Neil Alumkal, Founder

What makes culturally relevant storytelling effective within modern hospitality public relations campaigns today?

A 90-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is rolled out onto the stage of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The TV icon spins the cheese around with a flourish, revealing his portrait etched in meticulous detail on its surface. What follows is not a sponsored segment discreetly woven into programming, but five uninterrupted minutes of earned national television that is comedic and culturally magnetic.

For many agencies, that kind of exposure would be serendipity. For Stuntman PR, it is strategy made visible.

Founded in 2010, Stuntman was built on a belief that runs counter to the cautious incrementalism prevalent in modern communications: the future of public relations belongs to those willing to reclaim its theatrical past. The firm draws inspiration from pioneers of early press agentry like P. T. Barnum, Edward Bernays, and Doris Fleischman, whose bold ideas and cultural curiosity drove public attention. Stuntman’s founder, Neil Alumkal, saw in that legacy not nostalgia, but a blueprint.

As media evolved from legacy print and broadcast into digital outlets, social platforms, and now AI-curated discovery engines, many agencies have adapted tactically while losing philosophical clarity. Alumkal observed his peers' response and instead asked a different question: if the channels multiply, does the psychology of fascination really change? Audiences still pause for what surprises them. Editors still respond to what feels culturally relevant. Algorithms increasingly reward storytelling depth over shallow optimization. In that sense, what is old has become new again.

“We approach public relations through an understanding of how modern audiences engage with information, culture, and experience,” says Alumkal.

A Creativity-First Mandate

How does narrative construction influence the development of hospitality-focused public relations campaigns across media?

Before Stuntman existed, Alumkal was a screenwriter. He studied film, wrote scripts, and immersed himself in surrealism, particularly the work of André Breton, who sought to merge dream with reality into what he called ‘absolute reality.’ That philosophy of liberating ideas from purely rational constraints quietly informed the way he approached publicity. When he transitioned from writing screenplays to building a full-time career in PR, he did not abandon storytelling; he redirected it.

Public relations, for him, ceased to be transactional outreach and became narrative construction. Campaigns were conceived with pacing, visual impact, and emotional arc in mind. They were built to travel from print to television, from online features to TikTok, from social engagement to search behavior. That creative-first ethos has shaped Stuntman’s trajectory from conventional publicity to creativity-first strategy.

Structure behind the Spectacle

Why is strategic planning important for translating creative publicity concepts into measurable media traction?

Stuntman’s work is driven by strategy as much as creativity. Behind every visually arresting moment lies a disciplined methodology. Client engagements begin through immersion in the brand’s environment. Alumkal’s team visits properties, experiences products firsthand, and evaluates the client’s existing reputation. A comprehensive media audit assesses current coverage, while a brand audit examines messaging consistency and public perception. Competitive analysis identifies whitespace within the market.

Only after this immersion does ideation begin. Brainstorm sessions translate research into campaign concepts that extend across a six to twelve month strategic roadmap. Execution follows disciplined planning, and measurable traction often appears within 30 to 60 days, reflecting a balance between creative rigor and client urgency.

Stuntman’s service portfolio reflects this integrated approach. Strategic media relations and high-impact placements are paired with social media strategy, end-to-end account management, content creation, and influencer engagement. The agency maintains an in-house team of content creators responsible for executing photo shoots, monthly content calendars, posting schedules, and fostering community engagement, which strengthens local relevance and long-term loyalty.

Specialization as Strategic Discipline

In what way does hospitality specialization strengthen narrative precision and media relationship development today?

A defining differentiator of the agency is its deliberate specialization. Stuntman hires exclusively hospitality and culinary experts, positioning them to lead account teams and contribute domain knowledge that informs both media strategy and creative development. Unlike generalist consumer firms that distribute attention across disparate industries, Stuntman concentrates on food, beverage, travel, and hospitality. This focus has cultivated deep industry fluency and enduring media relationships.

Teams grounded in food and travel recognize how editorial calendars shift, how critics evaluate concepts, and how guests interpret atmosphere before arrival. This concentrated expertise fosters sharper narrative development and stronger execution.

The Parmigiano Reggiano campaign on The Late Show did not emerge from opportunism. The team identified a culturally relevant moment and constructed an idea that suited within late-night television.

This method also shaped Stuntman’s work with other emerging brands. When the Japanese cult-favorite donut brand ‘I’m donut?’ launched its first U.S. location in Times Square, the risk was anonymity in a city saturated with openings. Instead, Stuntman orchestrated a debut that secured a rare feature in The New Yorker and propelled the brand into one of New York’s most searched food stories during its launch month. Visibility did not end with coverage; it cascaded across search and social, amplifying organically.

For Olivieri 1882, a 5th-generation heritage bakery known for producing some of Italy’s most celebrated panettone, the agency reframed the narrative entirely. A multi-page pictorial in Vogue elevated the product from seasonal indulgence to luxury artifact, demonstrating how context can redefine category. In each case, the through line was not volume of placements but narrative precision.

Each case demonstrates that creativity generates earned visibility when narrative construction aligns with cultural context. The firm’s work recently earned it the distinction of Hospitality Media Relations Agency of the Year, a reflection of sustained performance across hospitality, food, and travel engagements.

Crisis Management, AI and the Future of Narrative

Creativity, however, must coexist with vigilance. Hospitality brands operate under continuous scrutiny. False or misleading coverage can damage trust quickly, especially within franchise systems where local operators depend on reputation stability. When one client faced an inaccurate and damaging claim in The New York Times, Stuntman approached the situation with methodical resolve. The team reviewed the article, conducted exhaustive fact verification, escalated documentation to editorial leadership, and secured official corrections. The resolution protected both brand equity and franchisee confidence.

Alumkal also notes that AI is reshaping how media is distributed and discovered. As search and content discovery become increasingly AI-driven, stories with strong narrative structure and clear relevance tend to perform better than content built purely for optimization. In his view, this shift reinforces the importance of thoughtful storytelling in public relations.

In an industry often drawn toward safe repetition, Stuntman operates on the belief that public relations regain influence when storytelling is treated as craft and attention is earned. By merging creative imagination with hospitality expertise and strategic precision, Stuntman has positioned itself as an architect of cultural moments in a world that demands both relevance and resonance.

Parmigiano Reggiano’s appearance on a national stage did not represent spectacle alone. It demonstrated how narrative, when thoughtfully built, transforms visibility into cultural relevance.