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Little Things Make a Big Difference
02/23/2011

Do you know someone who has been fighting in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars? That was the question that Oprah and Tom Brokaw asked in a recent show about The Bravest Families in America. That question was easy for me to answer – my father retired eight years ago as a Commander in the United States Navy after serving in Iraq. But the next question they posed really made me stop and think. What you have done to help and honor these brave people and their families? Shamefully, I haven’t done anything. Of course, I always tell soldiers thank you when I see them in uniform strolling through the airport in their fatigues, but a simple ‘thank you’ just doesn’t seem to be enough. I was astounded to find out that only 1% of the American population is “bearing 100 percent of the burden of battle.” One percent is such a small number, especially for such large sacrifices.

I know that people are grateful for the brave work of our soldiers, but it’s also important to remember the sacrifices their families make so that their loved ones can serve. I remember being a little girl when my father was called to serve in the first Gulf War. I was at a friend’s slumber party when her mom came to me and said that he was on the phone and was leaving that night. Of course being a military kid, you always know there’s a possibility your parent will get the call to leave at any given time, sometimes for days, weeks or even months. But you can never truly be prepared enough for when that time actually comes. I’ll never forget that night, and I’ll also never forget when he was called to action for the Iraq War when I was in my sophomore year in college. I am grateful everyday that my dad returned home from both deployments unharmed, but I know that there are so many families who aren’t as lucky.

As difficult as it can be at times having a parent at war, growing up as a “Navy Brat” was an amazing experience that shaped me into the confident woman I am today, while influencing my decision to enter the world of public relations. The military is a unique family of its own because very few people can understand what you go through. All the dance recitals, basketball games, birthdays, and holidays that your parents miss are made easier to take when there are other understanding people in the same boat, and has taught me the value of strong relationships both at work and in life.

Only recently however, did I have my “lightbulb moment” when it comes to the level of obligation we owe troops and their families. Whether you are in support of the wars we are engaged in or are against them, one thing is certain: these soldiers, and their families, are making a huge sacrifice. As Oprah commented during her interview with Tom Brokaw, regardless of your political affiliation, “you bleed the same, and hurt the same.” Right now soldiers are hurting, families are hurting and two parent households have been turned into single parent households because the other parent is serving in the military. We should all feel a responsibility to those families that have sacrificed so much.

I remember my stepmom having to play both mother and father to me and my brothers while my dad was away. While she – like so many other military spouses – did it with a strength and grace that is awe inspiring, the burden doesn’t have to fall so heavily on their shoulders.

So what can we do to help? I was thrilled to learn that at DKC, Bruce Bobbins, executive vice president, led public relations for the Fund for Veterans Education and the Campaign for a New GI Bill to advocate for what became the largest investment in veterans’ education since World War II. The bill covers the full cost of the college education for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. This was a hard fought campaign, but a great example of work that can be done to improve the lives of our veterans and their loved ones.

Not everyone needs to work towards getting approval of a new Congressional bill in order to make a noticeable difference. Little things are also important. It’s easy to search for organizations in our hometowns that support military families and enable us to lend a helping hand in whatever way we can. I say this as the daughter of a veteran who experienced first-hand the big impact that little acts of kindness can make.

It’s because of these experiences that I want to do something to help. I was a makeup artist for years so I’ve decided to reach out to a group of military moms and give them a day of makeovers. These women need a break and some pampering and if I can help ease their mind if only for a minute, then I am more than happy to help.

One percent of our country is supporting 100 percent. They are doing more than their share. Shouldn’t we contribute?

Written by: Ashley LaStrapes


Posted in Life safety, Non-profit

DKC Lends a Hand to Kids in Need
10/13/2009

Introduction
In March 2009, the recession was continuing to wreak havoc on the lives of Americans in the form of mounting job losses and economic hardship. Beyond the scores of unemployed Americans, another face of the recession was beginning to emerge – that of children left vulnerable due to the loss of health insurance. Dr. Irwin Redlener, the president and co-founder of the Children’s Health Fund (CHF), turned to DKC, the organization’s public relations partner for 17 years, to draw national awareness to the burgeoning crisis.

For more than 20 years, CHF, which was founded by Dr. Redlener and singer/songwriter Paul Simon in 1987, has delivered clinical care through mobile health care units – doctor offices on wheels – to impoverished children in urban and isolated rural areas across the nation.

Dr. Redlener recognized that even temporary unemployment, and the resulting loss of health insurance, could result in a lifetime of negative consequences for children. Without health insurance, most families would not be able to afford the immunizations and routine check-ups that are vital to the long-term well-being of their children. With the possibility that more than one million children across the country would lose their insurance due to the recession, this was an issue that demanded in-depth attention from the media.

Time frame
March-May 2009

Strategy
DKC set out to create a national conversation on the plight of uninsured children, while positioning CHF as the leading voice on the matter. DKC created a multi-tiered media strategy that brought the stories of the “children of the recession” to life, while illuminating the ways that the Children’s Health Fund was providing much-needed help to families in need.

Tactics
DKC saw the enormity of the topic – and its inherent news value – and suggested to CHF that this idea be presented to an entire network news organization, rather than a single pitch to one program.  DKC knew this tactic would enable the story to become an in-depth series of reports across multiple media platforms that would shed light on this national trend.  DKC presented the idea to the President of CBS News, offering the opportunity to co-brand the topic entitled “Children of the Recession,” and brokered live, taped and packaged news stories that would air throughout the month of May – sweeps month – across the network’s various news broadcasts.

As part of the series, CBS highlighted CHF’s efforts to go into various regional markets hit hard by the recession and provide health care to children in need. CBS captured the kick-off of this campaign in Detroit, one of the most adversely affected markets by the recession, on the network’s “Early Show” and “Evening News with Katie Couric” news programs  The broadcasts showcased CHF at its best, as it administered a weekend of free care to the children of any family without health insurance.

In addition, over the course of the series, CHF was established as the leading agent of action on the issue. Dr. Redlener was interviewed numerous times, while data credited to CHF was interspersed throughout the reports.

A true multi-platform campaign, reports under the heading of “Children of the Recession” ran across CBS television, radio and online. USA Today, the highest circulation print daily in the country, was also brought on as a print partner, a relationship that resulted in stand-alone coverage of CHF’s efforts to tackle this national problem, while bringing increased attention to the CBS series.

High-level national coverage was complemented by regional coverage in Detroit surrounding CHF’s weekend of free health care. CHF’s regional campaign is ongoing, with planned stops in seven other cities struggling due to the recession.

Results
Through the “Children of the Recession” campaign, CHF accomplished its primary goal by illuminating the gravity and scope of the problem to a national audience. At the same time, it brought significant attention to CHF’s services, ensuring that uninsured families across the country were aware of the health options available to their children. The series also bolstered Dr. Redlener’s status as one of the country’s foremost experts on children’s health care, and has become a trusted resource for CBS News in future reporting.

CBS earned positive reviews for the series, as highlighted in a New York Daily News piece by media columnist Richard Huff. The piece noted the perspective of media expert Andrew Tyndall, who said, “I give it high marks in terms of concept. That’s a really good way for a news division to cover non-breaking news.”

Posted in Health care, Newsletter, Non-profit

An Intern Perspective
08/26/2009

Just a few months ago, I thought a PR person was the stereotypical short-blonde-go-getter-party-thrower. It was easy to confuse publicist with public relations and assume any publicity was good publicity.

Despite those negative stereotypes, I decided to intern at a top PR firm this summer – DKC. And with the summer coming to an end, all prior misconceptions have been thrown out the window. I am finishing my internship at DKC and I am hungry for more.

