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JoAnn Locktov, principal
Bea Vita Ristorante, photo collage
Eric Engstrom (Venice Portfolio 3)
Bella Figura Communications
JoAnn started her career in public relations after writing two books on contemporary mosaics. A UC Berkeley graduate in Economics, she worked as a movie producer, making an early Kevin Costner film, and as a development director, raising millions for PBS. JoAnn’s passion for mosaics and Italy led to Orsoni Smalti Veneziani. Their new mosaic school needed students, and a career was born. JoAnn uses her experience as a writer and an imaginative strategist to effectively represent a variety of clients. Her fascination with art and design, and her innate understanding of public relations, has enabled Bella Figura Communications to assist creative individuals and businesses in the achievement of their dreams.
That Venetian mosaic school? Today, it’s thriving with students in attendance from all over the globe. -
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HAI FATTO BELLA FIGURA
(An Italian expression for making a positive impression, pleasing
both to the eye and to the mind. The essence of our service.)Bella Figura Communications functions as a conduit from your enterprise to your targeted market. We explore the unique qualities of your product and develop the stories that render it irresistible. We deliver your message through digital, print, and electronic media. We also make effective use of social networks, events and sponsorships, as well as product libraries. We create and distribute all necessary communications and aggressively track their effectiveness.
Media Relations The key to any successful campaign is exemplary media relations. Bella Figura Communications has established contacts and relationships with national and regional media outlets that get your story heard. We have worked hard to establish ourselves with design, architecture, shelter, and travel publications, as well as the burgeoning field of social media, in order to reach both trade and consumer markets.
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Social Media We analyze and select by relevance the social media tools that will effectively build your community and deepen customer loyalty. We use social media to inspire conversation, to establish buzz, attract and retain admirers.
Press Kits Information distributed to the press is developed according to specific strategies. As our digital world explodes with attendant concerns for the environment and economics, we work almost exclusively with digital press releases. However, we always consider the best tool for the job, which may necessitate a physical kit, especially when samples are involved. Most important are the individual pitches to the media. It is the fine art of customizing your news to be precisely relevant to individual members of the media which ultimately delivers results.
Writing/Editing Bella Figura Communications is responsible for the words that convey your spirit, your product, your history. We write press releases, social media posts, color/trend reports, internal newsletters, articles, white papers, mission statements, and speeches using language that proves compelling and entirely reflective of your individual style.
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Events Through the organization and support of conferences, designer events, trade shows, educational courses, showroom launches and competitions, we not only enhance press opportunities and maximize your exposure, but we also leverage every opportunity to maximize your investment.
In Italy Bella Figura Communications collaborates with the Italian firm, Margherita Cocco PR & Media Relations, offices in Torino and Vicenza. The firm specializes in architecture, interiors and fashion accessories. Our combined experience and media relationships allow us to introduce American companies to the Italian press and successfully promote Italian companies in North America. We create parallel campaigns that work in both languages and cultures.
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The Bella Figura Communications website was designed and built by Evan Jones of Central Coast Evan in close collaboration with JoAnn Locktov. The logo and also the main menu makes use of Champignon by Diogene. The sliding text boxes are made possible by Ariel Flesler's LocalScroll, a jQuery plugin. The sliding box covers of the Clients section run on jQuery snippets published by Sam Dunn at Build Internet. Finally, the sliding bookends in the Publications section run on Joel Sutherland's script found at New Media Campaigns. That particular page runs on jQuery Tools, an enhanced version of jQuery. It makes possible the Apple-like popup windows. The social media icons are from WebDesignerWall. TextWrangler, the scaled down free version of BBEdit, was used for the writing, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for the graphics. Thanks to one and all.
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JoAnn is in a category all her own. In all my years working in design, JoAnn has consistently surprised me with ingenious products and innovative artists that push the boundaries of conventional design. Her genuine dedication to promoting these artists and their work has always impressed me. I have only the utmost regard for JoAnn and her work, and cannot stress enough how wonderful she is to work with. Her patience and quick responses throughout our many deadlines will always be greatly appreciated. It is also very telling to see how much her clients admire her. JoAnn is an absolute delight to work with and I hope to continue to do so for years to come.
JoAnn Locktov has surprised me at every turn with the publicity and promotion work she's done for Travelers' Tales/Solas House, specifically for author Susan Van Allen and her book 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. JoAnn is smart, a great communicator, produces huge value at reasonable cost, everything she does is on time, and her enthusiasm for people and her work is completely contagious. I look forward to figuring out new projects for her to work on! Highly recommended.
