ResortQuest International Inc., (NYSE: RZT), the first brand name and online booking service (ResortQuest.com) in vacation condominium and home rentals, sales and property management services, today announced that it is aggressively stepping up its marketing efforts and has appointed Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown (YP&B) as its agency of record for marketing research, advertising and consumer public relations.
“We reached critical mass in 1999, which will allow us to further leverage our brand to attract more guests to our more than 17,000 rental units at 40 premier locations in North America`s most popular resort destinations,” said David Levine, ResortQuest president and chief executive officer. “We intend to use YP&B`s cutting-edge research to more selectively target our customer base to generate greater awareness and trial. We know that 60 percent of leisure travelers are now interested in staying in a condominium or vacation home as an alternative to conventional lodging during the next two years, and we intend to reach this audience with millions of impressions through our web site, portal advertising, print media and consumer publicity.

“Concurrently, we will use YP&B to increase our marketing efforts toward homeowners who currently are not part of our rental pool in our various resort destinations,” said Levine. “We see substantial internal growth potential from this important market.”

YP&B will concentrate its efforts in North America, but begin building international awareness of the ResortQuest brand as well. In addition, the agency will promote several of ResortQuest`s major resorts and clusters of resorts, including the company`s 12 resort areas in Florida.

Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown is part of EPB Communications, one of the largest privately held communications companies in America. The agency is a full-service marketing communications firm headquartered in Orlando, Fla. with additional offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Calif., Honolulu, Boca Raton, Fla. and St. Petersburg, Fla. The firm also co-authors the widely acclaimed National Business and Leisure Travel Monitor surveys of the travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans with Yankelovich Partners.

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