Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest (by land mass) and most diversified port, and far more than ships, cargo and cruise terminals. It is one of the state’s most important economic engines, connecting maritime commerce, logistics, tourism, energy, government, business and communities throughout the region.
Port Tampa Bay
Public Sector
Maritime / Logistics / Economic Development
Maritime & Logistics Industries • Terminal Operators & Ocean Carriers • Cruise Industry • Port Customers & Tenants • Government & Elected Officials • Business & Economic Development Leaders • Media • Regional Community
Ports America • Tampa Bay Pilots • Port Tampa Bay Maritime Industries Association • The Propeller Club – Port of Tampa • City of Tampa • Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful • CCA Florida • Duke Energy • U.S. Customs & Border Protection • Tampa Bay EDC • Tampa Bay Chamber • Visit Tampa Bay • Tampa International Airport • AAPA • CLIA
PRSA Award of Excellence – Media Relations: Glory Delivers Hope
PRSA Award of Excellence – Video / Long-Form Production: Glory Delivers Hope
Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest (by land mass) and most diversified port, and far more than ships, cargo and cruise terminals. It is one of the state’s most important economic engines, connecting maritime commerce, logistics, tourism, energy, government, business and communities throughout the region.
For approximately seven years, HCP Associates served as Port Tampa Bay’s strategic communications partner, working alongside senior leadership through multiple contracts and leadership transitions. The relationship spanned research, strategic communications, public relations, crisis communications, media relations, digital and social communications, video production, community engagement and major Port milestones.
At the center of HCP’s strategy was a simple idea: humanize the Port.
Rather than communicating solely through infrastructure, cargo volumes and statistics, HCP helped tell the stories of the people, businesses, passengers, partnerships and communities behind Florida’s largest and most diversified port. That approach supported Port Tampa Bay’s successful “Reroute Your Thinking” positioning effort.
President & CEO
Port Tampa Bay
Ports are inherently complex.
To the maritime industry, Port Tampa Bay is a critical link in global commerce. To terminal operators and ocean carriers, it is infrastructure. To cruise passengers, it is a gateway. To businesses and economic development leaders, it is an economic engine. To government, it is a strategic transportation asset. And to much of the public, it can simply be something they drive past without understanding the activity and impact behind it.
HCP became immersed in that environment, developing an understanding of the Port’s operations, leadership, stakeholders and communications priorities. The work frequently required coordination among Port leadership, Coast Guard operations, cruise lines, ocean carriers, terminal operators, labor organizations, local government, media and public information teams.
The challenge was not simply generating publicity. It was making a highly complex organization understandable, relevant and human.
Research played a significant role throughout HCP’s relationship with Port Tampa Bay.
HCP conducted the Port’s first media audit, establishing a benchmark for understanding coverage, perceptions and opportunities to strengthen the Port’s position in the marketplace.
HCP also conducted extensive research surrounding Tampa Bay’s cruise industry. The work included resident research across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties as well as a major passenger intercept initiative at Port cruise terminals.
For the passenger research, HCP deployed a 20+ person field team to intercept and survey hundreds of cruise passengers across multiple cruise line partners, helping the Port better understand guest sentiment, operational expectations, tourism and operational insights, economic impact and considerations surrounding future expansion.
The result was research that could move beyond assumptions and provide Port leadership with actionable information for decision-making, community engagement and future communications.
HCP’s role frequently extended far beyond traditional public relations.
When operational conditions changed, communications had to change with them. During cruise disruptions caused by dense fog, HCP supported public-facing communications involving Port leadership, cruise stakeholders, local media, passengers and Coast Guard operational realities.
One of the clearest examples came just days before the arrival of the largest container vessel ever to pass beneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Following the unexpected departure of the Port’s communications director, HCP worked alongside Port leadership, CMA CGM executives, media outlets and stakeholders to coordinate communications, executive support, media visibility and public-facing messaging surrounding the internationally watched milestone. The effort unfolded amid active dredging operations with the Army Corps of Engineers, heightened media attention and significant operational sensitivity.
HCP’s role also extended into strengthening the Port’s internal communications capacity. Over the course of the relationship, HCP helped develop the job descriptions, responsibilities and organizational expectations for two Directors of Communications and served on the interview committees that ultimately selected both hires. The systems, processes and communications programs established during HCP’s tenure were designed not simply to support the Port at the time, but to create a scalable foundation for the future. Those structures continued beyond HCP’s engagement under subsequent communications leadership, with specialized services outsourced as needed rather than the former full-service strategic communications role being replaced.
In moments like these, HCP’s responsibility was not simply communications. It was communications triage; understanding who needed to communicate, what information mattered most, which audiences required priority and how information could be deployed quickly and responsibly.
Humanizing Port Tampa Bay became the foundation for integrated storytelling across media relations, public education, digital and social communications, documentary-style video and community engagement.
HCP helped translate complicated infrastructure, logistics and maritime operations into clear stories demonstrating why the Port mattered to people, businesses, passengers and communities.
Within one year, Port Tampa Bay’s social media following increased 185%, significantly expanding its ability to communicate directly with stakeholders and the public.
Environmental and community initiatives broadened the story further. HCP supported communications surrounding the redfish release with Duke Energy and CCA Florida and the Great Port Clean Up with The Propeller Club – Port of Tampa and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, demonstrating that Port Tampa Bay’s connection to the region extended well beyond commerce.
HCP also helped create and maintain the Port’s first formal crisis communications plan and supported communications surrounding major maritime, business and community milestones. The Glory Delivers Hope initiative demonstrated the power of that integrated approach, earning Tampa Bay PRSA Awards of Excellence for both Media Relations and Video / Long-Form Production.
Served as Port Tampa Bay’s strategic communications partner for approximately seven years.
Helped establish humanizing Port Tampa Bay as a strategic storytelling framework supporting Reroute Your Thinking.
Conducted the Port’s first media audit.
Conducted resident research surrounding Tampa Bay’s cruise industry.
Deployed a 20+ person field research team to survey hundreds of cruise passengers across multiple cruise line partners.
Developed and maintained the Port’s first crisis communications plan.
Increased Port Tampa Bay’s social media following 185% within one year.
Provided rapid-response communications support during operationally sensitive cruise and maritime events.
Supported communications surrounding the arrival of the largest container vessel at the time to pass beneath the Sunshine Skyway and call on Port Tampa Bay.
Supported environmental and community initiatives with Duke Energy, CCA Florida, The Propeller Club – Port of Tampa and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful.
Earned two Tampa Bay PRSA Awards of Excellence for Glory Delivers Hope.
Complex organizations are not made understandable by oversimplifying what they do. They are made understandable by showing why what they do matters.
For Port Tampa Bay, that meant looking beyond ships, containers, terminals and statistics to the people, businesses, industries and communities connected to them.
Years spent working alongside Senior Port leadership and throughout its maritime, business, government and community ecosystem gave HCP more than familiarity with an account. It created an understanding of how the Port operates, how quickly circumstances can change and how differently its many audiences experience its impact.
That understanding allowed HCP to connect research, strategy and marketing to help people see something much bigger than a port. Port Tampa Bay wasn’t simply moving cargo, ships and passengers. It was powering an economy. Our job was to make that impact human.
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