One of the reasons I decided to intern at DKC was my curiosity and desire to learn and work at an innovative firm. My past internships have ranged from translating Hebrew Holocaust survivor testimony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to editing and updating programming at the Center of Women and Enterprise. Though they range in industry and field, the internships were challenging and demanded my commitment and creativity. DKC is no different.

I have sat in on several new client meetings and pitch presentations, several brainstorming sessions, and helped with a press conference for the launch of Climate Week NYC headlined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

As technology continues to evolve, today’s media requires more attention. A key point that I’ve learned in my time here has been that firms can’t ignore bloggers, Twitterers, Facebook users, and rely solely on traditional media to market their products and services. PR is vital in navigating through the onslaught of communication outlets.

One of the tasks I have, as other interns can attest, is to compile media lists. For example, I searched through green bloggers and reporters to find appropriate contacts to pitch the USTA’s major green initiative at this year’s US Open. While the task is not as grand as attending the Open, I know I am a part of one of the most basic – yet important – details of a successful campaign. And I gained a better understanding of just how significant it is to connect clients to consumers.

In my mind, PR is no longer exemplified by a publicist trailing Lindsay Lohan’s escapades, but a powerhouse who networks, pitches stories, and navigates media coverage.

And while I may not be blonde, I have learned that PR holds a place for me.

Intern – Aviya Slutzky, Tufts University, Class of 2010

Posted in Non-profit, Social media, Sustainability

A Walk in Yosemite Valley
08/10/2009

On a walk last spring through Yosemite National Park with the filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan – I was there with them to screen their upcoming film “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” – John Muir stopped us to describe in his Scottish drawl where he slept when he wandered into Yosemite Valley in the late 1860s.

John Muir – actually the actor and Muir scholar Lee Stetson – was a real life echo of a long-ago conservation movement that gave us the National Park system and helped create the larger sustainability movement that continues today.

Muir is a constant presence throughout the film (which will air on PBS beginning on September 27th). He is a prescient voice of warning – “How far destruction may go is not easy to guess. Every landscape low and high seems doomed to be trampled and harried”– but also one that speaks to the rejuvenation of the spirit through the immersion into nature:

“Nothing can be done well at a speed of forty miles a day. . . .Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer….Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

Muir and others in the early parks movement set out to protect these wild places in part because they allowed humans to find their true selves. There’s a spiritualism that stems as much from his religious upbringing as it does from a belief that the flurry of change in the late 19th century was unhinging mankind, disconnecting us from what was true and good.

The voice is one that is completely of its time but yet relevant – it rings true even when the soaring language seems so noticeably distant from the snarky cynicism of today.

But most, from his writings and during the walk (and certainly in the film), there’s this thankful sense that something came first – that Muir and many others came together forcefully in their time to create something that we can experience today. There’s an appreciation, a moment of recognition, that what is there – in Yosemite and other places – was there before. But equally satisfying is the awareness that we have a history – that we are not the end of history or history’s greatest moment. We are just part of it.

There’s also the irony that in nature’s wildest places we are reminded not just of nature and wildlife, we are reminded of us. At a conference in San Francisco in April on diversity and the national parks, one participant noted that the early park advocates saw nature as saving mankind. Today, he continued, it is mankind trying to save nature (more aptly, trying to reverse what we destroyed). Regardless, there’s a story to all of it – a human story with real people fighting real battles. It is all refreshingly kind of familiar.

“The battle for conservation will go on endlessly,” Muir wrote toward the end of his life in 1914. “It is part of the universal warfare between right and wrong. Fortunately wrong cannot last, soon or late it must fall back home to Hades, while some compensating good must surely follow. They will see what I meant in time. There must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls. Food and drink is not all. There is the spiritual. In some it is only a germ, of course, but the germ will grow!”

The John Muir quotes cited above were taken from Burns’s film.  You can follow the outreach for the film on Facebook: National Parks: America’s Best Idea (PBS)

Posted by: Joe DePlasco – Managing Director

Posted in Non-profit, Public affairs