Trust for Public Land, Tennessee Office
Industry
Non-profit land conservancy and public space advocates
The problem we wanted to solve
Trust for Public Land (TPL) works nationally with municipalities, state government and federal land managers to connect more people with the outdoors. The Tennessee state office wanted to build on the renaissance of Chattanooga to keep the value of TPL top-of-mind, so they engaged Coeo for earned media and public relations.
The work we ended up doing
Earned media, including talking points preparation and targeted pitching, was the original foundation of Coeo’s work for TPL. The engagement has subsequently included local government affairs and political guidance as their work has expanded across Tennessee.
Noel Durant, Tennessee State Director, Trust for Public Land:
“I don’t really have much expertise with PR consultants, but it feels like, so often, they are focused on wordsmithing, not connections. If you have expertise on your team, copywriting isn’t what you’re looking for. What you need is someone who knows who the people are we need to get this project in front of — Kerry lets TPL be the one who is delivering the message.”
What are some of the ways you worked with Kerry?
“Kerry is masterful at helping us think strategically about what efforts make the most sense for earned media. Recently we had three media hits across three different platforms on two different projects, which is a rare thing for us — and certainly unheard of prior to Kerry’s time.
“Kerry has also been helpful with media training. Especially for TV or radio interviews, we typically take a moment before to look at all the angles the news outlet might want to pursue and think about how to stay focused on the core message. It’s really helpful.
“We’ve had some sticky wickets to navigate, as we reconcile the community’s vision with political realities. We sometimes need to build political traction with elected officials, and Kerry has showed us how to give them an easy win with a good media hit that strongly aligns with TPL priorities.”
What would you tell other potential clients is the best part of your work with Kerry?
“He’s a great political mind, which never hurts when you’re thinking about how to influence people to come alongside you and support a project. For us, that’s an ancillary benefit – Kerry’s deep knowledge of this community and its political pitfalls.”
