Pitching an Earth Day Feature Pays Off

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram averages 96 pages daily and reaches nearly 230,000 readers in the Fort Worth/Arlington metro area and 14 surrounding counties. SHW Group Architects designs sustainable schools. Many of its clients and prospects operate in the North Texas region.

SHW Group’s Fort Worth partner believed that the story of Bransom Elementary, a new prototype school for Burleson ISD, with its use of "smart" energy features, such as low VOCs, extensive daylighting, rainwater harvesting, and a naturalist curriculum, deserved to be recognized. More importantly, by telling the Bransom Elementary story, SHW Group Architects hoped to gain greater visibility for its award-winning and financially feasible sustainable school designs.

With Earth Day just a few months away, Marek & Company recommended a "green pitch" to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The problem, however, was the intensity of other “green pitches” and the limited capacity of the paper to cover every unique news story related to Earth Day.

Compounding the situation was the fact that Bransom Elementary’s Grand Opening had been featured in a prior issue of the paper -- meaning no interest from either the Education or Business sections. So Marek & Company scouted other sections seeking both strong placement and a seasoned, "green" writer on staff.

That homework paid off handsomely with this outstanding profile of the school and the architects in the paper’s Family section on Earth Day! As a result of the coverage, a high profile, statewide magazine requested a follow-up interview with the firm and its principals for an upcoming issue featuring sustainable architecture.