Over the past decade, Kimberly Yorio has forged a reputation as a keen marketer specializing in the development of strategic publicity and promotions campaigns for cookbooks, restaurants, chefs, and other food-related personalities and products.
As the founder of Yorio, Inc., which she ran for three years beginning in 1998, Yorio represented a range of publishers including Hyperion Books, William Morrow & Company, Marlowe & Company, ECW Press, Dorling Kindersley, and Houghton Mifflin. The impressive media placements she secured for them included author appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Emeril Live!, Live! with Regis & Kelly; and CBS This Morning as well as print placements and reviews in national magazines such as Time, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, People and Entertainment Weekly.
Prior to forming her company, Yorio was Director of Marketing for Artisan Books, an imprint of Workman Publishing, and a publicity consultant for Workman Publishing. In those capacities, she worked with leaders in grassroots publicity and promotion on projects including Sheila Lukins' USA COOKBOOK (40-city tour), the "25 Years of Workman Cookbooks" promotion (25-author, 100-city tour), and tours and special events supporting Barbara Kafka's SOUP, A WAY OF LIFE, and Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's SEDUCTIONS OF RICE, both of which boasted more than 75,000 copies in print.
Yorio gained her experience in cookbook publishing as Director of Cookbook Marketing/Special Sales Manager for William Morrow where she designed and implemented the marketing and publicity plans for 150 cookbooks representing the full range of cuisine, aimed at all segments of the market. Among the books she successfully promoted were such best sellers as BAKING WITH JULIA by Julia Child and LOUISIANA REAL AND RUSTIC by Emeril Lagasse. She developed catalogs and strategies to promote the Morrow line -both in the book trade and specialty markets.
Prior to working for these publishing companies, Yorio was an Account Executive at Kratz & Company Public Relations representing chefs, restaurants, and food products including Gotham Bar and Grill (Chef Alfred Portale) and Mesa Grill (Chef Bobby Flay). She also worked on large-scale special events including fund-raisers for the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS. Prior to that, Yorio was Director of Marketing at Tihany International, a design firm and restaurant management group responsible for such milestone destination restaurants as Le Cirque 2000 and Jean Georges.
Yorio began her career in publicity and promotion at the Children's Television Workshop where she arranged personal appearances for Sesame Street characters as well as special events for the media.
In 2001, Yorio began seeking a partnership that would complement her talents and client portfolio. She entered into talks with a longtime professional acquaintance, Caitlin Friedman that eventually led to the formation of YC Media.
I think its our struggles with our...how we see ourselves and our confidence issues. Which I have to say I didn't think was such a big deal going in but as we get bigger and as we're pitching bigger and bigger clients and you know, we're really putting ourselves out there. Its been a challenge and...(Full transcript available to logged in subscribers.).
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