Relative Retirement

Relative Retirement

MARKETING by Mark Gordon | Managing Editor

Promoting amusement parks in Dubai and China lured a Gulf Coast executive out of his boat.

Count Joe Curley as one of the hundreds of retired executives who thought life on the Gulf Coast was going to be filled with boat rides, sunsets and umbrella-filled drinks.

So what is Curley doing in Dubai, setting up pictures of SpongeBob and Scooby-Doo with some of the highest-ranking sheiks of the United Arab Emirates? And what about those trips to Singapore and South Korea, where he hobnobs with government officials and chats with dignitaries?

Turns out Curley, considered one of the godfathers of public relations in Florida, couldn't stay 'retired' for long.

So the Bradenton resident took on an assignment for one of his former clients, Universal Studios Parks & Resorts, that has turned into a second career. He now supervises the company's public relations efforts in its new overseas markets, a job that combines party planning with diplomacy.

From Naples to Tampa, the Gulf Coast is dotted with retirees who have trouble totally giving up the executive lifestyle. Curley co-founded the Orlando-based public relations firm, Curley & Pynn, in 1984 and led the firm as it became one of the best-known in the state. In addition to Universal Studios, national clients included Tupperware, AT&T, AAA, Motorola and Bob Evans Restaurants.

The multimillion-dollar firm was one of the biggest in the Southeast at its peak and Curley, 59, ran it from his late 30s through his late 50s. Says Curley: "I had no intention of going back to work."

But the lure of the international projects was too much. That's why earlier this year Curley left his waterfront home near Bradenton Beach to fly to Dubai, where he orchestrated a series of parties and press announcements for Universal Studios Dubailand, the theme park company's entry into the Middle-Eastern entertainment market.

Universal Studios' Dubai theme parkis part of a 10-square-mile, $64 billion entertainment zone planned for the region.

Executive tips

Joe Curley owned one of the biggest public relations firms in Florida, Orlando-based Curley & Pynn, for more than 20 years. He's also a past president of the Public Relations Society of America, as well as a past president of that group's Florida chapter. Curley received a lifetime achievement award from the Florida Public Relations Association in 2005.

Here are a few of Curley's tips for any business or entrepreneur seeking to improve public relations:

• Be clear about the cost and benefits about the product or service up front. "Don't assume potential customers will figure this out by simply seeing your product," Curley says;

• Match the message to the right product and audience. "Connecting with your audience in their terms will create word-of-mouth buzz that is one of the strongest sales tools," says Curley. Don't go glitzy when a brown bag will do;

• Research and target specific audiences that are most likely to become buyers. Consider factors such as geographic location, seasonal timing, age group and economic status.