Holiday Public Relations
Campaign
Glendale Galleria
Glendale, Calif.
Glendale Galleria was heading toward the holiday season with a problem:
How could it possibly top its past strong holiday sales when its parking
lots were at maximum capacity, the retail market was increasingly
competitive and competitive centers were planning massive ad campaigns in
one of the country's most expensive media markets?
The answer was public relations. Glendale Galleria's team needed to
devise a comprehensive media strategy that would generate traffic and
drive sales, build relationships with the media and break through the
tough Los Angeles media market at low cost.
OBJECTIVES
1. To position Glendale Galleria as the major venue for holiday
shopping stories for local and national media.
2. To cost-effectively divert attention from the competition's
advertising through strong, continuous publicity on TV and in print.
3. To generate $1 million in publicity during the holidays.
4.To generate positive stories on mall security.
5. To maintain 2% sales growth during the holidays.
6. To gain merchant participation in promoting the season's top gifts,
toys and apparel.
IMPLEMENTATION
The marketing team mailed 106 invitations and holiday media kits that
included lists of retail spokespeople, bilingual retailers (for foreign
media), detailed story angles, hot gift ideas and shopping tips. Selected
retailers were trained as spokespeople.
Reporters were provided press credentials, times to conduct interviews
and on-site refreshments, and were offered unprecedented access to the
center. Throughout the season, the team sent press releases on sales
trends, parking, holiday decor, the upcoming renovation, gift ideas and
upcoming special events. The team also pitched positive stories about the
mall's well-trained security team and new, easy-to-use parking structure.
The team positioned the center as the source for hot items with a press
conference that included displays and demonstrations of the season's most
popular and unusual gifts, as well as through on-site and in-studio
television interviews.
The team also made sure that Glendale was the site of holiday press
conferences. Retail analysts from Deloitte & Touche unveiled their 1996
statistics on the holiday outlook at a news conference at Glendale
Galleria, which was attended by local and national business press. And
the team organized a news conference on toy safety with the California
Department of Consumer Affairs and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
RESULTS
Glendale Galleria generated more than $1,467,270 in advertising value
through its publicity efforts. It was the holiday venue for national
media, including NBC Nightly News, CNN and the Wall Street Journal. The
publicity efforts reaped 104 TV news segments (3 hours and 47 minutes of
air time), 1,168 column inches in print, and 190 minutes on radio.
Holiday publicity in 1996 increased 60% over 1995.
Holiday sales also increased--2% for in-line shops. More than 56 items
from Galleria stores were promoted on 38 TV news segments, and 21 stores
sold out of the promoted merchandise.
More than 10% of Glendale Galleria's retailers attended media training
and were interviewed on TV. Three TV news stations, one nationally
syndicated news show and four newspaper articles positively featured the
center's police sub-station and security program, as well as the shopper
assistance provided by Galleria security officers.
CREDIT
Owned and managed by: Donahue Schriber
Professional recognition to: Deborah Blackford, marketing
director; Judi Lapin, vice president, marketing; Cindy Chong, general
manager; Judy Smith, president, Smith Asbury.
EXPENSES
| Agency | $8,000 |
| Press kits | 961 |
| Stationery | 500 |
| Postage | 150 |
| Total | $9,611 |
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