Challenge
After an 18-month renovation of San Francisco’s historic Union Square, the Union Square Association engaged LCI to promote the long-awaited grand re-opening to both Bay Area residents and visitors. The Union Square renovation project was a unique private/public partnership that involved multiple departments of the City of San Francisco, as well as corporate entities. The park’s new design, called “All the Square’s a Stage,” was the result of an international design competition. An additional challenge during this period was the impact of September 11, coupled with California’s biggest recession in recent history, which drove shoppers away.

Strategy
LCI leveraged the renovation of Union Square as one of San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown’s lasting legacies. To build anticipation for the grand opening, LCI planned a series of PR and promotional efforts leading up to the opening day ribbon-cutting ceremony and weekend of festivities. In addition to these tactics, LCI conducted extensive media outreach, pitching different aspects of the story to a variety of media outlets to generate maximum media coverage.

LCI’s comprehensive PR plan included solicitation of major media sponsors, a pre-opening press conference, sneak peek hard hat tours of the square-in-progress, a radio DJ tour prior to the re-opening and a civic opening ceremony/ribbon cutting with Mayor Brown and major media coverage.

Results
Overwhelming public response, with thousands attending the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Stories generated covered all angles: construction milestones, architecture, design competition, architects and artists, history of the Square, guide to the “new” Union Square, entertainment profiles of talent, business story regarding the impact of the Square, travel stories and news coverage of opening events. In addition, the San Francisco Chronicle produced a stand-alone 8-page supplement saluting the opening of the square.

Coverage included: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, American Way, Travel Weekly, KABC (ABC) – Los Angeles, San Francisco Chronicle (more than 12 stories, including three front-page features, editorials, mentions in columns and “The In Crowd,” business section, news section), Chronicle magazine, San Francisco Examiner (more than 12 stories), San Francisco Business Times, San Francisco Downtown, The Independent, Nob Hill Gazette, SanJose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Sacramento Bee, VIA, Where Magazine, KGO Radio, KTVU TV, KGO-TV, KRON-TV, KPIX-TV and KNTV-TV, KTTV-TV (Los Angeles) and television coverage throughout the West.

Media Sponsorships
San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco magazine, Where magazine, 7X7, Nob Hill Gazette, KGO Radio and more.

Testimonial
“It's always a pleasure to work with people who are 'can do' and creative. If they're also good humored, it's a perfect package. The team at LCI fit this criteria to a 'T.' They take the initiative to offer help and make public relations problem solving fun! What a pleasure to work with!” --Linda Mjellem, Union Square Association