Sometimes news is only news to a small group of people. In these situations, it can be difficult to get media to cover a story, even if it’s cool and newsworthy. That’s where crafty PR people come in. We’re trained to not just think outside of the box, but around it, on top of it, behind it and next to it. We leave no box unturned when it comes to getting our clients ink.

We handle publicity for Landfall, a private golfing community in Wilmington. Since a lot of their activities are for residents, members of the Country Club of Landfall, and guests only, it takes some creative thinking to get the media interested. On October 15, Landfall unveiled a new garden labyrinth and bronze sculpture in the memorial garden at Kenan Chapel. The Chapel and gardens are only open to the public during specific special events, so the majority of the news watchers or readers won’t have access to it, thereby limiting the chances of getting media attention.

Instead of simply pitching the dedication ceremony to local media and hoping for a slow news day, we researched the origin of labyrinths and the growing trend of building these maze-like paths in churches and at hospitals. Then we developed a pitch that positioned labyrinths – like the new one at Kenan Chapel at Landfall, as well as two others in town – as places for emotional, spiritual and physical healing. This out-of-the-box approach garnered coverage in the Star News and the upcoming issue of Focus on The Coast and on WWAY’s 5:30 newscast the day of the dedication.