CASE HISTORY AND SAMPLE CLIPS
Generating Advance Stories for a Museum Exhibit
Since Los Angeles has dozen of museums, generating press coverage for a single special exhibit requires creativity. For the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, The Bohle Company generated eight different articles in the Los Angeles Times, extensive regional magazine coverage, multiple radio interviews and 11TV segments, including two national feeds.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• Generate attendance for exhibit
• Build visibility for museum, in general
STRATEGIES
• Use transparencies taken by museum photographer to sell beauty of exhibit
• Localize pitches to media, wherever possible
• Create broad public awareness of “all things Columbian” during month before exhibit
ANGLES DEVELOPED FOR LOS ANGELES TIMES, ALL RESULTING IN STORIES
1. Entertainment Editor – Exhibits features
2. Lifestyle Section – Columbian artifacts in museum shop
3. Columnists – Pre-Columbian drug paraphernalia
4. Food Section – Story offered Columbian recipes, cooking utensils
5. Gardening Editor – Columbian orchids
6. Religion Editor – Sacred objects in exhibit
7. Society Columns – Opening events, fund raisers
8. Fashion Editor – Guests at black tie opening
9. Science Writer – World’s largest emeralds
ADDITIONAL STORY ANGLES DEVELOPED FOR REGIONAL MAGAZINES, FEATURE INTERVIEWS WITH MUSEUM CURATORS
• Value of gems
• How artifacts are salvaged
• Antiques as art
• Spanish heritage
• Long lines on opening day
• Security required, due value of exhibit
TELEVISION TALK SHOWS BOOKED FOR CURATORS
• KNXT “Sunnyside”
• KNBC “Everywhere
• KABC “AM Los Angeles”
• KHJ “Mid-Morning L.A.”
• KMEX “Mundo Latino”
TELEVISION NEWS CREWS THAT FILMED AT SITE
• CBS National News
• Newsweek Video (200 Markets)
• KNXT
• KABC
• KNBC
• KMPC “Luncheon at the Music Center”
• KIEV “Weekend L.A.”
• KTYM “Public Affairs Presentation”
• KHJ
• KSCI
• KMEX
SOCIETY COVERAGE
• Staged whole week of society events
• Placed 8 different stories in L.A. Times’ society column
• Supplied attendee list, photo to all local papers
RESULTS
• Largest attendance ever for any exhibit at museum
• Overflow crowds, daily
• Increased museum attendance for the year by 25%
