Breakaway PR has proudly represented Austin’s beloved annual holiday arts event, Blue Genie Art Bazaar, for years as it has expanded vendor offerings, changed locations, built foot traffic and sales. The founders of this 26-year-old event (as of 2026) hired Breakaway PR to help build brand awareness and reputation in a fast growing, competitive market. The annual strategy focuses on earned media relations and local influencer relations with a mix of new marketing tools. Breakaway regularly recommends a number of targeted paid marketing efforts such as e-newsletter blasts, community newspaper ads, and social media placement that will broaden the editorial messaging. 

We worked with Blue Genie to develop an annual social media giveaway with neighboring businesses in order to grow social media following and visits to the event. Breakaway also leverages Blue Genie’s long-term partnership with Make-a-Wish Central/South Texas to increase media coverage. TV and radio have annually interviewed Blue Genie leadership, artists and the Make-a-Wish representative to cover all facets of this local arts and shopping event. We’ve secured more than 500 earned media placements  and influencer posts since late 2019 – averaging 85 placements per year, ranging from local to national outlets. Examples include Community Impact, Tribeza, Austin Monthly, Fox News Austin, Glasstire, CultureMap Austin, MSN.com, KUT-FM, Axios Austin, TexasTravelTalk.com and KOOP-FM radio. Continued growth in attendance, foot traffic and sales has helped establish Blue Genie as one of the region’s most important sales events for local artists and a premier holiday shopping destination. 

In 2021, Breakaway helped Blue Genie launch its annual May Market, a spring shopping event inspired by the success of the holiday bazaar featuring the best regional artisans with gifts geared toward spring celebrations such as Mother’s Day, graduation, bridal showers, and Father’s Day. We engage in a very similar media and influencer relations campaign highlighting special spring programs woven into the shopping experience such as DIY print making and Typewriter Rodeo appearance on Mother’s Day.