CASE STUDY
MEDIA RELATIONS: MLK MEMORIAL
The Challenge
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate historically Black fraternity, first proposed the idea for a national memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been one of their members. Their perseverance led Congress to gift land on the National Mall in Washington, DC to the Memorial Foundation. The foundation’s goal was to raise $120 million for the monument, which would enshrine King’s legacy by placing him, a “King among Kings,” on the National Mall next to Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson. Through their efforts, King would become the first African American to be memorialized on the National Mall.
The Challenge
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate historically Black fraternity, first proposed the idea for a national memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been one of their members. Their perseverance led Congress to gift land on the National Mall in Washington, DC to the Memorial Foundation. The foundation’s goal was to raise $120 million for the monument, which would enshrine King’s legacy by placing him, a “King among Kings,” on the National Mall next to Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson. Through their efforts, King would become the first African American to be memorialized on the National Mall.
The Strategy
Tommy Hilfiger, Russell Simmons and the Memorial Foundation hired The TASC Group to generate national public awareness for the project and organize “The Dream Concert” at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with a goal of raising $5 million.
The Results
The concert was headlined by Stevie Wonder, Santana, Aretha Franklin, Garth Brooks, John Legend, Joss Stone, Ludacris and Wyclef Jean. Celebrity participants included Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Roker, Usher and members of the King family. The sold-out concert exceeded all fundraising goals, generated front-page news around the world and launched the first sustained national public relations exposure for the memorial project. TASC garnered media attention from over 100 outlets on the red carpet and coverage on NBC’s TODAY Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS News, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and MTV.
MEDIA COVERAGE
