Georgia State University, College of Arts & Sciences Story

Georgia State alumna helped launch Rachael Ray's career
Thursday, August 23, 2007 – Ann Claycombe

Every time you see celebrity chef Rachael Ray on television or on front of a cookbook, you have Georgia State alumna Jennifer Pullinger partly to thank for it.

Pullinger graduated from Georgia State in 2003 with a master’s degree in communication with a concentration in screenwriting/film. She worked as Ray’s publicist for two early cookbooks: Comfort Foods: Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals and Veggie Meals: Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals. Pullinger describes the campaign she designed in a recent interview on the web site mediabistro.com.

Pullinger said she focused her pitch on Ray’s personality and likeability, focusing on television and radio rather than print. She sent videos of the chef to about 20 different contacts at the Food Network, and sent the rest to network shows that had regular guest cooking segments.

The pitch paid off with an appearance for Ray on NBC’s The Today Show. Within days, her cookbook had shot to the top five in sales on Amazon.com, and the Food Network had called to discuss setting up a show.

“The publicity plan involved equal parts strategy, a talented, charismatic author, and luck,” Pullinger said. To read the interview in full, go to mediabistro.com.

Source: Georgia State University, College of Arts & Sciences