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| A T-REX NAMED SUE Case Study
HOW A T. REX NAMED SUE BECAME A CHICAGO ICON “The city identified with the Sears Tower and Michael Jordan has another big, imposing icon to share with the world. And make no bones about it, the latest spectacle is the baddest of them all…a 67 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex names Sue.” – Associated Press SITUATION Following the purchase of T. rex Sue for $8.3 million at the Sotheby’s auction in 1997, The Field Museum’s public relations team spent the next 2 ˝ years creating interest and awareness of Sue, the world’s largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex, in preparation for the dinosaur’s May 17, 2000 unveiling. The task was to make Sue’s unveiling a phenomenally successful media event, paving the way for Sue’s iconic status as a record-breaking tourist attraction and international symbol of Chicago. SOLUTION Good Morning World: In the pre-dawn hours of May 17, 2000, major media from around the globe crowded into The Field Museum’s cavernous main hall. The most respected minds in science mingled with the CEOs of international corporations while crowds of schoolchildren gathered in front of the imposing white curtain that concealed the lady of the hour from her eager fans. Tyrannosauruss rex Sue had been waiting 67 million years for this moment – her first public appearance had to be perfect. The debut of Sue was a media event on par with a blockbuster movie premiere or a space shuttle launch. In attendance were 250 members of the media, including reporters, photographers and technical crews representing all major wire services, all national TV morning shows, all major TV and radio networks, and newspapers and magazines from Paris to Tokyo, New York to Seattle. Ready for Her Close-up: It was difficult to convince museum management and corporate sponsors that the inconvenience of an early morning event would pay off. We explained that it was critical in order to capture the early morning news shows (Good Morning America, the Today Show and others) and secure live coverage that result in a buzz that would be heard and viewed on TV stations around the world. Although many had reservations and doubts initially, they trusted Pat Kremer and agreed to her plan. Now she and her department had to deliver. The PR team studied camera angles and had risers built to exacting specifications; the Museum’s electrical system was beefed up to handle the extra load of TV lights; the Museum arranged for television trucks to park so that signals could be sent via satellite. The PR team also aggressively pitched to print media sending reporters and editors “Sue Countdown Calendars” containing daily facts about the famous T. rex – the last date on the calendar was May 17. The unveiling took place on a Wednesday, the Museum’s free admission day, allowing over 8,000 curious visitors to simply walk in the door and experience what national journalists were already terming “Sue-mania.” The dinosaur’s image was selected as one of Time Magazine’s pictures of the year. RESULTS The Museum’s strategy was simple and it worked: set a clear goal, pitch aggressively and stage an exhibition opening so spectacular it could only be classified as a national media event. The rewards were immense, both for The Field Museum and the City of Chicago. The media frenzy that started that day lasted the remainder of the year, making Sue a household name and helped the Museum’s attendance soar 60 percent over the previous year, to 2.4 million – its highest since the 1933 World’s Fair. We recorded a 129% increase in attendance over the previous year and 110% increase in attendance projections for the launch period. Admission income during the exhibit timeframe was up 171% over income for the same period the year prior and 86% higher than projected for the launch. PR efforts generated more than 193 million impressions in print (including People, USA Today, National Geographic, TV Guide and Newsweek) and electronic coverage from journalists around the world, including CNN international, chronicled Sue’s unveiling. Due to the success of the PR campaign, then-President Bill Clinton came to visit Sue, making headline news worldwide and cementing her status as a figure on par with the world’s greatest historical and entertaining attractions. |
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