Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations

What Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations does

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations (SWAY) is a privately held, full-service public relations firm headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded in 1979 and operating under current ownership since CEO Neal M. Yokota purchased the firm in 2000, SWAY is staffed by nine professionals and positions itself as one of Hawaii's largest independent PR agencies. The firm delivers strategic communications, crisis and issues management, media relations, community relations, public affairs, travel marketing, special events, and social media services to enterprise clients across hospitality and tourism, real estate and development, non-profit and cultural organizations, government, and military affairs.

SWAY's service portfolio comprises twelve interconnected core offerings delivered as professional services via retainer agreements and project-based engagements. The firm has no proprietary technology stack, software product, or platform; service delivery is labor-based and anchored in senior practitioner expertise. Distribution is direct to enterprise and mid-market clients through executive-level relationship management in Hawaii, augmented by a partnership with Worldcom Public Relations Group (since 1988), which provides referral access to 110 partner agencies across 95+ cities and six continents.

The customer base includes long-tenured enterprise anchors such as O'ahu Visitors Bureau (30+ year agency of record), Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Hilton Hawaii Destination Marketing Co-Op (since 2003 and 2018 respectively), James Campbell Company, Castle & Cooke Hawai'i, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, Ala Moana Center, Aloha Festivals, and Bishop Museum. The firm has executed high-visibility programs including the APEC 2011 Leaders' Week Summit media relations effort, recognized by the U.S. Department of State and credited with 22,000+ media stories. Revenue figures, pricing structure, and headcount trend data are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations

Legal name

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, Inc.

Website

https://strykerweiner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations (SWAY) is a Honolulu-based, full-service independent public relations firm founded in 1979, serving enterprise clients across Hawaii's hospitality, real estate, non-profit, and government sectors with strategic communications, crisis management, and travel marketing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAADAI

Media Relations & Press Office Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications Agencies

SECONDARYBPAFAAAL

PR, Corporate Communications & Crisis Management

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Full-Service Advertising Agencies

SECONDARYBPAFADAF

Media Relations & Press Office Services

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications

SECONDARYBPAFADAN

Reputation Management & Online PR

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications

Keywords

• Public relations services
• Strategic communications consulting
• Crisis communications management
• Media relations services
• Travel marketing public relations

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Relations Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through retainer agreements, project-based engagements, and event management fees. Services include strategic communications, crisis management, media relations, community relations, and special events coordination for corporate, government, and non-profit clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations is a full-service public relations firm that sells strategic communications, crisis and issues management, media relations, media training, public affairs, community relations, special events, travel marketing, corporate positioning, coalition development, and social media services. Engagements are delivered as retainer or project-based consulting work for enterprise and mid-market clients primarily in Hawaii.

Product overview

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations (SWAY) is a full-service public relations firm offering a unified portfolio of 12 interconnected PR services. The firm provides strategic communications counsel across travel marketing, public affairs, corporate positioning, issues and crisis management, media relations, media training, special events, community relations, social media management, coalition development, and strategic communications. These services are delivered by a team of nine professionals and supported through the firm's partnership with Worldcom Public Relations Group for global reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Communications Comprehensive communications planning and counsel to align messaging with organizational goals for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Crisis Management Communications counsel and support during organizational crises, including risk communications, media response, and stakeholder messaging.
• Issues Management Strategic handling of emerging issues and controversies affecting clients, including monitoring, analysis, and response development.
• Media Relations Building and maintaining relationships with media outlets, managing press inquiries, and securing coverage across local, national, and international platforms.
• Media Training Preparation and coaching for client spokespersons to effectively communicate with media during interviews and public appearances.
• Travel Marketing and Promotions Specialized marketing and promotional services for travel and tourism clients, including press trips, destination marketing campaigns, and property promotions.
• Special Events Planning and execution of events including press conferences, product launches, community festivals, and experiential marketing activations.
• Community Relations Engagement with local communities to build support for client initiatives, including coalition building and grassroots outreach.
• Public Affairs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 22,000 media stories generated for APEC 2011 Hawai'i
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Worldcom Public Relations GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988SWAY is a partner of Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world's leading partnership of global public relations firms. Established in 1988, Worldcom combines the knowledge and expertise of 110 public relations agencies operating in over 95 cities on six continents. Through Worldcom, clients have access to in-depth communications expertise from professional PR specialists who understand the language, culture and customs of geographic arenas in which they operate.
• AZ.WORLDCOM JAPAN Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWAY partnered with AZ.WORLDCOM JAPAN Co., Ltd. for more than 10 years on Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaii—the largest Memorial Day observance in the U.S. Working with this Worldcom partner based in Japan was important in ensuring messaging about the event was accurate and respectful to both Japanese and Hawaiian cultures, and the U.S. Military.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• McNeil Wilson Communications: Long-established Honolulu-based public relations firm serving Hawaii-based enterprise, government, and nonprofit clients. Closest direct competitor in geography, vertical mix (tourism, real estate, public affairs), and service portfolio.
• MMGY Global: Global travel and hospitality marketing firm with deep destination-marketing and hotel PR capabilities. Directly comparable to SWAY's travel marketing practice and competes for the same resort, tourism authority, and destination clients.

Regional players

• Anthology Marketing Group: Hawaii-based integrated marketing and PR agency serving hospitality, healthcare, and consumer clients in the islands. Comparable mid-sized regional competitor with overlapping tourism and consumer client base.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with global reach, dedicated travel/hospitality practice, and Hawaii project experience. Competes for enterprise hospitality and corporate reputation accounts that SWAY also targets.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations agency in Interpublic Group's IPG DXTRA network with deep consumer, travel, and public affairs capabilities. Comparable in offering breadth and competes for high-profile Hawaii-headquartered corporate accounts.
• FleishmanHillard: Large global public relations and communications agency (Omnicom) with travel/hospitality and public affairs practices. Comparable to SWAY across corporate reputation, public affairs, and crisis work.
• Ketchum: Global communications consultancy owned by Omnicom with strong travel, food/beverage, and public-sector practices. Direct overlap with SWAY's hospitality and event-driven PR work.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): WPP-owned global communications agency with travel, hospitality, and public affairs capability. Comparable to SWAY's full-service offering and competes for multinational clients needing Hawaii/Asia-Pacific support.
• FINN Partners: Independently owned global PR firm with a strong travel, hospitality, and lifestyle practice. Direct overlap on hospitality, destination-marketing, and crisis communications accounts SWAY serves.

Emerging players

• Development Counsellors International (DCI): Specialist PR and marketing firm focused on economic development, tourism, and place branding. Comparable to SWAY's destination-marketing work for tourism authorities and real estate development accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SWAYpublicrelations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations