Dog Writers Association Press Release

Client:

The Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) was established in 1935 to support and recognize outstanding writing and multimedia work that promotes responsible dog ownership, health, and welfare. As the media contact for DWAA, I advised the board that a press release announcing the new leadership team was needed.

Challenge:

The challenge is to find a unique angle that will make the press release newsworthy while also including the elements that the client wishes to be included. The press release aims to generate excitement among pet media and encourage membership.

I took a two-pronged approach to this press release. Firstly, I included important elements to make the content newsworthy, such as who the new officers are, their plans, upcoming events or activities for DWAA, and the celebrity members. Secondly, I mentioned that members are eligible to win nearly $20,000 in award monies at the yearly banquet, along with a clear call to action to sign up as a member.

Results:

As a result, DWAA membership more than doubled that year, and the annual event sold out for the first time in decades.