When Donald Trump bought the Miss Universe Organization in 1996, he had the ambitious goal of turning this lesser-known entertainment property into an international event on par with the Oscar® and Grammy® award shows. This required redefining the brand, enhancing awareness for the pageant and the pageant winners, and creating a cachet that would transform the pageant into a must-see television program. As a result of the media attention RPR generated, the pageants have realized an increase in broadcast ratings, as well as significant gains in the number of sponsors.

RPR created a three-pronged public relations program to propel the Miss Universe Organization and its three pageants (Miss Universe®, Miss USA® and Miss Teen USA®) into the media spotlight. The first initiative involved story angles that would generate high-profile coverage designed to increase the pageants’ viewership. Over the course of 10 years, nearly every major daily newspaper has run feature stories about the pageants and its winners, as have national magazines including W, Time Out New York, Cosmo Girl, YM, Allure, Time and People en Español, and television programs including Oprah and Live with Regis and Kelly.

The second initiative focused on establishing long-term partnerships between each of the pageants and respected charitable organizations. This approach added a philanthropic element to the pageants and created a wide variety of ongoing media opportunities. Finally, the third initiative emphasized the titleholders and their activities. This campaign used media tours and photo opportunities for the titleholders, making them three of the most sought-after women in the world.