CASE STUDY:

Creating A Media Roar For The Lion King

Client: Broadway Dallas

Industry: Consumer

Services: Media Relations

Recognition:

  • Bulldog PR Award, Gold

  • Platinum PR Award, Finalist

  • PRSA Silver Anvil Award, Finalist

For the 2018 touring production of Disney’s THE LION KING (TLK), presented by Broadway Dallas, Three Box and client Broadway Dallas wanted to create a media splash throughout Dallas/Fort Worth that would reach audiences outside of Broadway Dallas’ regular performing arts community.

Equipped with our childhood nostalgia and some “Hakuna Matata,” Three Box set out to execute a media relations campaign that would generate creative and impactful coverage across North Texas.

Read on to learn more about our strategies, tactics and results.

With an international brand like Disney and a historic Dallas institution like Broadway Dallas, Three Box knew the bar was set high. Three Box understood that Disney magic needed to flow from The Music Hall at Fair Park to the rest of North Texas in ways that were unique and memorable for audiences of all ages. The team put our heads together to think of lively, shareable media moments and then developed a plan to secure coverage in specifically targeted outlets that would reach different audience groups throughout the Metroplex.

Three Box started by collaborating with another local non-profit organization, The Dallas Zoo, on a targeted promotion and interactive media segment with WFAA-TV’s “Good Morning Texas” to showcase some of the unique African animals featured in TLK, which created a memorable media moment that simultaneously leveraged the Zoo’s built-in audience of diverse patrons. To maximize available time and interview resources for other media opportunities, we organized a press round-robin event so multiple niche outlets and broadcast stations could capture backstage visuals and interview several cast and creative team members at one time. Finally, Three Box invited a variety of local media contacts and influencers to press night for TLK, to generate organic reviews across print, broadcast and online outlets, as well as social media.

Three Box’s out-of-the-box thinking paid off. TLK received in-depth and unique coverage in dozens of local outlets, earning 196 total media mentions – an 880% increase from the show’s last Dallas run in 2013 – and more than 16 million impressions. Additional campaign results included:

  • An interactive media segment with The Dallas Zoo on WFAA-TV's "Good Morning Texas."

  • Coverage in The Dallas Morning News, KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, KUVN-TV, KDAF-TV, CultureMap Dallas, Modern Luxury, Al Dia Dallas, Broadway World, North Dallas Gazette, Texas Jewish Post and Dallas Voice.

  • Instagram posts from podcast host Allen Evans (44K followers) and radio personality Kellie Rasberry (189K followers) of The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, using the show’s hashtag and geotag. Kellie also mentioned TLK in three times on the nationally syndicated morning radio show.

  • A domination of share of media voice by more than 50% when compared to other plays and musicals running in Dallas-Fort Worth during the same time.

  • 64% positive sentiment – a 45% increase from the 2013 run.

  • Disney and Broadway Dallas grossed more than $7.7 million in ticket sales, surpassing their original goal of $6.9 million.

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