Meet Colleen Onuffer

Director of Public Relations

The backstory

Imagine being a Kindergartener and winning a writing award from a national PBS Kids show. Or by fifth grade, regularly writing for the Buffalo News' Kids Page -- and having the chance to interview Buffalo Sabres hockey players. And yet, that's exactly what Colleen Onuffer did. It's like she came fully hatched as a writer. Like most writers, Colleen was influenced by great teachers and professors. And as an adult, she brought that excitement for writing and communication into her career.

Professional path

Her gift for writing articles and short stories translated into Colleen's ability at Break the Ice to find the essential story in each client's industry, and develop targeted messages. Because clients are often so close to their technical side or information, they can have a hard time sorting it all out. Clients may feel it's hard to explain or put into words. With great listening skills, Colleen helps each client save time by doing that required distilling. She's able to get that information to the consumer, or the media, that works best for a particular audience. Her innate ease with and understanding of social media allows her to see opportunities for effective advertising.

Inside the office she loves:

The open BTI environment. Sharing ideas and suggestions. Bouncing ideas off her fellow staff members. Finding the perfect hook for a client's story.

Outside the office she loves:

Experiencing the beauty in traveling. Ticking off visits to all of the 11 Finger Lakes. Being outside with her dog at different parks. Reading. Eating at new local restaurants. Finding new breweries.

Colleen Onuffer

"As a client, you work one on one with a staff member, but you benefit from all of us through our collaboration."

Posts from Colleen

How to Host a Travel Writer_ A Guide for Destinations

How to Host a Travel Writer: A Guide for Destinations

By Colleen | May 23, 2018

A travel writer or blogger wants to visit your hotel, attraction, restaurant – or maybe do a full FAM weekend…

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5 pieces of content you need in your travel media kit

5 Pieces of Content You Need in Your Travel Media Kit

By Colleen | April 13, 2018

Although the world of marketing and public relations is constantly changing, a media kit is still an important aspect of…

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making the most of tourism media events

Making the Most of Tourism Media Events

By Colleen | March 2, 2018

For travel and tourism brands, attending media events are a great way to get your destination in front of travel…

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developing a strategic content marketing plan

Developing a Strategic Content Marketing Plan

By Colleen | October 13, 2017

We recently defined content marketing and its importance in your overall marketing strategy. But how can you take this information…

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A DMO's Guide to Understanding Travel Influencers

A DMO’s Guide to Understanding Travel Influencers

By Colleen | July 21, 2017

You didn’t really go on vacation if you didn’t post a picture of it on Instagram, right? Your social media…

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3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing for Business

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing for Business

By Colleen | February 3, 2017

I would say about 90% of my job involves writing. Writing for press releases and pitches, to blogs and social…

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