In July 2003, Weber Shandwick went to work publicizing the five-year traveling exhibit "SPACE: A Journey to Our Future." Sponsored by ClearChannel Exhibitions, the family-
oriented presentation has billed itself as the largest and most comprehensive exhibit on space exploration ever to tour the United States.
From the get-go, the agency set a pretty high bar for the campaign. It promised four national print placements, three national broadcast placements, 15 online placements, and
10 print and broadcast placements. In addition, the PR team said it would help to drive visitors to the exhibition, which opened Nov. 22, 2003, at the Pacific Science Center in
Seattle.
"Because we have a lot of expertise here in our office, including a dedicated media relations team, we try to use it as a guide to help determine what we think we can get on
something like this," said Jerrod Resweber, an Account Supervisor at Weber Shandwick.
The agency budgeted $75,000 for the project, most of it going to cover staff time, as well as minor expenses such as travel costs and charges for the distribution of a press
release on PR Newswire. The client picked up the tab for larger items, including a satellite feed and Webcast for a press conference.
Media in the stratosphere
In planning its media strategy, the PR team decided to shoot for the stars. With the exhibit scheduled to run in 15 cities, national media was the most effective way to go. So,
the PR reps looked to high-end outlets like Woman's Day and Men's Journal, as well as USA Today and the New York Times. (The agency farmed out local outreach to partners in
specific markets.)
The team also relied on high-profile stats to substantiate those high-profile pitches. Research shows that consumers have a keen interest in NASA's activities, and while NASA
is not a sponsor of the exhibit, the space agency is providing educational support. "So we made a point in our pitches of selling the NASA angle and talking about NASA's
participation," Resweber said.
Pitches also tied the exhibit to current events. For instance, December marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of powered flight. And the landing of the Mars rover
dovetailed with the exhibit's emphasis on Mars exploration, which includes a visit to a simulated Martian planetary surface.
Aside from good timing, however, the campaign took a lot of legwork -- and persistence -- to get media buy-in on the exhibit. "There were people who liked the idea but maybe
had already closed their book, and we followed up with all of them," Resweber recalls. "We also tried different types of pitches for different people. For the New York Times, for
instance, we pitched the Science section first, but because [editors] were so focused on hard science news, it was not necessarily the right fit for them. But when we went to the
travel section, they ran a really nice piece."
At the Pacific Science Center, Director of Marketing Stefanie Hare said she was especially pleased to see coverage appearing in consumer magazines, often as features in culture
sections. "There is always the challenge of rising above the noise in terms of leisure activities. That is something we face every day."
Blast off
In the weeks leading up to the show's opening, the client and agency started to spend the money. A press release and attendant media alerts were distributed via PR Newswire,
announcing a Sept. 16 press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile the PR team coordinated production of B-roll to circulate once the exhibit
opened.
Prior to the press conference - featuring a satellite feed and Webcast -- the PR team reached out to media outlets in cities where the exhibit was due to arrive in the coming
months, including Detroit, Seattle and St. Louis. Along with the client, the PR team worked on creating a VNR, which would be released following the press conference. (While the
satellite feed and Webcast added to the cost of the event, the Press Club already is fitted with the ability to handle such things, which, in turn, helped reduce expenses.)
Ten journalists attended the press conference and another 112 viewed it live via the Webcast. In addition to plugging the exhibit, the conference was an opportunity to trumpet
the ties between the exhibit and its corporate sponsor, General Motors Corp. To that end, a GM spokesman talked about renewable fuel cell technology and its applications to space
science. Clear Channel Exhibition's Gene Cernan, a former NASA astronaut, also took the podium to discuss the significance of space exploration.
When it came time for the launch, the client handled the tactical elements. And by that time, all the pieces already were in place, as the final results demonstrate. CNN
filmed the exhibit and covered it twice on its networks. Seven print articles ran in American Way, Astronomy, Family Fun, the New York Times, USA Today, Men's Journal and National
Geographic Traveler. The opening scored two placements on the Associated Press and one placement on New York Times Wire Service as well as 36 other online placements, including
MSNBC.com, Space.com, SpaceDaily.com and Yahoo!News. In less than four months the VNR aired on 435 local broadcasts and to date the exhibit has drawn more than 57,000
visitors.
In all, the results far exceeded the expectations, and Resweber stresses that the ability to meet those goals proves the business value of PR. "Really, that's the only way we
can show that we matter." PR
A Star Is Born
How to kick off a major touring exhibition? One step at a time, as Weber Shandwick showed in its launch of "SPACE: A Journey to Our Future."
- Eight weeks prior to the exhibit opening: Reached out to long-lead national science, consumer and travel publications.
- Six weeks: Offered exclusives to CNN and national morning talk shows to broadcast live from the opening.
- Four weeks: Outreach to national print outlets, news magazines and online science, space exploration, education and travel outlets.
- Two weeks: Distributed a FLASH E-note invitation to journalists announcing the opening of the SPACE Exhibit in Seattle. Began contacting national broadcast media and satellite
feed organizations to secure national broadcast media coverage. Coordinated interviews with the exhibit's sponsors as requested by media. - The final days: Faxed media alert and fact sheet to broadcast media and followed up as the opening approached.
Contacts: Stefanie Hare, 206.443.2881, [email protected]; Jerrod Resweber, 972.830.2427, [email protected]