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Earned Media Placement
(A Recent Selection)
Print
Architure, Interiors, Hospitality, TradeArchitect • Architectural Record • Canadian Interiors • Contemporary Tile & Stone • Contract
Eco-Structure • Green Business Quarterly • Hospitality Style • Interior Design • Interiors & Sources
K + BB • Metropolis • Residential Architect • Snap! • TileDesign, Shelter, ConsumerAmerican Craft • American Style • Architectural Digest • Architectural Digest Russia • Azure
Clear • Dwell • Elle Décor • Florida Design • House Beautiful • Interiors • Kitchen & Bath Ideas
LUXE • Modern Luxury • New York Times: Home & Garden • New York Times: T Magazine
PIN—Up • Renovation Style • Southern Living • Surface • Traditional Home • Veranda
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TravelBudget Travel • Chicago Tribune • Delta Sky • Italian Tribune • National Geographic Travel
Travel + Leisure • UK London Times • UK Sunday London Times • WHERE Rome
Digital
Apartment Therapy • Archdaily • Architects + Artisans • Architonic • ArchNewsNow • ArcSpace
Coolhunting • Curated Object • Decorating Diva • Designboom • Dezeen • e-Architect
Huffington Post • Jetson Green • KB Culture • Kitchen And Residential Design • Moco Loco
Modenus • Otto • Roaming By Design • USA Today • World Architecture News • World Design News
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She is the most amazing PR person I have ever worked with. able to communicate with punctuality, able to absorb what the message is supposed to be and re-styling it so it seems like a symphony orchestra is playing. Her knowledge and capabilities are hard to come across. I truly recommend her.
JoAnn Locktov is a publicist who takes a fresh approach to gaining press for her clients. As a journalist, I am thrilled to work with her because she is organized, dependable and she goes the extra mile to put that creative spin on pitches that makes me want to find placement. She is also one of the most tech-savvy publicists I know, a true plus for her clients in this age of fast-paced communications that include social networking and viral marketing. I've been impressed with her determination to educate her clients as to the benefits they will gain by stepping bolding into the new media that will determine success or failure in the future.
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Public relations is, to say the least, a challenging arena. On the one hand, it's about communicating complicated concepts and often large ideas — and, at times, distilling truth and beauty. On the other hand, it's all about selling, pure and simple. The trick is to do both, and with élan. JoAnn Locktov manages that delicate balancing act about as well as anyone I've ever encountered. I'm looking at about a dozen emails she sent me, convincing, not so much me as my editorial director, that the charming Domus Orsoni — a five-room guest quarters that's part of the world-renowned mosaic studio in Venice — was worthy of SKY’s coverage. From her smart and passionate first pitch to the subsequent follow-ups, Jo Ann addressed the magazine's specific needs and met them, resulting in an item that worked extremely well for both of us. What's more, the interchange I had with her was entirely companionable — in a word, a pleasure, despite how much back-and-forth we ended up with. And that's been the case for every subsequent item she helped us with. Public relations is something we all need. Unfortunately, it's rarely done capably, with both grace and enthusiasm. JoAnn is someone who gets it, who delivers, whose dedication and passion come through with each email and phone call. And that's a very rare thing.
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I have known JoAnn for over 15 years. She is an extremely professional and competent person and has excellent knowledge of and contact with everything that has to do with the world of design and architecture. Her passion and enthusiasm for mosaics have been particularly instrumental to the success in the United State (and as a result, in other countries) of the company, which I have run for 40 years and personally to me as an artist. Beyond her indisputable abilities, JoAnn has many humane qualities and it was easy to transform a work relationship into a solid friendship. In light of what I have said above and by virtue of her uncommon professional and humane abilities, making use of her experience in the field of communications, press releases and public relations is without doubt an excellent investment for the development of the international market and the visibility of the company.
JoAnn Locktov is a creative and experienced public relations professional with extensive experience in fine arts, artisan crafts, and design. Her knowledge of interior specialties, especially artisan mosaic glass and tile, and her talent for illuminating the creative process and publicizing it is second to none. Her special relationship with Venetian art and design and her deep love and
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knowledge of Italy has made her a valuable resource to her clients. Her ability to place their products in both traditional and electronic media is outstanding. JoAnn's personal counsel has been very important in helping me establish my career as a fine artist, and I treasure her loyalty, friendship and professional skills. I highly recommend her to artisans, manufacturers, and distributors to assist them in developing creative and effective marketing and public relations programs and strategies.
I wish to introduce you to JoAnn Locktov, an indispensable associate I have had the privilege of working with through our Trend USA lineage, who does an absolutely masterful job of representing through her public relations firm such notable tile companies as Orsoni, Trend SpA, Ellen Blakely Studio, New Ravenna, and a host of acclaimed designers, artisans and authors. JoAnn's work is far-reaching in terms of practical accomplishments, plum with a litany of stellar media networking and communications. She has been an invaluable asset in opening many conduits for me professionally.
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You seem to have done what a lot of PR outfits promise but never quite manage to do!
JoAnn Locktov is an absolute joy to work with on every level. Her highly professional services combine an elegant style, creative flair, and savvy, customized approach to every aspect of the job. The materials — digital press releases and personalized pitches she generates — are pieces which I am thrilled to have out there to represent my book. Her focused approach on a print and online media campaign for 100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go brought results that far exceeded expectations — increasing book sales and widening its public profile. Bella Figura Communications is a rare gem in the publicity world. As an author, I feel molta fortunata to have my book in such Bella hands!
