Creating an Award-Winning Economic Development PR Campaign
When it comes to PR – there’s no better feeling than securing top-tier coverage. The thrill of seeing an on-message headline with an organization’s name, engaging imagery and a strong quote that drives the message home to an audience of millions is truly priceless. Your monthly report is packed with results, social shares are endless and celebratory emails are circulated – I can attest, it’s a great feeling.
But I can do one even better: an award-winning media campaign.
Since our founding in 2010, Violet PR has been the recipient of over 40 national and regional awards for PR and social media excellence. In June, our team secured the prestigious PRSA Bronze Anvil for our work with the Greater Topeka Partnership to boost the region's reputation as a growing hub for Hispanic immigrants; an initiative that was ultimately highlighted in nearly 70 media outlets. This past winter, our agency secured a staggering count of nine PRSA-NJ PR awards, including the coveted 'Best in Show' for the second consecutive year.
Here’s what it takes to make these award wins happen:
Data
What makes Pittsburgh the Silicon Valley of the East or Buffalo a ‘climate change safe haven’? It may be easy for your team to paint these narratives, but they won’t materialize into coverage unless there is data to back up the claim. Before any media outreach is conducted, it is important to take a deep dive into the numbers. In Pittsburgh’s case, that means analyzing the tech sector's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, recent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) figures and the size of the regional tech workforce, comparing each of data points to national statistics, looking to uncover sizable differences. As for Buffalo, population growth was the main resource – as there was data to show that the population grew in 2020 for the first time since 1950. Why? There were a number of trends pointing to climate change as a main factor. For example, after Hurricane Maria, 3,000 people from Puerto Rico decided to make Buffalo their home.
Human Interest Stories
Yes, data is cool … but it gets boring. Bulking up angles with humanized, relatable stories, brings this data to life. This can include holding interviews with a CEO of a tech startup, students enrolled in a manufacturing trade program, or a climate migrant. Having people willing to share their very personal example to support the above data-based claim is a critical piece required to secure almost any top-tier story.
Spokespeople
Once your key messages are finalized and ready to be delivered, the next step is securing media interviews. It’s essential to pinpoint key spokespeople who can speak to each element of your messaging. It’s effective to offer up government leaders (governor, state commissioner or city mayor), or a high-level executive at economic development organizations to speak to the broader economic benefit of the particular topic. Secondary to that, leverage those who are open to sharing their personal stories, like those listed above.
Imagery
It’s true when they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and that’s especially true for a reporter working with a tight word count. It’s very effective to rely on the power of images to convey what words sometimes can't. Always be sure to compile a folder of options which might include spokespeople headshots, before and after images of a development areas, compelling architecture, and lifestyle elements like a community festival. And keep in mind, all visuals have to come with full rights for use with the press before sharing.
But what happens when a client might not have access to compelling visuals? It’s essential to host on-site shoots or create graphic content when photography isn’t available.
Persistence
After locking in key messaging, the development of the story doesn’t stop after pressing send on the first wave of media outreach. It’s important to constantly look for new ways to position the story, using “newsjacking” tactics or providing updated research findings to hook reporter interest. Tapping into fresh national data, new federal policies relating to the topic, and noteworthy conferences are helpful tactics to engage the media. In the case of Buffalo’s climate migration campaign, over the course of two years, our strategy materialized through the distribution of over 10 tailored media pitches, each uniquely addressing the narrative with diverse angles and timely updates. This resulted in more than 20 interviews between media contacts and spokespeople, making it a strong contender for an award-winning campaign – something we have our sights set on for the 2024-25 award season.
We’re here to help.
The Violet PR team has a wealth of experience in navigating the international media landscape and telling stories that lead to award-winning campaigns. If your economic development organization is looking to increase positive media coverage for your city or state, we are here to help. Reach us at hello@violetpr.com.