Overview
The opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) marked a historic moment when the country paused to celebrate, reflect and explore significant contributions and the cultural impact of African Americans throughout our history.
Challenge
With intense public interest, the NMAAHC engaged Dewey Square Group to manage the African American communications strategy and influencer outreach for the lead-up and grand opening of the historic museum. This was an important cultural moment, with a bright light shone on the Smithsonian and indeed on the United States’ historical reckoning.
Strategy
Central to the DSG approach was an effort to engage specialty media early and often, generating waves of news coverage and social media engagement during critical milestones throughout the year.
Announcements detailing significant donations and gifts, construction milestones, and exhibitions fueled a steady stream of news and built buzz around the grand opening. DSG generated exclusive story angles and content, including sneak previews of the inaugural exhibitions.
Results
These efforts drove an estimated 9.7 billion impressions from top-tier media coverage, totaling 4,545 print and broadcast hits. Most notably, the campaign earned coverage by CBS 60 Minutes and multiple waves of coverage in over 200 African American newspapers.
Ultimately, more than 300,000 people watched the museum’s dedication ceremony live on Facebook.