As PR professionals, what we do is a mix of skill, strategy and magic.
When our team created a specialized media campaign for our client Feeding South Florida™ (FSF), the largest food bank in the state and one of 202 member food banks in the Feeding America™ network, during the Oct. 1–16, 2013 government shutdown, magic was in the mix. We pitched a strong story at an opportune time that filled a news need so big, that it grew larger and faster than the original plan.
Our team’s success is part of the public relations direction included in latest edition of PR News’ Media Relations Guidebook, Vol. 2.
Published by PR News Press in May 2014 and available at www.prnewsonline.com/pr-press/, the Media Relations Guidebook, Vol. 2, is a research tool used by teachers, PR and communications professionals, agencies and associations interested in the modern practice of media relations. It includes 60+ articles on building long-lasting relationships with journalists and media pitching. The guidebook retails for $399 for digital download or print.
Our submission features our work with FSF, which illustrated tactics and strategies on working with local media covering a national story. After ascertaining the impact the government shutdown could have on supplying local families and organizations with critical food and produce, we coordinated interviews with local media stations, so FSF leaders could explain to the public their ongoing need.
The Oct. 4 media campaign generated a response within hours. Media outlets from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade County scheduled interviews to speak with FSF representatives. All recognized that this was an opportunity to bring a global situation to a very local and personal level.
The regional coverage from Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach stations and newspapers trickled up to national coverage, as NBC Nightly News and MSNBC’s “Weekends with Alex Witt” included the story as part of their broadcasts.
By Oct. 14, the coverage generated had an estimated calculated publicity value of more than $300,000 with an estimated audience of 16,452,094. NBC Nightly News’ segment alone reached more than 8 million viewers with a publicity value of $142,000.
It was an amazing example of skill, strategy and magic that is now published. Wow, we’re authors!
A double wow! Not only are we published in the Guidebook for our work with FSF during the government shutdown, but we also just won the nation’s premier business award, the American Business Award (also known as the Stevie®) for the same campaign. On June 13, we won the Silver Stevie in the Communications or PR Campaign of the Year – Community Relations category.