. According to Laura, building longstanding relationships is critical and the connections she makes are important, however, she never loses site of where she began. “I am a big believer in paying it forward. We have clients now who were clients at other companies twenty years ago. We remain friends, but I never let that get in the way of achieving the best results for their brands. At the end of the day, if our agency has built buzz, filled a need, nurtured a relationship or connected a brand with members of our media constituents, then we’ve done our job.”

FUn FaCt When Laura was younger, she used to make wine with her grandfather and helped her grandmother can fresh tomatoes from the garden.

The Baddish Group, New York CiTY