by Account Supervisor Paige Landsem
Fall 2010 Fred Meyer team
Fall term was a busy one for the Fred Meyer team. We got to work right away, assisting Fred Meyer’s public affairs team by creating media lists, writing press releases and media alerts, and doing media relations work.
We pitched a number of stories:
In October, we wrote and pitched a release about a t-shirt signing held at the West Eugene Fred Meyer. Duck football legend Kenny Wheaton, whose famous play known as “The Pick” is considered the greatest play in Oregon football history, signed the shirts to benefit the Kenny Wheaton Foundation, his charity benefitting underprivileged children in the Eugene area.
We were also able to secure coverage for a check presentation held at Fred Meyer’s Santa Clara location in Eugene. Fred Meyer donated over $81,000 to the Oregon chapter of Operation Homefront, an organization that provides emergency assistance and other services for families of veterans. The donation was a combination of money collected in coin jars at Fred Meyer checkstands and contributions from Fred Meyer associates. We received coverage from KEZI, Eugene’s ABC affiliate. (Video: http://kezi.com/news/local/197481)
Our media relations efforts really paid off in December, when we crafted a social media press release announcing Christmas for Kids, an event held at the Hollywood Fred Meyer in Portland. The event gives low-income children a chance to shop with volunteers and purchase Christmas gifts for themselves and their family members. Two of Portland’s major network news affiliates, KOIN (CBS) and KATU (ABC) attended the event and featured it in their evening newscasts.
Between the five of us, we were all able to get a taste of writing, media list creation and media relations. Having the chance to pitch media and earn coverage is an invaluable opportunity for students, and we’re excited to continue supporting the public affairs team at Fred Meyer and being part of their work in our community.