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At ADWEEK’s Social Media Week 2025, Abigail Rickards, chief marketing officer at Empire State Realty Trust, and Tyler O’Day, senior social media manager, shared how they’ve revitalized the Empire State Building’s social media presence.
With more than two and a half million visitors per year, the iconic building has become much more than just an observation deck. Under Rickards and O’Day’s leadership, the building has redefined its online persona while staying true to its history.
Rickards, who has been with the company for seven years and leading marketing efforts for almost four, spoke about the challenge and opportunity of bringing new life to such a globally recognized brand. “At the core of it, the Empire State Building is an observation deck, and yet, it’s so much more than an observation deck,” she said. “It’s personality, it’s character, it’s part of our culture.”
O’Day joined the team three and a half years ago from Barstool Sports, and is tasked with shaping the building’s social media presence. “I thought, ‘What a great canvas the Empire State Building represented,” he said. “It’s a beloved, iconic brand. People care about it, whether they’re from New York City or not. And that’s half the battle when it comes to social—if people don’t care, you’re going to be screaming into the wind.”
Going in-house with social
The shift to an in-house social media team was a pivotal decision for Rickards and O’Day. While the Empire State Building had previously relied on external agencies, Rickards felt it was time to build a more authentic, internal voice. “We needed to move away from an agency and really bring it in-house, to really build up personality,” she explained.
Rickards also highlighted a significant investment in the building’s infrastructure: a $165 million upgrade that was completed in 2019. “We completely revamped our entire experience … It’s not just the next year of the building. We want you to come, buy a ticket, and experience stuff with your friends and family when they’re in town.”
The Empire State Building’s social strategy balances social trends and the building’s iconic history. “We know that we have authenticity that other brands don’t have,” Rickards noted. “It’s important to bring on team members who are obsessed with the Empire State Building. You don’t want to fight that passion. If it means something to them, you’re going to get more out of them.”
To do so, O’Day stressed the importance of bringing in young talent who are native to platforms like TikTok. “We reached out to college students… [who] are natively on the platform,” he said. “They’ve been at the forefront of our [TikTok] growth.”
Rickards added that the team was also focused on ensuring their social strategy reflected the building’s physical presence. “It’s on two fronts: brand awareness and driving people to buy tickets,” she explained. “We want to be top of mind for anyone coming to New York City and looking for an experience… and we’re bringing that to social.”
Partnering with other brands
The Empire State Building’s strategy also involves partnering with other brands. For example, the company partnered with Disney and Hasbro in 2024 to project Star Wars on the Empire State Building. “We make sure it’s brand-right,” Rickards said. “It’s not just a one-and-done moment. We make sure we have a robust package to amplify our message.”
The goal is to make the building a personality of its own, O-Day said. “When we think of the Empire State Building on social, we think of someone like Patti LuPone—someone who’s earned the respect and is not going to take crap from anybody,” he said.
Speed and responsiveness are also important. When an earthquake hit New York City last year, the building’s social media team posted a tweet within minutes, ensuring the public that everything was fine. “We were able to get this tweet out less than [a] minute after it happened,” he said. “It stuck us in a conversation that was going to be one of the biggest news stories of the day.”
All told, the social media strategy has gained $8 million worth of media impressions.
The Empire State Building is preparing for its 95th anniversary, which will include a social media push.
“We want to stay true to our program, staying true to the iconic nature of the Empire State Building,” Rickards said.
