The Challenge
The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign, a three-year fundraising campaign, was launched by Ford’s Theatre Society (FTS) to transform the 144-year old facility into a “campus” in downtown Washington, D.C. The completed campus will feature the renovated theatre with a new lobby, a re-imagined museum, the Petersen House (where Lincoln died) and a new Center for Education and Leadership focused on Lincoln’s life and legacy.
FTS engaged APCO Worldwide to develop and execute a communication and media relations strategy to support this campaign. APCO needed to help FTS remain relevant and visible to key audiences while the theatre was closed for renovation. APCO also had to ensure that the theatre received significant media coverage around its grand reopening, which took place on the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth – a time when many Lincoln-focused entities would be competing for the national spotlight.
The Solution
APCO’s in-house opinion research team, APCO Insight®, conducted focus groups to determine which messages would resonate best with potential funders. APCO used those findings to develop tools to enable fundraisers to effectively convey the FTS vision to potential donors. The team devised a targeted media outreach strategy using high-profile FTS trustees and advisory council members as spokespeople. APCO also helped FTS maintain ongoing relationships with key reporters via regular renovation updates and two hard-hat tours during the period leading up to the reopening.
The Result
More than 134.7 million impressions, including TV, radio and print coverage, were generated throughout the campaign. Highlights included:
- Six hours of live reporting by CNN from the theatre on the bicentennial.
- Six live “Today Show” segments conducted by Al Roker from the theatre.
- Inclusion in a CBS “Sunday Morning” segment about Lincoln.
- Stories in major newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA Today.
By April 2009, FTS had raised more than $50 million. Traffic to the Web site, where people can make donations, increased more than ten-fold due to the media attention.
APCO has partnered with Ford’s Theatre to provide strategic counsel, media relations support and creative services for the duration of this three-year capital campaign.