La Reputación de México: cómo medirla y cómo administrarla en el mercado turístico norteamericano

Maite Velez-Couto

What Should You Know About Me?
Creativity and big goals are my fuel. Every single day, I challenge myself and my teams to bring big ideas and solutions to the table that deliver wow-worthy results.

My philosophy? I never take no for an answer.

What Career Achievement Am I Most Proud Of?
Bringing home awards always feels great but earning them for driving meaningful outcomes that affect the clients’ bottom line tops the list for me. HSMAI’s Platinum Adrian Award for the Hampton by Hilton’s “Seekender” campaign and PRSA’s Silver Anvil for the AMResorts “Flu-free Guarantee” campaign were particularly memorable wins.

But I must say that helping nurture the next crop of talent at rbb is equally rewarding.

The Name Dropping
Hospitality and consumer PR/marketing are my primary tracks, and I’ve had the pleasure of creating and executing a wide variety of B2C and B2B campaigns for global and regional companies within every major travel and hospitality segment including numerous hotel brands operating under AMResorts and Hilton; cruise lines such as Norwegian Cruise Line; OTAs like PriceTravel and Cheapflights; United Airlines and Silver Airways; Starbucks Coffee Company; and Feld Entertainment, among others. That said, I have experience in additional sectors including Real Estate, Education, and Healthcare.

You could even say I’ve seen and done it all over the last 15+ years at rbb. Outstanding moments include: hosting Starbucks’ first-ever coffee festival right in our backyard; marrying 14 couples at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day for Secrets Resorts & Spas; touring the U.S. with Vlasic pickle’s first traveling farm stand; and establishing a goal-breaking partnership with top online retailer for women Zulily for Embassy Suites by Hilton.

The Real Story
From webinar hosting to bylined articles, I have a lot to share about influencer engagement and how brands can truly use this tactic to drive awareness and business results. I’ve been engaged with this evolving trend for a long time, including bringing Hilton and AMResorts as sponsors to the very first TBEX back in the early start of the influencer movement.

In 2016, I was enlisted by Skift as an advisor to develop the hospitality research and content leader’s first PR course (“The Makings of the Modern Travel PR Pro”).

I equally thrive in identifying strong partnership opportunities and building relationships between brands and their customers and stakeholders.  

Want More?
For me, integration is the name of the game. I consistently strive to develop customized communications programs with my teams that challenge the expected and answer to specific client needs.

Affinity partnerships, content creation, TV integrations, influencer and celebrity engagement, high profile special events, and traditional and social media relations are some of the tools in my kit.

My education, much like my career path, taps both my creative and practical sides, having graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature and an associate degree in architecture; and from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and post graduate studies in Spanish Language Journalism.

I currently reside in Coral Gables and like to indulge in food and travel every chance I get.