Chazzfest
Music festival fans know there’s no lack of terrific lineups playing almost anywhere, any weekend. That’s great for fans. And it’s challenging for first-time organizers, who must build an audience before they’ve ever “delivered the goods.” That was the challenge we faced when we joined the team of ChazzFest, which brought Al Green, Buddy Guy, Sam Bush, the Drive By Truckers and numerous other acts to Charleston in September 2006.
Our work was focused solely on earned media and community relations, and we took a broad, regional approach to our pitches. Starting in late May and concluding around 9 p.m. the day of the festival, we earned press in major dailies, on numerous broadcast outlets and online. We even earned a spot in the Wall Street Journal’s coveted “Best Festival of the Week” column.
In all, we netted more than $1 million worth of earned media value, and helped drive more than 6,000 fans through the gates of Chazzfest 1.