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Alan Winnikoff

Alan Winnikoff is a senior public relations professional with over 20 years experience, primarily in media, entertainment, arts, non-profit and consumer oriented technology.  He serves as principal of two boutique public relations firms – the consulting firm Winnikoff Strategic Communications and the full service Sayles & Winnikoff Communications.  Alan Winnikoff began his career in 1983 in Los Angeles with The Lippin Group Public Relations.  He rose quickly through the ranks there and, in 1985, was relocated to New York to serve as co-head of the firm\'s New York office.  While at Lippin, he managed a number of accounts, primarily in television, including \"Entertainment Tonight\" and \"Solid Gold\" for Paramount Television and \"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous\" and \"Star Search\" for Television Program Enterprises.  He also handled corporate PR for both those companies and he worked extensively on both a programming and corporate level for the Walt Disney Company.  Winnikoff left The Lippin Group in 1988 to accept a position with Worldvision Enterprises, a leading worldwide television syndication company, owned by Aaron Spelling Productions.  As Vice President, Communications, he helped the company significantly raise its corporate profile in the international television market while simultaneously working in both the US and world markets on such programs as \"Beverly Hills, 90210,\" \"Melrose Place\" and \"Twin Peaks.\"  He also worked extensively with the organization\'s sister company, Hanna-Barbera Productions.  In 1993 Winnikoff joined Sony Wonder, the newly created family entertainment division of Sony Music, as Vice President, Media Relations.  As one of the division\'s founding executives, Winnikoff helped to build the profile of the company and played a major role in its development.  Key licensing partners included \"Sesame Street\" home video and music, Nickelodeon Home Video, MTV Home Video and Golden Books Home Video.  The company also launched the Family Artists music series, which included releases by such artists as Tony Bennett, Kenny Loggins, Art Garfunkel, John Denver and John Lithgow. In 1997, as Sony Wonder began to produce original television programming for the family market, Winnikoff spearheaded the PR strategy and execution for that effort.  In 2000, Winnikoff moved to MaMaMedia, a leading website providing educationally based interactive content and activities for kids.  In the midst of a down market, Winnikoff, as Vice President, Marketing Communications, kept the company\'s profile active and positive, reorganized his department and developed key communications strategies for the company.  He left MaMaMedia later that year to join IDG Books, which was in the midst of a re-branding as Hungry Minds, a 24-hour interactive continuous content company.  At Hungry Minds, the publishers of the \"For Dummies\" series as well as other high profile brands, Winnikoff headed up both the marketing and public relations departments, overseeing a staff of about 70.  As Vice President, Marketing & Communications, he successfully integrated the two departments, developed strategies for new releases and established on going strategic meetings between sales, marketing and publishing.  He also managed Investor Relations for the company.  In the fall of 2001, Hungry Minds was acquired by John Wiley & Sons and Winnikoff left the company shortly thereafter.  He began consulting on selected projects for companies including ADC, a leading supplier of telephonic equipment, Penguin Putnam Publishing, where he managed the 100th anniversary celebration of Peter Rabbit, Gullane Entertainment, where he supervised the national tour of Thomas the Tank Engine and Body Wisdom Media, a newly launching series of yoga DVD\'s.   In 2002, Winnikoff joined MSNBC to head up their PR as Vice President, Media Relations.  While there, he developed and executed the launch campaign for \"Jesse Ventura Live\" and created a detailed strategic communications plan for the channel\'s entire programming schedule and corporate imaging.  Winnikoff left MSNBC in 2003 to launch Winnikoff Strategic Communications and subsequently partnered with Carina Sayles to form Sayles & Winnikoff Communications.  Clients include JokeVision, a new cable channel currently launching, RT Entertainment, a home video and music distribution company, BPOD, a new company delivering digital entertainment via kiosks in highly trafficked public spaces and Grand Ole Opry.   Winnikoff is based in New York City. He can be reached at  alan@sayleswinnikoff.com.


Articles by Alan Winnikoff

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