Verdin: San Luis Obispo Destination Marketing Agency Profile
Verdin is a San Luis Obispo marketing and PR agency founded in 2003 by Mary Verdin, specializing in tourism destinations, cities and special districts.
Profiled
May 17, 2013
Desk
EPR Editorial Team
Firm summary
Originally published May 2013. Updated October 14, 2026.
What is Verdin?
Verdin is a San Luis Obispo marketing and PR agency founded in 2003 by Mary Verdin, specializing in tourism destinations, cities and special districts in California. It combines brand strategy, advertising, digital content, websites and public relations, and works on projects or as agency of record.
How did Verdin start?
Mary Verdin started the agency in 2003 with a card table and a laptop, and its first contract was with the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County, according to a company profile. It has stayed independent and is based on California's Central Coast.
Which destinations and clients does Verdin serve?
Verdin's published case studies on CaseStudies.com include Ventura County Coast, Visit Arroyo Grande, Visit Atascadero, Visit Camarillo and Visit Oxnard. EPR's earlier profile also listed Visit Gilroy, the City of San Luis Obispo and the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, and the agency documented a Visit Burbank rebrand in July 2026.
Other work includes the Greater Vallejo Recreation District and San Luis Obispo's Restaurant Month, with the agency reporting 5,706 digital clicks for the latter.
What recognition has Verdin received?
PRSA gave Verdin four Awards for Excellence in 2013, for the San Luis Obispo Utilities Department Facebook page, the SLO Happenings Facebook page, the San Luis Obispo Symphony's California Missions Tour campaign and the SLO Regional Rideshare brochure. Verdin also reports a MarCom Platinum Award for the Ventura County Coast brand and an American Advertising Award for Visit Oxnard's digital press kit.
What community work does Verdin do?
Verdin runs the 24-Hour Give, which began in 2014, and the agency says cumulative donated services and partner contributions exceeded $1 million as of a 2024 New Times report. Its first event gathered more than $80,000 in donated services, according to the agency.
How does Verdin compare with other California marketing and PR firms?
Verdin is a regional boutique focused on destination and public-sector marketing, whereas most California PR firms in EPR's directory focus on technology or consumer brands. See EPR's California PR pages and the PR agency profiles directory.
Related: California PR · PR agency profiles directory · Travel PR
Verdin: San Luis Obispo Destination Marketing Agency Profile FAQ
Who founded Verdin?
Mary Verdin founded Verdin in San Luis Obispo in 2003.
What does Verdin specialize in?
Verdin specializes in destination marketing and public-sector communications for tourism organizations, cities and special districts.
Where is Verdin based?
Verdin is based at 3580 Sacramento Drive in San Luis Obispo, California.
Has Verdin won awards?
Yes. PRSA gave Verdin four Awards for Excellence in 2013, and the agency reports MarCom and American Advertising Awards. Disclosure: Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications share a common ownership group.
Editorial assessment by Everything-PR, based on public record and archive coverage. No firm-supplied marketing copy, no paid placement.
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