Meet the industry’s top PR power players who work behind the scenes to make a greater impact on the city of Miami. Discover our inaugural list of Miami’s best-of-the-best publicists.
Power Player: Tadd Schwartz
Company: Schwartz Media Strategies
As president of the largest independent communications and public affairs firm exclusively serving Florida clients, Tadd Schwartz brings more than 25 years of experience developing integrated campaigns on behalf of public companies, multinational corporations, municipalities, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial firms. Respected by clients and journalists for his industry knowledge, resourcefulness, and grasp of the national and regional communications landscape, Schwartz partners with clients to achieve their business goals, raise their community profile, and connect with target audiences. Throughout his career, Schwartz has led successful sales and marketing campaigns for real estate developers, developed national branding and thought leadership campaigns for law firms, banks, and financial firms, and raised the profile of business and civic leaders across a range of sectors.
How did you get started in the industry?
I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, so public relations was a natural fit for me. I graduated from the University of Florida, and after college, I bounced around without much direction for a few years. My best friend opened a door for me in politics, and so, on a whim, I moved to Washington, D.C., and spent the next four years working for Florida Senator Bob Graham. Politics is rooted in communications, and the experience helped hone my interest in PR. I eventually made my way back to Miami, and my mom introduced me to Phyllis Apple, an old-school publicist and marketer who built one of the strongest PR firms in South Florida from the ground up. Phyllis became a mentor to me in many ways and taught me the core values of this business that I try to bring to the job every single day: relentless work ethic; exceptional client service; listening carefully, counseling thoughtfully; relationship building through trust and accountability; never stop learning; and most importantly – have fun. These are the values that we try to impress upon our people at Schwartz Media Strategies.
Career-defining moment: I’ve been fortunate to attract and work with some of the best people in the business, starting with Aaron Gordon and Yudi Fernandez-Kim, both of whom are partners at Schwartz Media today. Along with my sister Allie Grant Schwartz and a host of others along the way, we’ve been able to build a reputable communications agency that’s become one of the largest in Florida with best-in-class clients across real estate, law, banking, government, hospitality, arts, and culture. When the Miami Downtown Development Authority hired us in 2009, that set Schwartz Media on a course to truly move the needle for our city, region, and state. Our integrated communications campaign for the Miami DDA helped put Miami on the map as a global destination for business, driving economic development and migration to South Florida that gave birth to Brickell Avenue as “Wall Street of the South” and helped brandish downtown’s reputation as a 24-7 community for business, lifestyle, and entertainment.
Thoughts on the Miami market right now: Miami’s brand has never been more visible or valuable, our economy has never been more robust, and yet the stakes for our community have never been greater. For all of Miami’s strengths, near-term challenges and long-term threats abound. Too many people are struggling with affordability. Traffic and congestion have become unsustainable. Soaring insurance rates are rendering home ownership cost prohibitive for most. A chronic teacher shortage is taking a toll on public school students. Investments in resiliency measures, while admirable, are not keeping up with the realities of our changing climate. We are one major hurricane away from contending with catastrophic economic losses. Given the strength of Miami’s brand and economy, it’s incumbent on our community to seize this moment by capitalizing on everything we’ve built to date. Miami’s public and private sectors have an opportunity – an obligation, even – to look beyond the here and now by investing in our city. Phrases like “global” and “world-class” have become everyday descriptors for Miami. The strength of our brand has gotten our city this far. It’s now up to our business, civic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and political leaders to sustain the momentum while addressing critical issues and creating a roadmap for the future.
Current and past clients: City National Bank of Florida, law firm Bilzin Sumberg, the University of Florida, education nonprofit Achieve Miami, Walmart, Terra, law firm Podhurst Orseck, the Miami Downtown Development Authority, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami Worldcenter, Lotus House shelter, Gencom, Mast Capital, Skanska USA, law firm Kluger Kaplan, OKO Group, Cain International, CMC Group, 13th Floor Investments, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.
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