PR TipsCreate Hometown Heroes But we want local heroes, as well. Whether it's a teacher, coach, municipal official, or the trash collector, you can position a local hero in the media. Years ago, when I worked at Sugarloaf/USA as communications director, we started putting out press releases and pitches about a man named Paul Schipper who was in his 60's and who skied every single day of the season. Over the years, Paul continued his 'streak' of skiing every day that Sugarloaf was open, and he continued to get local news coverage. It started with the local weekly paper, then was noticed by local television, and went on to Boston TV and the Boston Globe, and finally, a story ran in the New York Times. The coverage didn't stop there. Excuse the pun, but it 'snowballed.' People Magazine picked up the story and ended up running Paul's story two times. Paul's story also ran in Ski, Skiing, Snow Country and many other national publications. What started with a fun local story has turned into a long-running publicity campaign for Sugarloaf. Paul Schipper continues to ski every day and although I am not working at Sugarloaf any more, the PR department there continues to put out releases about Paul's 'streak.' He has become known as the 'Cal Ripken of Skiing.' Only Paul has continued long after Cal retired! So think local and think of how even the most seemingly 'mundane' person can become a local hero. Start with your local weekly paper, then the dailies, then hit radio and television. The national media look to local media for story ideas so your story, too, has the potential to 'snowball' the way Paul Schipper's story did. Use these tips to maximize your results, and achieve success. Plan for these releases early, and get them out, so you can have more time to spend with your family! |
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At this time in our history, people are searching for heroes. The New York firefighters and rescue personnel are certainly all our heroes after September 11th.