Valley PR Blog

Animals Can Be A Strong Bet for Your PR Campaign

By Linda VandeVrede on June 3rd, 2009 In Agencies

Just found out that Phoenix’ BJ Communications agency won a Bulldog Reporter Gold award for their Phoenix Symphony campaign in the publicity stunt category.  

“We’ve decided our ticket to success is in the dogs,” says Sara Fleury, BJ’s president. 

The Phoenix Symphony needed to attract better media coverage and more attendees to its annual “Target Music in the Park,” a free outdoor music event funded entirely by Target. To meet the goals of attracting new audiences and generating more than calendar announcements, BJC devised a “Crooning Canine Contest.”

BJC reached out to community paper editors and reporters, as well as canine-centric publications to encourage families to audition their singing dogs for screening and selection. The dogs were featured in a Playbill that included their photos and stage names, as well as brief bios. The campaign tied in as well with Target’s bull’s-eye dog, who acted as a celebrity judge along with his trainer.

Results were strong and measurable. BJC helped secure public service announcements on several top radio stations, TV segments, and even the local bureau of the AP, which rebroadcast the stunt to news stations throughout the U.S.  More than 2,500 people attended the fest.

Is it tricky working with animals instead of humans?  “We knew it was a risk and the potential for frightened puppies, or worse, on stage leg-lifting was a real possibility, but if implemented well, could also prove to be a tremendous and highly entertaining success,” says Sara.

If only all human clients could be as well-behaved.

Share This

Hide Sites

Want Your Picture Icon? Go to gravatar.com and set a picture up to your email address for free. It also works on thousands of other websites, too!