With this Vatican-sponsored event being held in the United States for the first time, the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 (WMOF) had the opportunity to prepare the City of Philadelphia for the visit of Pope Francis and for visitors from around the world. In collaboration with WMOF and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Brian Communications oversaw and executed an 18-month campaign that positioned Philadelphia as a world-class city, delivered significant corporate sponsorship and drove record attendance at WMOF and the Papal events.

Despite a drumbeat of positive media coverage, negative public perception challenges still arose that needed to be addressed head-on. Team Brian spearheaded WMOF’s major marketing and PR initiative, “I’ll Be There,” which included the first PSA to ever feature a Pope, and branded collateral for businesses across the region. Further, Brian led city-wide branding initiatives – the largest of its kind in 15 years – and the development of the Papal Visit Playbook, the revolutionary online guide for residents. In addition to these efforts, Brian Communications coordinated corporate sponsorship and media relations surrounding the four-day Congress and two-day Papal Visit. Efforts resulted in a historic week, which delivered hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city and more than a billion media impressions worldwide.