Breakaway PR has represented AIA Austin over the past few years to promote its annual marquee event, the AIA Austin Homes Tour. Our key objective has been to increase awareness throughout Central Texas as well as showcase the tour’s architects and their homes via social media and traditional PR.

While event attendance grows each year, AIA Austin uses PR and social media to enhance its reputation as the must-see home tour of the year. And in a fast-growing metro market, AIA Austin recognizes it must continually reach new audiences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 34th Annual Homes Tour 2020 occurred in a virtual format for the first time ever to ensure the safety and well-being of attendees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Breakaway PR secures press coverage by highlighting noteworthy aspects of the home projects – this entails everything from homeowner and architect interviews to architectural and design highlights.

Tactics include media sponsorships, advertising, a robust social media campaign, and targeted media pitching. In 2020, we secured 43 placements on the local and national levels resulting in a total of 9,610,000 online impressions/readership. In addition, we crafted a strategic social media plan that resulted in more than 200 new followers across AIA Austin’s Facebook and Instagram platforms.

As soon as the featured homes are selected, we work closely with AIA Austin and the featured architects to develop creative story ideas, interview opportunities and custom promotional strategies.

This results in not only an increase in social media engagement, media visibility and increased ticket sales each year, but a heightened awareness for Austin’s design and architecture scene.