Summer Camps, Centenarians & Cross-Country Rides
July was one of those months where every pitch felt a little different. Some of them were rooted in long-standing relationships, others built on client reputation, and a few that came together only after a lot of persistence. Here’s a look at the stories Untapped Communications helped bring to life.
Client Wins
Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia was featured on 6abc for their innovative summer camp where college students step into the classroom as teachers.
Heroic Gardens’ founder, Collie Turner, was celebrated as Citizen of the Week by The Philadelphia Citizen.
Ride Hard Breathe Easy: Jack Owens biked across the country in honor of his grandmother and to raise awareness for lung cancer patients. His journey was covered locally by Courier-Post, NBC10, and KYW Newsradio and other outlets nationally.
The Philadelphia Inquirer featured a client’s shop as part of Jo Piazza’s “Perfect Philly Day” column, proof that reputation with an outlet pays off, when they’re working on a story, they know to include you. Read it here.
6abc spotlighted Charles Baker, a centenarian whose love and support of family turned into a business, after being paired with just the right reporter.
Story Behind the Story: A Bike Ride, the Hard Way
Some stories land easily. Others? They’re a grind.
Take Jack Owens’ cross-country ride for Ride Hard Breathe Easy. From the beginning, I connected with a reporter who was interested, but after that first “sounds great!” — radio silence. When Jack’s ride ended down the shore, I reached out to another reporter who said yes, then no response.
Finally, a producer asked me to send along video from the ride. That opened the door, and from there, the NBC team followed up with a more complete web story. Add in coverage from the Courier-Post and KYW, and the story got the attention it deserved.
The lesson? Even the best story needs persistence. Sometimes media coverage is a straight line. Sometimes it’s a winding road. This one was a lot like Jack’s ride: long, determined, and worth it in the end.
Coaching Corner
Media relationships are like any other relationship — they take time. The reason Breakthrough Philadelphia landed on 6abc and Heroic Gardens in The Citizen is because of trust built over time. Reporters knew these clients had strong, newsworthy stories, and they trusted me to bring them something worthwhile.
That’s something I also train clients to think about for interviews: don’t just show up, build a relationship. Journalists remember the guests who are authentic, collaborative, and generous with their stories.
Wrapping Up
July was a crash course in why no two pitches are ever the same. Sometimes success comes from months of building trust. Sometimes it’s about knowing your client’s reputation speaks for itself. And sometimes, it’s just about not giving up when the inbox goes quiet.
