In 2017, Watermark Retirement Communities launched its Thrive Dining (now Gourmet Bites) program at communities across the nation. Working with its local PR partners, the organization invited the local media to attend a tasting and see what this revolutionary dining program was all about.
As the PR representative for Watermark’s Florida communities, I managed media outreach for three communities including The Watermark at Trinity in Pasco County. Outreach included local TV stations, newspaper reporters and hyperlocal community papers.
Our ideal story would be a placement in the Tampa Bay Times, given its large readership and online presence. I pitched Laura Reilly, the Tampa Bay Times food critic, the idea of covering Thrive Dining and she happily attended a tasting and wrote a cover story for the LifeTimes section of the paper, that targets readers aged 50 and older. The story also appeared online.
Print story | Food for thought
Online story | Changing the shape of food
In the same year this story ran, Laura was named a finalist for the Pulitzer. She later went on to become a reporter covering the business of food for the Washington Post.
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