Travel promotion
Client: George C. Marshall International Center - Dodona Manor
Background:
The George C. Marshall International Center, in Leesburg, Va. spent more than six years raising money to restore and open Dodona Manor, the home of General George C. Marshall. In November of 2005, the center planned a number of events to thank donors and celebrate the opening of his home to the public.
Objective:
To create national awareness that Dodona Manor, a historic landmark, was open for business and was a must-see in the Washington D.C., area.
Challenge:
George C. Marshall, creator of the WWII "Marshall Plan", one of the greatest figures of the 20th century, is much less well known in the United States than he is in Europe and around the world. Dodona Manor itself had received very little press during the renovation project and had no real regional or national visibility.
The Solution...
Strategy:
The strategy was to use every story angle possible to interest the media. The opening was well timed to fall around Veterans day and it was also the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. We used those elements to interest media in a story about one of America's most distinguished veterans. We also used details of the restoration project to interest home and lifestyle sections of papers, and of course we interested travel and tourism writers in the opening of a new historic property. We invited media to a preview event to spark interest with a personal tour.
Results:
The campaign was a huge success with broad coverage across the United States. More than four million people saw or read something about the event. Media hits included packages on a number of USA Today's television affiliate stations, interviews on regional radio stations including WMAR, WAGE and WRVA, and internet stories on CNN.com, USAToday.com, and Newsday.com, etc. Print coverage included The Washington Post, USA Today, Associated Press, Loudoun Times–Mirror, Richmond Times Dispatch, Preservation Magazine, etc. The PR Campaign received the Loudoun County Visitor's Associations 2005 "Travel Promotion Campaign of the Year" award. The media attention led to a high volume of visitors. The first weekend that Dodona was open to the public, they received 300 visitors. Due to the initial coverage blitz, inquiries to cover Dodona Manor still come in regularly.