Saxum Strategic Communications

CASE STUDY: THUNDERBIRD YOUTH ACADEMY

Summary: Ten cadets from the Thunderbird Youth Academy, a voluntary intervention program for 16-18 year old (male and female) high school dropouts, participated in an annual marathon march to commemorate World War II veterans. The event took place at White Sands Missile Base in White Sands, New Mexico on Sunday, March 26.

Approximately two weeks prior to the event, Saxum learned that cadets would participate in the march and communicated to TYA representatives the publicity potential. Ten days prior to the event Saxum gained approval to seek publicity and obtained a list of participating cadets, who all agreed to participate in media interviews.

In accordance with previous requests from TYA representatives, Saxum’s goal was to drive as much media as possible through regional print outlets (hometown newspapers), to aid ongoing recruitment efforts in rural Oklahoma.

Research:

Due to time and budget constraints, Saxum employed informal research methodology on this project: internet searches and phone interviews.

Phase 1: Internet searches

Through Lexis Nexus, we produced a report of all media coverage surrounding the Bataan Memorial Death March from the previous three years. This initial stage of research revealed two articles from out- of-state print publications, both focusing on participant training efforts prior to the event.

Google and Yahoo searches were then used to locate any Oklahoma veterans who may have lived through Bataan, or anyone who has participated in the memorial event in previous years. These searches led us to an Oklahoma author and the widow of a Bataan survivor and WWII POW. Both contacts would become critical to our planning efforts and media successes.

Phase 2: Phone interviews

• Our first phone call went to David Burch, author of “Bataan: A Survivor’s Story.” We were able to secure contact information through his publicist at Sooner Publishing. This initial conversation gave us all of the background information we needed to understand the historical scope of the Bataan event in American history. When asked for guidance in locating Oklahoma veterans who lived through the event, he responded that the central character in his book was now deceased with no living relatives. David agreed to be an expert source for media.
• Our second phone interview was with Naeoma Parks, 82, Elgin, Oklahoma, the wife of the late Sgt. Maj. Elmer Parks, a Bataan survivor and POW for 3.5 years). From this conversation we learned that Mr. Parks had passed away recently, but Naeoma was interested in what the cadets were doing and asked to remain in contact with us. Naeoma would become a central figure in post-event media coverage.

Planning:

Based on our research, we decided that this event had the potential and elements needed to gain significant, and sustained media attention. Our initial media plan incorporated three main focuses:

• Pre-event announcements in each cadet’s hometown newspaper
• Pre-event and day-of coverage in Tulsa and Oklahoma City media (TV, radio & print)
• Post-event features in cadets’ hometown newspapers and statewide media

*Early successes in the statewide media prompted the planning of a secondary event in Elgin to expand media attention to the Lawton metro area.

A media event was created to connect with cadets with Naeoma Parks. The following is a summary of the basic outline of the main elements of the event:

• The cadets would march in honor of Elmer Parks and all Oklahoma veterans of Bataan
• The cadets would carry a TYA flag in the march as a symbol
• The cadets would stop in Elgin, Oklahoma on their way home from New Mexico to meet Naeoma Parks and present her with the flag
• The meeting would take place during a flag-raising ceremony at the Elgin Municipal Building (coordinated with the City of Elgin)
• Veterans groups would be contacted and asked to participate

Execution:

Saxum produced 12 press releases specifically targeted to the following media:

• Each cadet’s hometown newspaper (8)
• The Pryor Daily (TYA’s local paper)
• The Oklahoman
• The Tulsa World
• The Associated Press

Saxum produced and distributed a media advisory for Lawton media (television, radio, print), including the Lawton bureau of The Oklahoman.

Sustained follow-up was a critical element to our success. Saxum stayed in contact on a daily basis with editors at each media outlet to ensure they were kept up-to-date with unfolding events and had everything they needed for pre-and post-event coverage, including photos Saxum took at the Elgin event (critical to boosting the quality of post-event coverage in the cadets’ hometown papers).

For two weeks following the event in New Mexico, Saxum coordinated post-event interviews with Naeoma and each of the cadets in various media outlets.

Evaluation:

The event generated the following media coverage:

22 articles, including several front-page placements, in statewide print publications

• The Oklahoman (circ. 362,000) 1 2
• The Lawton Constitution (circ. 28,000)
• Pryor Daily Times (circ. 7,200)
• Bartlesville Examiner (circ. 15,000)
• Blanchard News (circ. 3,000)
• Broken Arrow Ledger (circ. 4,500)
• Coweta American (circ. 3,000)
• Glenpool Post (circ. 1,000)
• Norman Transcript (circ. 17,500)
• Tahlequah Daily Press (circ. 5,400)
• Comanche County Chronicle (circ. 1,300)
• Moore American (circ. 3,400)
• Jenks Journal (circ. 2,000)

5 television news segments

• KFOR: NBC 4, Oklahoma City
• OETA: PBS 13, Oklahoma City
• KOTV: CBS 6, Tulsa
• KSWO: ABC 7, Lawton
• KTEN: NBC 10, Denison, Texas

Extensive radio coverage (including morning drive-time discussions) in three markets

• KTOK (1000 AM – Oklahoma City): “Mullins in the Morning,” (est. aud. 13,350)
• KRMG (740 AM – Tulsa): “The Morning Show,” (est. aud. 43,000)
• KFAQ (1170 AM – Tulsa) (est. aud. 20,800)
• KCCU (89.3 FM – Lawton): NPR

*Several future media opportunities have been scheduled as a result of this event, including in-depth features in The Oklahoman and the Coweta American. This story will also be featured in the premiere issue of the National Guard Youth Foundation Challenge Program’s quarterly newsletter (national distribution).

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