“Jason came on board & immediately began adding value. Jason brings a wealth of public relations experience & expertise to the table. He is very thorough in gathering the information needed. He is strategic in his recommendations. He is creative in his implementation. He has a high level of integrity & transparency. And, as an added bonus, he is so fun to work with….and that’s always a huge plus in my book.”

Tamee Roberts (president of 1M2Es, virtual CMO to Rowntree Gardens)

 

Background

SCM presented RG with an epic opportunity: provide, at no cost, eight of its community members with flights in an open cockpit, fully restored, 1942 Boeing Stearman biplane – the same type of plane used to train aviators during WWII. Several WWII veterans were among those who flew. Non-profit Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation (AADF) – whose mission is to provide flights to veterans living in long-term, senior-living facilities – sponsored the flights. (Since its founding in 2011, AADF has given more than 1,500 flights.) The flights took place April 7, 2016 at the Fullerton Municipal Airport in O.C.

 

PROBLEM

Compete for news coverage in the nation’s 2nd largest (and highly competitive) media market. Also, the event was located an hour’s drive from L.A.-based media.

 

SOLUTION

To fully leverage the potential for positive exposure for all parties, SCM did the following:

  • Created a list of all Orange County and national media covering veterans, airmen and seniors.
  • Secured key background on each flyer: details about their military service, age, years living at RG, other connections to the military, and interesting service-related stories.
  • Developed and shared a news release and media alert with all relevant media (including local TV, print and digital from our existing media list).
  • Contacted most relevant media three weeks leading up to the April 7 event.
  • Secured and shared with select media pictures of each senior flyer prior to the event.
  • Attended the April 7 event, worked closely with attending media, interviewed the flyers, etc.
  • Wrote a post-event story, created a gallery of 15 of the top 500 images taken that day, and presented both to several media who wanted our images can could not attend April 7.

 

RESULTS

  1. Secured three stories before the event occurred.
  2. Attracted key media to the event, including:
  • A reporter and photographer from the Orange County Register (largest paper in O.C. with a daily circulation of 250k).
  • Four members of the Council on Aging O.C. (including the editor of the annual guide, Answers).
  • Camera people / photo editors from THREE of L.A.’s five main TV stations (ABC, NBC and Tribune Co. station KTLA).

 

  1. Secured numerous, positive stories, including:
  • Not Born Yesterday
    • Full-page feature story with pictures appeared in May issue.

 

  1. Rowntree Gardens and its community members (& their families) had a terrific experience:
  • RG community member flyers had an experience of a lifetime.
  • RG captured photos and video to share with the community members and their families, as well as to feature on the organization’s website, in future presentations, and other media.
  • Senior flyers celebrated the day with their friends and family members (and several RG staff) who attended.
  • Many media interviewed the senior flyers and RG’s CEO and AADF’s founder.
  • The event helped to further RG’s identify as a place where people come to continue living.