Securing Feel-Good Coverage in a Fast-Moving News Cycle
At Krakoff Communications, we know it can be tough to break through with uplifting or human-interest stories, especially in busy media markets where harder news tends to take priority. But we also know that with the right strategy, strong storytelling and targeted outreach, there’s still plenty of room for community-centered news to shine.
That’s exactly what we accomplished for our client, Thompson Creek Window Company, around two recent campaigns: their annual Fish-a-Palooza employee appreciation event and the launch of the House Proud Heroes program.
Fish-a-Palooza: Celebrating Employees and Giving Back
To celebrate its 45th anniversary, Thompson Creek hosted Fish-a-Palooza, a longtime favorite company tradition that brings employees together on the Chesapeake Bay for a day of fishing, food and fun. But this year’s event carried deeper meaning: the company donated $5,000 each to two nonprofits nominated by employees—HOPE: Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (HOPE AACR) and The Jacob Sloan Foundation.
We helped spotlight this story in a mix of industry and lifestyle outlets, including niche trades such as Bass Angler Magazine and Boat Lyfe. We also secured coverage in Window + Door Magazine, the industry’s largest trade publication, and Bay Times & Record Observer, one of the most popular outlets for the Eastern Shore Maryland audience. Each outlet helped reach a different audience, such as fishing trades, the home improvement industry and regional readers.
How we did it:
We made sure our press release included compelling event photos to bring the energy of the day to life. We also tailored each pitch based on the outlet. For example, we researched specific reporters who covered feel-good stories and were sure to mention those past articles as a tie-in within the pitch. We also slightly altered the focus depending on the outlet, emphasizing the employee appreciation angle for business-focused publications, and highlighting the charitable component for local and lifestyle media. Our follow-up calls also helped push the story forward, giving editors additional context and showing them that this was more than just another corporate outing; it was a story worth telling!
Launching House Proud Heroes: A Campaign for Those Who Serve Their Communities
Thompson Creek’s House Proud Heroes program offers free, professionally installed windows to homeowners who serve, protect, educate, heal or inspire, whether they’re first responders, veterans, school staff, healthcare workers or everyday volunteers. The initiative is a heartfelt thank-you to those making a meaningful impact.
We helped share this story by securing coverage in both The Washington Informer (45K Unique Visitors per Month (UVM)) and Bay Times & Record Observer (21.7K UVM). Both outlets are trusted sources in their communities and ideal platforms to reach everyday heroes and the people who support them.
How we did it:
We zeroed in on hyperlocal and community-focused publications—not just those with large audiences, but those whose readers are the heroes Thompson Creek wanted to reach. Our pitch emphasized emotional impact, clear eligibility details and the fact that this was not a marketing gimmick but a genuinely altruistic program. Including strong visuals and a clear call to action helped newsrooms recognize the story’s value to their readers. Personalized follow-up phone calls allowed us to answer questions in real-time and helped reporters understand the human angle, which ultimately led to print and digital placements.
Our Takeaway: Targeted Storytelling Still Works
In both campaigns, we didn’t rely on a spray-and-pray approach. Instead, we focused on:
- Deep research into who we were pitching and why they would care.
- Localized and interest-specific outreach that made the stories relevant.
- Compelling visuals to support the narrative.
- Phone follow-ups that opened the door to real conversations with reporters.
These wins weren’t accidental—they were the result of strategic planning, thoughtful messaging and persistence.
When feel-good stories are told the right way, they resonate. We’re proud to help our clients turn their values into visibility.
