writing project 9 2

ADV 225 –– Fall 2018

WRITING PROJECT 9 (FINAL WRITING PROJECT)

PITCH DRAFT (70 POINTS)

• Due 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7

INSTRUCTIONS:

It’s required a lot of work, but as a PR professional, you have finally done it — you have approval from your client, Radical Sports Unlimited, to move forward with the news release.

Now what?

You want to start researching reporters in Michigan as your first tier of reporters to pitch to. (Eventually, if this were a real project, you would likely go beyond Michigan, looking to regional and even national reporters, but for the purposes of this assignment, you will focus on Michigan.)

If you work at an agency, you will likely have access to a platform such as Cision or Meltwater. For now, since you don’t personally have access, you will do an internet search to come up with two reporters who work for Michigan media outlets to pitch to. Perhaps you will research who has previously covered the Bayshore race in Traverse City or the Detroit Free Press marathon. Or you may look at a sports reporter or a city news reporter. Whoever you choose, make sure you make the case for why you chose that person.

Below, please list the two names of reporters and why you chose them. Make sure that you confirm that they are still at the media outlet you think they are at — reporters move around quite a bit.

To recap, this is what you are filling out:

Reporter 1: _________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Phone number or email: _______________________________________________________

Why did you choose this reporter? _______________________________________________

Reporter 2: _________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Phone number or email: _______________________________________________________

Why did you choose this reporter? _______________________________________________

Email pitch

Finally, choose one of the reporters and write out a short email pitch to that reporter. Reflect on the most interesting part of Iron Cross and customize it to this reporter. How do you customize it? You will take why you chose that reporter and tie it to Iron Cross. For example, if this reporter had covered Bayshore, you would note that you are reaching out to this reporter because she or he had previously covered the Bayshore race, and you thought they might find Iron Cross interesting. If you had selected a city government reporter, you might note that as someone who covers the Traverse City mayor, this person may find the mayor’s support of this race to be newsworthy.

Write out your email pitch here. This is your first time ever writing out an email pitch, so do your best. As with everything you do in PR, this is a first draft and will be edited several times by you and others.