Publicity

2005 Media Report
This year, this Feast received coverage from three television stations and two newspapers.
Channel 2 and Channel 5 each did short pieces on the Feast. Channel 4 did a longer piece but it never aired.
Pictures of the children appeared in The Montclarion and The SFGate website.
I found the most important component of the publicity came from contacting Jose Tengco who is the public relations officer at the school district (phone number is on the phone list).
He knows all the reporters (both print and TV) by name and knew whom to call and when to make sure that they had the correct information.
The most important thing to remember about the TV coverage is that the stations make their assignments on the morning of the event. So they should be called at 8:00 or so the morning of the Feast.

Publicity MS-Word and PowerPoint Files:
Publicity Action Item List 2005
Publicity Media List 2005
Publicity Media Phone List 2005
Publicity Invitation List 2005
Publicity Print Media News Release 2005
Publicity TV Media News Release 2005
Map of Feast at Roberts Park
Publicity Sample Photos
Publicity Fax Cover Sheet 1
Publicity Fax Cover Sheet 2

Publicity Invitation Letters:
Publicity Invitiation Letter 2005
Publicity Invitiation Letter 2004
Publicity Invitiation Letter
Publicity Invitiation Letter

Previous Feast Reports:
Publicity 2005
Publicity 2004
Publicity 2003

2006 Publicity Report

The publicity effort this year was bit odd. In the past we'd had people come out from the local papers and even some news crews. This year however the event was held the day after the elections, and there wasn't any time for coverage from anyone but the local papers. Even then, the Trib sent out a photographer, and then sold some of the photos to the Montclarion. I hope that next year's 30th anniversary will be a bit better attended.

We had a few difficulties along the way. Our contact within the OUSD was now Alex Katz, and it took a while to get a list of contacts from him. AND it turned out that the list for TV stations was insufficient. They all needed to be updated. Letters were sent to all of the VIPs, but they apparently went into the circular bin. When we called them, no one was aware of the event. We did receive one thanks, but busy, letter two weeks after the event from Brad Stam. Oh well.

I revised the letters to the stations in order to make them more timely and speak directly to their needs. I hope they might be useful next year. I also created signs which were put up on posts pointing towards the park, and then the site within the park. I'd promised there would be sign for the media, but couldn't find any. So I made them. They should good for next year. They are in the PTA shed.

I have copies of the new letters, and the 2006 photos as electronic files. The hard copies are in the binder.

I was running games during the event, so the morning calls were done by Audrey Kauffman, who also showed the photographer around. She did a wonderful job, and and it's very important to have those calls go out that morning as a final follow-up.

So Good Luck on the 30th anniversary!

Call me if you have any questions, Tony Jonick 531-1198

The 30th Feast Anniversary was published in the Oakland Tribune. Katy Murphy from the Oakland Tribune sent a wonderful photographer, Karna Kurata to cover the feast. Karna spent the entire time, 9-3 photographing the 2nd graders, and recording sound bites. The Feast was publicized in the Oakland Tribune newspaper the following Saturday, and a nice photo slideshow and video piece of the kids on the Oakland Tribune website.

http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com/multimedia/iba/2007/1109thank/

Unfortunately, the TV news stations did not come, with one saying the oil spill was their top story, and all the reporters were covering that story. Several organizations, newspapers confirmed, however did not show up.

Special guests were called and confirmed. In attendance was David Howland & his wife, and Miles Standish.

The lists from the previous years had to be updated, with phone numbers, and new contacts. E-mails and phone calls were made. Call the list first, get current names and email addresses/fax numbers. Send the press release, along with the map, and previous photos of the Feast. Follow-up 2 days prior to the Feast date.

Calls/emails/faxes to newspapers and TV stations, and to the Invitation list should be made 1 week prior. Calls to radio stations should be made a couple of days in advance. Calls to the TV stations should be made the morning of (7:30am) to remind them of the event, as they determine their assignments at their 9:30 am meeting.

Signs were picked up from the PTA shed 2 days before the event, (ask the office for the key, and Mrs. Green will show you the shed). Tony Jonnick from the previous year made the beautiful signs. You will need to put up the signs along the way to Roberts Park, starting at Skyline Blvd. You should do this by 8am on the day of the feast.

On the day, you will greet the guests, and thank them for coming. After the event, thank you cards should be sent to the guests/media who came.

I want to personally thank the previous publicity volunteers, Steve Bunner and Tony Jonnick, in giving me sound advice. Being a new parent to the school, I felt overwhelmed by this job, but Steve Bunner and Tony Jonnick came through in giving me excellent pointers.

This was a great experience, and I have updated the lists for the next year. Have fun on the 31st feast!

If you have any questions, please call me at 510-482-9178.

Meme Eng

2007 Update:

The Montclarion DID put the event on their front page, on Friday, Nov. 9th, 2007. It was great to see the kids tugging war on the Front Page!

Thanks!