PrimeGuide Partners is a boutique marketing and public relations agency based in NYC serving hospitality, wellness, lifestyle, retail, and creative entrepreneur brands across the U.S. and beyond. Founded by Melissa “Mel” Ortiz, a Filipino-American storyteller with more than 20 years of experience across global hospitality and consumer brands, PrimeGuide operates at the intersection of strategic communications, brand building, digital growth, creative innovation, and cultural insight. The agency is a certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), named New York’s Best U.S. Digital Marketing Agency by DesignRush in 2021 and recognized as a Top Firm by 50Pros in Spring 2026. To date, PrimeGuide has supported more than 40 women entrepreneurs.
What sets PrimeGuide apart is not just its capabilities, but its approach. Rooted in “kapwa,” the Filipino concept of shared identity and interconnectedness, the agency treats every client as a true partner. Campaigns are collaborative, relationships are direct, and the work is designed for long-term impact.
The Founder’s Story
To understand PrimeGuide, you have to understand Mel Ortiz. Born to Filipino parents and raised between Japan, San Diego, Hawaii, and Manila, Mel grew up navigating different cultures and communities. She studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, where she developed a foundation in storytelling and strategic communication.
Before moving into senior marketing leadership, Mel built her career from the operational side of hospitality, holding roles across Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton properties including staff accountant, night auditor, operations manager, and revenue and reservations manager. That operational background gave her firsthand insight into guest experience, revenue strategy, and the realities of running hospitality businesses.
She later held marketing leadership roles at Hyatt Centric Times Square, helped launch the viral Bar 54 rooftop igloo activation, and supported the $22.5 million renovation campaign for Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, generating 2.93 billion media impressions. She also served as Executive Assistant at Hyatt Regency San Francisco and led Global Social Media Marketing at Hyatt and EOS Products.
After more than two decades inside hospitality, lifestyle, and consumer brands, Mel founded PrimeGuide Partners to provide founders and emerging brands access to senior-level strategy, storytelling, and marketing expertise often reserved for major corporations.
Philosophy and Approach
PrimeGuide believes marketing should build trust, not just visibility. Every campaign is designed to support long-term brand equity through authentic storytelling, strategic positioning, and meaningful audience connection.
The agency focuses on sustainable growth. SEO strategies are paired with evergreen content programs, PR efforts prioritize credibility over vanity metrics, and brand positioning work is designed to create clarity that lasts beyond a single campaign cycle.
Services and Capabilities
PrimeGuide offers integrated marketing and PR services tailored for boutique and growth-stage brands, including:
• Public Relations and Brand Strategy — media relations, press releases, editorial pitching, influencer partnerships, crisis communications, competitive audits, positioning, and message development.
• SEO, AI Visibility, and Paid Search — search optimization, AI search visibility strategies, SEM campaigns, and performance marketing support.
• Social Media and Content Marketing — content creation, brand storytelling, campaign development, community engagement, and digital strategy.
• Experiential Marketing and Partnerships — launch events, activations, strategic collaborations, and community-driven experiences.
• Creative Direction and Brand Development — visual storytelling, campaign concepts, brand identity refinement, and creative consulting.
PrimeGuide’s work spans hospitality, wellness, beauty, food and beverage, retail, and founder-led businesses, with a focus on helping brands grow through culturally informed storytelling, strategic communications, and meaningful audience engagement.
