Alumni Magazine

Goal: Research and write articles for an alumni magazine.

Willamette University Alumni Magazine Article | Pivotal Writing Willamette University Program Article | Pivotal Writing

Praise: “It is always a pleasure working with you, Mike. Your writing is outstanding.”

Russell Yost
Director of Marketing
Atkinson Graduate School of Management Willamette University

Approach: These two articles emerged out of a balance of independent background research, interviews, and close communication with the program marketing director.

Excerpts:

  1. Ask Jim Bernau, former Atkinson student and founder and owner of Willamette Valley Vineyards, about the smashing success of his wines and you will likely get a short lesson on language and ecology; he’ll tell you, “It’s all thanks to the wine’s terroir.
  2. Environmental responsibility isn’t just an ethical decision for Bernau; there are tangible business benefits, too: “One of the benefits of doing the right thing: it always seems like we’re rewarded by better outcomes. Customers base choices not only on value, but also on values. We are rapidly approaching a global tipping point, and consumers hold the power to change the world. Because profit margins are so thin, even a modest minority of consumers demanding sustainable products will force companies to change. It doesn’t take much.”
  3. “In the beginning, there was ‘profit’, and it was good.
    Then came ‘planet.’ We’re taking strides in the right direction.
    But what about the final, oft-neglected, ‘leg’ of the ‘sustainability stool:’ people?

    Surely there’s more to achieving this third of the solution than establishing living wages, safe working conditions, and fairness in the workplace.”

Mike Russell, Principal of Pivotal Writing, LLC in Portland, Oregon, is a freelance copywriter who specializes in long-form pieces such as reports, website copy, and professional profiles.