Case Studies
Julia Whelan Custom Branding Campaign
Julia Whelan/Audiobrary
PR and branding campaign (April-July 2025)
Bestselling author, actor, and audiobook narrator (“the Adele of Audiobooks” per the New Yorker), and creator of an audio-first platform, Audiobrary
Campaign Goals
- Establish Julia Whelan’s name as the industry’s most sought-after narrator (“performer”), utilizing industry profiles and consumer-facing feature interviews
- Highlight Julia’s high-profile summer projects for Spring/Summer 2025, making her “the voice of summer” (new audiobook releases of titles by bestselling authors Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid and V. E. Schwab) and her accomplishments as a multi-faceted talent (narrator, author, actor) through top-tier national entertainment and pop culture media outlets
- Emphasize Julia’s efforts to change industry standards and bring pay equity/royalties for audio talent, including launching her own platform, Audiobrary. Leverage news platforms and feature interview opportunities to make this a major talking point.
- Pursue media results that will put a face to the voice
- Prioritize the library market
- Capitalize on timely interest in the Netflix film version of Julia’s novel My Oxford Year
Campaign Challenges
- No specific project to promote – all media focused on general features around Julia’s career and creating interest around her fight for fair pay/royalty structure for narrators
- Audiobooks in general are not a focal point of media coverage (trade or otherwise)
- Julia’s team is very selective about the media outlets and angles they want pitched, and how she will be positioned for coverage (want emphasis on her stature in the publishing world and her advocacy work; want emphasis on her face, so, profiles, interviews and appearances but not having her write op-eds, for example, and no soundbite commentary on news of the day, such as AI voices)
Media Highlights
- Feature interview in People Magazine – Books editor Lizz Schumer interviewed Julia about her audio career, big summer releases, and the fight for narrator fair pay
- Feature profile in USA Today – publishing reporter Clare Mulroy interviewed Julia as “the voice of summer” and a champion for audio narrator rights. This has been picked up by 10+ additional media outlets
- Feature interview in Associated Press – entertainment reporter Alicia Rancilio profiled Julia’s career and interviewed her about audio narration and the fight for fair pay. This has been picked up by 40+ additional media outlets
- Full hour interview on NPR’s 1A – feature interview on the audiobook industry, and Julia’s prominence therein, as well as the fight for fair pay. Julia also performed on-air.
- Feature interview on KCRW, NPR’s flagship member radio station in Southern California
- Feature interview in Rolling Stone – discussed Julia’s prominence in the audiobook world and how she’s leveraging it for fair pay as well as the film adaptation of her first novel, My Oxford Year
- Feature article in Parade – highlighted Julia’s prominence in the audiobook world and for her recommendations for the biggest audio releases of the year
- Feature interview in Woman’s World – interview with Julia about audiobook stardom and the My Oxford Year adaptation
- Cover story and feature interview in SheReads – multi-part interview, including July cover story, about art, AI, audiobooks, and the adaptation of My Oxford Year
- Interviews on high-value podcasts like Bookmarked by Reese Witherspoon and Those Forking Fangirls – focus on Netflix’s My Oxford Year and Julia’s career as an author and narrator (coordinated in tandem with Netflix)
Results Summary
Successfully achieved client goals for national-level media coverage, especially focused on emphasizing Julia Whelan’s stardom in audiobooks and, as an extension, her growing prominence in the entertainment world at large. All coverage positioned Julia as the biggest audiobook talent, as well as highlighting her advocacy for fair pay and the launch of Audiobrary. In three months, the campaign delivered more concentrated national media hits than the client had achieved in her career.
Ana Hebra Flaster Long-term Book Launch and Branding Campaign
Ana Hebra Flaster
PR and Branding Campaign (Nov 2024-Present)
Author of Property of the Revolution, journalist, activist for Cuban political prisoners and human rights, and former software executive.
Campaign Goals
- Position Ana Hebra Flaster as an authoritative voice on resilience and the refugee/immigrant experience, highlighting her journey as a six-year-old Cuban refugee who lost her home, country, and identity in less than 24 hours.
- Showcase the importance of storytelling in preserving cultural identity, emphasizing Ana’s family narratives and her role as a culture commentator, building on prior features in NPR, The New York Times, PBS, and others.
- Leverage timely news hooks around refugee and immigration issues, clarifying distinctions between immigrants, migrants, and refugees, and tying Ana’s story into current events.
- Highlight the influence of family wisdom and intergenerational strength, including her mother’s battle cry of “ponte guapa” (“make yourself brave”) as a universal lesson of perseverance.
- Establish Ana as both a thought leader and storyteller, securing coverage that connects her work to broader conversations about Cuba, immigration, and cultural identity.
- Broaden public awareness of Ana’s personal journey, connecting her childhood displacement to her present role as matriarch of a 27-person Cuban-American family clan.
Campaign Challenges
- Ana’s launch coincided with intense media focus on the Trump administration’s mass deportation of immigrants. Given the many stories of families being detained or separated, pitching Ana’s story, centered on escaping Cuba and finding refuge in America, felt out of sync for a number of media outlets.
Media Highlights
- Feature interview in Foreword Reviews – Executive Editor Matt Sutherland interviewed Ana Hebra Flaster about Property of the Revolution, her family’s refugee journey from Cuba, and the broader history and identity of the Cuban American diaspora.
- First Place Award and feature interview with IndieReader – Property of the Revolution won First Place in the Nonfiction category, accompanied by a feature interview with Ana about her refugee journey, inspiration for the memoir, and the power of family’s resilience.
- Feature Interview in New Hampshire Magazine – Ana discusses Property of the Revolution, recalling her childhood in Juanelo, the abrupt exile from Cuba, and how her family’s resilience shaped their new life in New Hampshire.
- Feature interview on New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) – Jackie Harris and Lau Guzmán interviewed Ana Hebra Flaster about her memoir, her family’s experience fleeing post-revolutionary Cuba on the Freedom Flights, and her reflections on immigration and refugee policy today.
- Guest Article in New Hampshire Bulletin — In this deeply personal piece, Ana Hebra Flaster reflects on her family’s journey from Havana to Nashua, the kindness of strangers, and the resilience of starting over in the snow — all themes explored in her memoir Property of the Revolution. Picked up by Yahoo News.
- Feature Interview in Canvas Rebel Magazine — Ana reflects on the courage it took for her mother to lead their family out of post-revolutionary Cuba, the hidden grief of starting over in a foreign country, and the way storytelling became both a survival tool and a way to preserve their identity.
- Guest Article in Lit Hub — Celebrated her pub date by featuring her essay that explores the origins and myths that carried her Cuban refugee family through the snowbanks of New Hampshire, and the reckoning that came decades later.
- New Release Inclusion Latinx in Publishing —- Named one of the most anticipated Latinx-authored books of 2025, featured alongside five other incredible new works celebrating Latinx voices in publishing.
- Guest article in Writers Digest — Ana reflects on her writing journey from activism to familial memoir, and the choices made along the way
- Interview on Free Thinking with Montel Williams — Ana shares with Montel what it was like to flee Cuba at the age of five, the vital role storytelling played in preserving her family’s cultural identity, and how the strong-willed women in her family became the backbone that held it all together.
Results Summary
Successfully achieved campaign goals of positioning Ana as a leading voice on resilience, refugee identity, and cultural preservation through storytelling. National and regional media coverage highlighted her unique journey as a Cuban refugee and activist as well as her family’s strength. With media dominated by Trump mass deportation coverage, we took a nuanced, mindful approach to tone and positioning—focusing on Ana’s lived experience and cultural insight to connect her memoir to immigration and human rights conversations.