Beyond sending out press releases and pitching events, often public relations professionals find themselves on site, supporting clients by sharing their stories, providing facts and other assets to reporters, and helping camera crews get picture perfect visuals. With over 25 years of on-the-ground experience, the Teak team has nearly seen and done it all. Below are some our team’s recent on-the-job adventures.
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes … or Diana Brown McCloy’s
As any PR professional will tell you, preparation is everything especially when you are providing on site assistance. In an effort to spread awareness for one of Mass Audubon’s coastal resiliency programs, Diana Brown McCloy, Senior Vice President of Public Relations at Teak Media, found herself embarking on a trek through Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Dartmouth, MA with a reporter to observe the digging of “runnels” as a nature-based climate solution for sea level rise impacts on the shoreline.
It was a true New England spring day, which promised to be extremely muddy. The local reporter, wearing white slip-on loafers, soon realized that journeying into the spongy marsh would be near impossible in her current footwear. Knowing the terrain, Diana had packed additional extra-tall knee-high boots and was able to offer them to reporter, saving both the story and, thankfully, also the reporter’s white shoes.
It’s all part of the job – Hannah Miller comes face to face with a 12-foot snake
Sometimes, attending a giant snake’s OBGYN appointment ends up on your calendar. Hannah Miller, Account Manager, was called to the New England Aquarium as on-site assistance for a reporter covering a 12-foot-long green anaconda’s physical and OBGYN exam as part of a larger story on about parthenogenesis, the ability that some female animals have to impregnate themselves.
Overcoming her reservations about being in a tight exam room with one of the world’s largest snakes, Hannah helped to secure a story on this unique reproductive phenomenon. Check out the feature in the Washington Post to learn more about Wilson, the Aquarium’s green anaconda.
Didn’t see that coming – My story almost went up in flames
No matter how well you plan an event, sometimes you can’t stop breaking news from changing the plan. This past year, just as Old North Church’s annual Blessing of the Animals event began, half of the confirmed news crews and photographers were diverted to cover a fire that was quickly spreading to multiple buildings in Dorchester due to strong winds. Thankfully, the fire was contained by local firefighters. Oh, and did I mention it was Mark Wahlberg’s childhood home that was on fire?
However, breaking news meant the media plans for the event had to evolve along with the news cycle. An on-site photographer was able to capture great visuals which could be distributed along with a post-event press release. Additionally, some interviews were done ahead of time. This meant the event still got the coverage that it deserved and brightened the days of many, sharing the city’s neighborhood dogs, cats, and other furry friends. If you want to see some of Boston’s favorite animals as well as the guest of honor, Oscar, an 8-year-old yellow Labrador who works as an Explosive Detection K9 for the National Park Service, watch this WCVB story.
These stories show how public relations work calls for in-the-moment problem solving, taking on the unfamiliar, and brainstorming creative approaches to storytelling. These are some of the elements of the job that our team at Teak Media enjoys most about our work with clients and that make the job continually exciting, engaging, and ever evolving.
