Ruder Finn Bests Competition to Capture Prestigious Jamaica Tourist Board Account 'Genius of Jamaica' Winning Program Stands Out for Its Ability to Drive Tourism NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruder Finn bested four other agencies to win the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) account, it was announced today. According to Richard Funess, president of Ruder Finn/Americas, the two-year contract, which began on October 1, has an estimated annual budget of more than $1 million. Headed up by Gail Moaney, executive vice president and director of the Travel & Tourism practice, the extensive program involves offices in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Dozens of agencies replied to the competitive RFP that culminated in a "final four" series of presentations in Kingston, Jamaica, by Ruder Finn, Porter Novelli, Hill & Knowlton and Ketchum Public Relations. "The winning proposal, 'The Genius of Jamaica,' spotlights the unique elements that make Jamaica special -- its architecture and design, art, music, literature, natural beauty, cuisine, performing arts, sports and its wide variety of accommodations including small inns, villas and hotels," said Funess. "The proposal also showcases Ruder Finn's Interactive capability to create innovative ways to build traffic on the JTB's new Web site." Understanding the significance of reputation management and identifying the strategic advantage of focusing attention on Jamaica's diverse accommodations were key elements that set the Agency's proposal apart. Media relations, promotions, marketing partnerships, television and film outreach, special events, crisis communications and a re-imaging program were presented as part of an integrated campaign to bring "The Genius of Jamaica" to life. "Tourism is Jamaica's lifeblood, its number one industry," said Gail Moaney. "Our goal is to help the country maintain and increase its edge as one of the Caribbean's leading tourism destinations. We will also work with the ministries who are substantively addressing the current challenges facing Jamaica." "Ruder Finn's program was the overwhelming choice of the 18-member selection committee," said Paul Pennicook, director of tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. "The committee concluded that Ruder Finn had the best handle on Jamaica's needs, understood our issues, and was not afraid to talk to us about the good ... and the bad. The 'genius' of this program is its innovative thinking and how it's applied to increasing tourism in our country. Ruder Finn was agency of record for the Jamaica Tourist Board in 1981 for six years and we are excited about this selection." About Jamaica Tourist Board The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica's national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. The Board is responsible for the worldwide tourism marketing and promotion for the island country of Jamaica. For almost 50 years, the JTB's mandate has been to promote Jamaica as a preferred travel destination, identify new and emerging consumer groups, cultivate new relationships with travel partners and disseminate timely and useful marketing information to its offices and travel partners worldwide. JTB offices are located in Jamaica, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Dusseldorf, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Tokyo. For more information, contact the JTB toll-free at 1-800-233-4JTB (4582) or visit http://www.visitjamaica.com/. About Ruder Finn Ruder Finn is a leading communications, counseling and services Agency with more than 55 years' experience. The Ruder Finn Group maintains offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. London, Paris, Jerusalem, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. The Agency also works with affiliates in major markets throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Ruder Finn recently ranked No. 1 in New York in revenues and staff size by O'Dwyer's Ranking for 2002, serves the global and local communications needs of more than 250 corporations and nonprofit organizations. Additional information about Ruder Finn can be found on the company's web site (http://www.ruderfinn.com/). Contact: Richard Funess Gail Moaney Ruder Finn, Inc. 212-593-6400 DATASOURCE: Ruder Finn, Inc. CONTACT: Richard Funess, or Gail Moaney, , both for Ruder Finn, Inc. +1-212-593-6400 Web site: http://www.ruderfinn.com/ http://www.visitjamaica.com/ x

Copyright