Dune Ridge Advisors

Thrilled to welcome Jeremy Jauncey and the Beautiful Destinations team as a client at Dune Ridge Advisors! BD and their 50 million followers are transforming digital marketing strategies for destinations and travel companies, helping them increase engagement and conversion to revenue quickly and cost effectively. Massive, costly annual marketing campaigns in traditional channels don't cut it anymore. Today's traveler starts their planning on social media, looking for inspiration for novel and exciting trips. BD's global content engine is at the leading edge of social media marketing and is pushing the envelope even more with it's AI travel planning tool, Layla. We're excited to get to work with Jeremy and the BD team to continue their meteoric growth in the travel industry!

Somewhat buried in the recent uproar over TikTok legislation is an interesting study in government affairs and advocacy campaigns. TikTok, like so many businesses facing legislation or regulation that would harm them and their employees and customers, asked its users to weigh in with their Members of Congress. Grassroots, as so many in my network know well, is a key element in advocacy, demonstrating the impact of government action on local communities and constituents. Indeed, these campaigns can move mountains in Washington. But what happens when that very grassroots effort ends up proving the case against you in the eyes of Congress? How many on K Street would have truly seen this reaction coming? When developing an advocacy campaign, like I did at Etihad at the beginning of the 5-year, $50m Open Skies battle, lobbyists need to consider every angle, every interpretation, every eventuality of their actions, their messaging, and even those of their endorsers. One mistake like this, while most often not the end of the world, can sometimes completely derail your entire campaign.

Something I've worked on recently for clients at Dune Ridge Advisors is site selection for manufacturing facilities. This process can be daunting, particularly for a startup looking to stay "close to home" but to maximize their location strategy. So much of this process goes beyond news-making incentive dollars, which are often just an offset against the cost basis for each state and which expire. The "human" feel you get while touring a community and speaking to local stakeholders and officials can often tell you all you need to know. I toured one city out west that, while not the largest workforce or dollar value for that particular company, would without a doubt be an incredible home for them with support at every level with policymakers and community leaders and an ideal place to live for employees. Those are the intangibles, which can make all the difference in a company's longterm health and growth but which often can go overlooked.