JULIE HELDMAN
case study
Key Results
Over 4 billion+ total impressions
Recognition at the top tennis tournaments across the globe
Consistent international media appearances
Raving book reviews
The client
Julie Heldman is a guts-y and volatile tennis star: twice ranked number five in the world. Julie represented the U.S. on two winning Federation Cup teams, as well as the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where she won three medals. She also won 22 women’s tennis tournaments with victories over all of the top stars of her era, including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova.
Heldman self-published her first memoir, Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey, in 2018. The book delves deeply into the well-hidden emotional abuse Julie suffered from her mother, Gladys. Her mother was broadly admired for her unique magazine, World Tennis, and for engineering the women’s tennis revolution, in which Julie played a crucial role. Julie also reveals her struggle with bipolar disorder and her internal journey: both on and off the court.
The situation
Julie Heldman came to us having recently self-published her memoir. After a few unsuccessful book marketing strategies, Julie knew she needed to take a different approach.
Upon reading Julie’s memoir and meeting with her in person, we were immediately blown away. She was exceedingly passionate and excited—we wanted to go all out to ensure the world heard her story and gave her work the attention it deserved. We developed a multi-faceted PR strategy that involved a variety of activities to maximize exposure.
Lena Rose’s PR campaign earned Julie Heldman over 4 billion impressions and international coverage in top-tier outlets such as CNN, The Telegraph U.K., Wimbledon Radio, and BBC’s Woman’s Hour, to name a few. We also secured on-camera talk show guest appearances for Julie on The Tennis Channel, BBC Breakfast, CBS Los Angeles, CBS Minnesota, and more.
In conjunction with these placements, Lena Rose PR ensured Julie’s in-person participation at PR events taking place at top tennis tournaments including the Ojai (California), Wimbledon (London, U.K.), and the BNP Paribas (Indian Wells, California). There, we had her complete interviews, Q&As, and book signings, as well as take photos and interact with fans.
We are honored that Julie chose to entrust us with her deeply personal and revealing story; we were able to promote mental health and shed light on the true personalities behind the start of the women’s pro tour.
Lena Rose PR implemented the following:
Send the book to current + former tennis pros and media covering the circuit, which results in organic social media engagement
Pair Julie up with a variety of local + national mental health organizations
Work side-by-side with the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) to streamline messaging and opportunities for Julie
Secure and facilitate in-person book signing locations and Q&As at popular pro tournaments
Strategic international media outreach covering topics such as mental health, women’s rights, tennis + sports history, writing + book reviews, parenting, and more
Handle incoming media inquiries
Julie Heldman has been featured in:
“I have only the highest praise for Lena Rose PR.
In January 2019, I hired Charlotte to publicize my memoir, Driven: A Daughter’s Odyssey. When Charlotte started working with me, I had been out of the tennis world so long that I lacked contacts, and I needed help. I soon discovered that Charlotte has the rare combination of having a superb work ethic, a profound understanding of her profession, the creativity to open new avenues, and a delightful personality. During the year that I worked with her, she started by getting me interviews on internet TV, but soon she was working miracles by securing interviews at major tennis sites such as Wimbledon and Indian Wells. By the end of the year, she was finding engagements, TV appearances and top-tier online interviews and book reviews. Lena Rose PR is the best.”
Julie Heldman
author of Driven: A Daughter’s Odyssey
We’re dedicated to giving your brand the purposeful representation it deserves.