Challenger Learning Center Keeps It Local By Showcasing the Music and Cultural Diversity in Its Own Community

America’s Musical Journey is an inspiring film with a focus on the beauty and importance of diversity in the US, and Challenger Learning Center (CLC) wanted to do the same on a local level. Tallahassee, Florida, is home to a strong arts community, so the big idea behind CLC’s launch for America’s Musical Journey was to showcase the diverse culture and innovation that are alive in its very own city.

Campaign Strategies, Goals, and Tactics

The film launch campaign was a strategized a multilayered approach that featured a social media contest in which participants were invited to share their own musical journey (#mymusicaljourney), partnerships with many arts organizations and several local businesses, special events, and even a Tallahassee-centered music video.

Challenger Learning Center set five goals for the marketing plan:

1. engage the public by encouraging them to share their own musical journeys
2. secure a minimum of 20 school group reservations to America’s Musical Journey for the 2017-2018 school year
3. incorporate America’s Musical Journey into its learning lab curriculum
4. create and maintain partnerships with other local businesses and arts organizations
5. sell over 2,000 tickets to America’s Musical Journey within fiscal year 2018 (ends June 30, 2018)

CLC collaborated with Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union and Florida band Tobacco Road to premiere their music video for new song “Sweet Tallahassee.” Credit Union President and CEO Lisa Brown partnered with lifelong friend Eric Durrance, founder and lead singer/songwriter of Tobacco Road, to write “Sweet Tallahassee,” a ballad that showcases hometown heroes and much more that make Tallahassee a great place to call home. Durrance, CMT artist and co-writer of Jake Owens’ top 10 single “Eight Second Ride,” has led Tobacco Road through five studio albums and opening shows for Josh Turner, Jason Aldean, and many more. The music video premiered at CLC’s IMAX Theatre on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, just ten days before the CLC’s launch of America’s Musical Journey. Click here to watch the "Sweet Tallahassee" video.

Other initiatives include press kits sent to local media partners that included a toy instrument as a creative addition.

 

CLC hired local professional artist Kollet Nichole Probst, owner of Kollet Originals, to paint the outer windows with a large-scale Elvis, title art and Louis Armstrong.

 

 

CLC had a piece published in the local newspaper which highlighted the film launch and the "Tallahassee’s Musical Journey" social media contest. CLC also hosted an exclusive pre-screening event for members, educators, board members, media and other VIPs. The event featured an America’s Musical Journey-themed raffle prize, free movie posters, a music-themed step-and-repeat photo op, the playlist from the film and more. The CLC education team demonstrated the learning labs available for field trip groups. The pre-screening was a success, with over 115 attendees, and several educators made spring field trip reservations to see the film. An older couple who are longtime members of the CLC had a great team dancing in the exhibit hall to Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock”!

CLC also featured America’s Musical Journey for its monthly Kids’ Free Day and presented a Ruben’s Tube musical fire demonstration in the planetarium, hosted a musical maker space in the STEAM Labs, and held an on-stage open mic for kids to sing, dance and play the bongos.

CLC, with the aid of WFSU, local PBS and NPR broadcaster, designed a book nook in the lobby that featured books on music and toy musical instruments with a concert-themed background and New Orleans-style décor. Promotions included a cross-promotion with Harry’s Restaurant, a New Orleans-style restaurant across the plaza from CLC.

For the "Tallahassee’s Musical Journey" social media contest, CLC received an outpouring of support from 12 organizations willing to donate passes to upcoming events or classes, including Tallahassee Community Chorus, Opening Nights, FSU College of Music, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Bradfordville Blues Club, Tallahassee Salsa Dancers, Word of South Literature and Music Festival and more.

Advertising included targeted TV and digital commercials, billboards and ad placements with the local newspaper, social media, Council on Culture and Arts, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Social media initiatives included engagement posts adapted from MacGillivray Freeman’s toolkit, the Passport Pack social media contest, #WinItWednesdays giveaways, a CLC-produced promo video and more. CLC has a collective social media following of 10,019 people. Brandon Dinh, winner of the social media contest, shared his musical journey with a video of himself playing Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 on acoustic guitar, and the video received 240 views on Instagram.

Other collateral materials include rack cards, elevator wraps for downtown parking elevators, indoor/outdoor posters, IMAX, planetarium and lobby slideshow, and educator flyers. In addition to community partnerships, CLC recommended America’s Musical Journey as the IMAX selection to tour operators who had reservations for large groups from the tristate area.

Results

The impact of the launch was monumental. CLC received positive feedback on America’s Musical Journey from teachers, students, parents, walk-up customers, and tour operators alike. 

CLC was invited to be a panelist in MacGillivray Freeman Films’ America’s Musical Journey webinar to discuss creative strategies working within a small budget. CLC’s multilayered approach, including partnerships, social media engagement, a CLC-produced promo video, paid advertising and special events proved to be a successful strategy to introducing such a powerful film to the community.

Challenger Learning Center (CLC) exceeded the five goals set for the film launch campaign. 

1) Engage the public by encouraging them to share their own musical journeys: The Tallahassee’s Musical Journey PassportPack social media contest, which featured tickets/VIP passes to events and classes from 12 community organizations, had a collective social media reach of over 5,100 people. The winner had 240 views of his Instagram video. The Kids’ Free Day event had over 100 attendees, with parents singing along in the audience of the Ruben’s tube demo and countless children singing, dancing and making music on stage for the open mic. The launch helped CL reach the local music and arts community through promotions and the connections with Passport Pack partners, as well as media coverage of Tallahassee’s music scene.

2) Secure a minimum of 20 school group reservations to America’s Musical Journey for the 2017-2018 school year (tour operator tie-in): CLC had over 30 school groups visit and include America’s Musical Journey in their field trip programming since the launch.

3) Incorporate America’s Musical Journey into our learning lab curriculum: CLC developed three learning labs to accompany America’s Musical Journey for grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. They have since expanded to grades 9-12. The curriculum was developed by incorporating the educator guide and activities provided by MacGillivray Freeman Films with the expertise of CLC’s education team and the Florida, Georgia, and Alabama state standards.

4) Create and maintain partnerships with other local businesses and arts organizations: CLC successfully fostered partnerships with 12 arts community organizations, including an orchestra, chorus, dance studio, blues club, literature and music festival and more, and two local businesses (Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union and Harry’s Restaurant). These relationships foster goodwill amongst the organizations and have opened the door for continued promotions and opportunities. For example, the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA) featured CLC on their COCA Connection segment on local news station WTXL, and CLC has brainstormed ideas with Harry’s Restaurant on upcoming promotions.

5) Sell over 2,000 tickets to America’s Musical Journey within fiscal year 2018 (ends June 30, 2018): CLC sold over 2,500 tickets sold to America’s Musical Journey in FY 2018 and continues to offer America’s Musical Journey in its film library; it is playing on the regular schedule and is available to teachers for field trip reservations in school year 2018-2019.

 

For more information about the campaign, please contact Samantha Reaves, sreaves@challengertlh.com