The Babcock Cupola Celebration

a month-long celebration of the Babcock Building’s reconstructed cupola in partnership with The Bullstreet District + Clachan Properties

Media relations and event planning

Flock and Rally was hired by Clachan Properties, the owners of The Babcock Building and The Babcock apartments, to implement and promote the month-long celebration of The Babcock Building’s reconstructed iconic cupola, which was destroyed by fire in 2018. The purpose of the campaign, which was executed in three strategic phases, aimed to generate community awareness of The Babcock and the BullStreet District, secure positive earned media coverage, and honor the many individuals and entities that made the important project possible.

Our main goals for this project were to publicly thank and recognize the many individuals and entities who made the project possible, secure earned media coverage in three phases, build positive sentiment and awareness of the Babcock Building and the BullStreet District. Our objectives were to have state, county and city officials, key stakeholders, and the local media in attendance at the ceremony on Aug. 9, generate 20 media articles between June-August 2023 and secure three feature stories between June-August 2023. The main strategies consisted of developing a robust press kit with detailed talking points, pitching an exclusive story to The State newspaper, holding a private media tour to experience a major construction milestone, hosting a ceremonial event and inviting stakeholders, influencers and the media to attend, inviting media to cover the final installation of the cupola, and strategically pitching and working hand-in-hand with media contacts throughout the process.

As a result of the comprehensive media relations campaign, the project received widespread positive coverage, garnering support from elected officials, partners, the fire department, the business community, and the community at large. Flock and Rally's strategic approach not only ensured effective communication throughout the construction process but also successfully positioned the Babcock Building's restoration as a noteworthy and celebrated milestone within the community. All campaign objectives were met and/or were exceeded. Our measurement methods, encompassing pieces of coverage, estimated views, audience and local viewership, demonstrated the campaign's resounding results. Specific results included: 10 media outlets attending the clerestory tour, all local media outlets attending the ceremony, and excellent guest attendance at the ceremony with the representation of all identified core target audiences. All press coverage was positive—with more than 30 press mentions/clips, 10+ feature stories, three front cover spreads in The State newspaper, and an estimated press coverage reaching an impressive 5.1 million views. In addition to remarkable numbers and sentiment among the community, the client was elated and praised the Flock and Rally team for far exceeding their expectations.