BBPR, Inc. President Barbara Bishop is an award-winning media relations and marketing strategist with extensive experience in the non-profit, medical, public education, consumer product, food and wine industries. 

Barbara has been the architect and key strategist behind the many successful marketing/communications and media campaigns for her clients, including a 13-year consulting engagement for Saint John’s Health Center to develop communications strategies to raise $300 million to build an entire hospital campus.

In addition, she has effectively used marketing/communications and media relations strategies for many other non-profit organizations, including Step Up on Second, a non-profit agency that provides physical and mental health support and housing to individuals who are homeless and living with a mental illness. In particular, one recent media story resulted in $250,000 in donations.

Barbara’s key area of expertise is developing and overseeing strategy for comprehensive media relations campaigns. She has overseen placement of many local, regional, and national stories for her clients, including in Vanity Fair Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, NPR, U.S. News and World Report, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Extra!, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, USA Weekend Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Marie Claire, National Enquirer (a straight story!) and many others.

Barbara also has a keen interest and talent in developing strategic partnerships. Award winning examples of partnerships she’s brokered include a custom publication in partnership with Los Angeles Magazine for Saint John’s Health Center, a Jewish New Year calendar in partnership with the Jewish Journal for Saint John’s Health Center, and an Emmy-nominated fundraising video shot with actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. The Los Angeles Magazine product, Saint John’s Magazine, resulted in more than $500,000 in donations to Saint John’s.

Barbara began her agency career in 1988 at Aaron Cushman and Associates. After being recruited to other agencies, including Mahoney Communications, Burson Marsteller and Stoorza, Ziegaus and Metzger (SZM), she started her own firm, BBPR, Inc., in 1996.

As an account executive for Aaron Cushman and Associates, Barbara’s key clients included the California Jeep Dealers Association, the Los Angeles City Employees Association and Vein Clinics of America. As account supervisor for Mahoney Communications, key clients were Prime Sports Network (now FOX Sports) and Centinela Hospital. As account supervisor for Burson Marsteller, key clients included Kraft General Foods StarServe Foundation and Domino’s Pizza.

As Vice President of the Consumer Division for SZM, key clients were the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, The New Zealand Tourism Board, La Costa Resort, Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried and Roy, Nature’s Recipe Pet Foods, Thermoscan Instant Ear Thermometer and Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center.

An Emmy-nominated television producer, she created the television show Secret Family Recipes, which made its Southern California debut on CityTV 36. The first episode to air won a regional programming award.

Barbara also wrote and produced the award-winning show Healthy Living TV, a ½ hour weekly field-produced series that aired on local CBS affiliate Channel 2 in the Coachella Valley, right before national program “60 Minutes.” The show was made for Eisenhower Medical Center.

In addition, Barbara and her team produced Coffee Break, a weekly, live, in-studio show that ran for 5 years, for Saint John’s Health Center, airing on City TV Santa Monica.

Her latest project is co-producing and co-hosting “Santa Monica Plus,” with Dr. Boyd Flinders, airing on City TV Santa Monica.

Barbara is a member of The Santa Monica Rotary, The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and The Radio and Television Academy.

In her personal life, Barbara is an accomplished cook, fitness buff and regularly rollerblades, runs, hikes and bikes. She also practices yoga and meditates on a daily basis.

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• What’s cooking on “Secret Family Recipes”