Case study spotlight: Ford's Theatre Society
In 2007, the Ford's Theatre Society (FTS) launched a three-year fundraising campaign to transform the 144-year-old theatre into a "campus" in downtown Washington, D.C. The goal of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign was to support a renovated theatre, 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 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 were competing for the national spotlight.
"Ford's Theatre Society wanted to reach new and different audiences, so we helped develop a strategy to do so in a fresh way," said project manager and APCO vice president Tara Greco. "We worked seamlessly with the Ford's Theatre communications team and directors to build and nurture relationships with key reporters on both the national and local levels via regular briefings and two hard-hat tours during the renovation process. We also tapped into the theatre's knowledgeable group of friends, advisors and trustees to help tell this growth story."
As a result, more than 130 million impressions, including TV, radio and print coverage, were generated throughout the campaign. Highlights included live reporting by CNN from the theatre on the bicentennial; inclusion in a CBS "Sunday Morning" segment about Lincoln; and stories in major newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA Today.
"The national and local media coverage APCO generated exceeded our expectations," said Liza Lorenz, director of communications and marketing for FTS. "Their counsel and support has proven to be integral to the success of our capital campaign."
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.
Earlier this year, APCO won PRWeek's Arts, Entertainment & Media Campaign of the Year Award for its work on the campaign.
"The results were incredible, and we all enjoyed being a part of helping a local institution celebrate the life and legacy of one our country's favorite presidents," said Greco.