JC Communications, LLC began working with a tour operator to Ireland and Italy who sold primarily to travel agents. In fact, their business mix was 70% travel agents and 30% consumers.

Seeing that the travel agent community was decreasing, and how the onset of travel bookings online directly by consumers was increasing year over year, JC Communications, LLC implemented a PR campaign featuring the best deals by this tour operator.

Within only six months, the company’s tour product was featured weekly in at least two travel sections of major daily newspapers across the U.S., with regular placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chicago Tribune, not to mention as the “Deal of the Week” from Frommers.com plus in, Budget Travel and Travel + Leisure’s “Hot Deals” newsletter. In fact, we had travel editors calling us each week to see what the latest deals were.

When the recession started to hit in 2008, this tour operator was seeing business increase 30% year over year. Within three years, their business model was turned upside down and now they see consumers comprising 70% of their business and travel agents down to just 30%. Additionally, they have seen the success of dealing directly with consumers and have just launched a consumer only deals website.