Client case study · Nonprofit public relations
How Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts earned $3.74 million in media exposure in one season
The Center hired us with three jobs: get back in the news, sell tickets for its fall and holiday season, and give donors a reason to pay attention again. Over four months, newsrooms covered every major program, from a world premiere to the return of Rudolph. The Center reported higher sales than usual and renewed engagement from donors, with no paid advertising.
“I love the Center for Puppetry Arts. I grew up going there.”ATL Live co-host, Atlanta News First
Request a consultationSept. 2024 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dec. 2024 · American Theatre
Tracked with Critical Mention from September to December 2024. No paid advertising, no sponsored content. Coverage Critical Mention didn’t catch, including the Atlanta Jewish Times, isn’t counted.
The goal
Three goals for one season
The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, houses the world’s largest collection of Jim Henson puppets, props, costumes and archives. Despite that legacy, larger arts institutions in Georgia were getting the attention, and the Center had slipped off the radar of arts patrons and donors. It hired Spotlight Communications Group in September 2024 with three goals:
- Relevance: Get back in the news as a serious arts institution, not only a children’s venue.
- Ticket sales: Fill seats for a season with a world premiere, a new holiday exhibit and the return of Rudolph.
- Donors: Give patrons and donors fresh reasons to pay attention and give.
And it needed revenue, fast.
The strategy
Every program is a news story
A nonprofit arts center has something most organizations don’t: a calendar full of news. We treated each program as its own story, with its own reporters and its own audience.
The “Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote” world premiere went to arts critics and Hispanic Heritage Month coverage. The Festive Features holiday exhibit went to faith communities and family outlets. Rudolph, with the original Santa and Rudolph puppets from the 1964 TV special on display, went to everyone.
Reporters didn’t need convincing that the Center mattered. They had a reason to write about it that week.
The work
How we did it
Wrote a press release for every program:
The “Pancho Rabbit” premiere, the Center’s anniversary, the Festive Features exhibit, Rudolph, and a Rudolph weekend push in December.
Built the press kit reporters ask for:
Production, rehearsal and puppet photos, headshots, and a checklist so staff could answer a reporter’s request without scrambling.
Brought reporters inside:
We ran a November media preview attended by Discover Atlanta, Access Atlanta, Rough Draft Atlanta, City Lifestyle and Tomorrow’s News Today, and coached staff on what to show them.
Went where families and groups plan their weekends:
Event calendar listings for every program, Rudolph promotions in 16 parent Facebook groups and Nextdoor, and invitations and reminders to more than 45 religious and faith-based organizations.
Gave donors a reason to show up:
A VIP donor night with our team on site, a Georgia Gives Day donor kit, and a donor guide and email series in December.
Trained the team to keep it going:
A half-day Instagram training, a posting-time analysis and a 60-day content calendar the staff could run on their own.
In the news · September to December 2024
Every program, in the news
- The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSept. 25, 2024 · ReviewPuppetry Center’s “Pancho Rabbit” is a Mexican fable that’s also topicalRead the review
- Rough Draft AtlantaNov. 26, 2024 · FeatureRudolph Returns: Center for Puppetry Arts continues beloved holiday traditionRead the feature
- American TheatreDec. 16, 2024 · PodcastOffscript: Rudolph the Red-Nosed PuppetListen to the episode
- Atlanta Jewish TimesHoliday 2024 · FeatureCenter for Puppetry Arts Offers Family Holiday ProgramRead the story
- Axios AtlantaDec. 5, 2024 · Weekend picksAtlanta weekend events: Burlesque, tree tours, and video game musicRead the list
- Lonely PlanetDec. 18, 2024 · TravelThe 12 best day trips from Chattanooga, TennesseeRead the guide
The results
What we set out to do, and what happened
Relevance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reviewed the “Pancho Rabbit” world premiere. American Theatre recorded a holiday podcast episode with the puppets and puppeteers behind Rudolph. Atlanta News First brought the director and artistic director onto ATL Live, and the segment aired three times, on Dec. 19, 24 and 25.
Ticket sales
The Center reported higher sales than usual. Its programs ran in the weekend roundups families use to plan, from FOX 5 Atlanta, Axios Atlanta and the AJC. The Atlanta Jewish Times covered the family holiday program, and faith-based groups booked group admission.
Reach beyond Atlanta
Lonely Planet named the Center among reasons to take a day trip from Chattanooga. PureWow’s family travel list, carried on Yahoo and AOL, sent families to meet Kermit the Frog there. MSN told readers where the original Rudolph puppets now live.
Donors
The Center reported renewed engagement from donors. Every story above is one a development team can put in front of a funder.
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Atlanta News First (Channel 46)
- FOX 5 Atlanta
- Axios Atlanta
- American Theatre
- MSN
- Lonely Planet
- PureWow
- Georgia Public Broadcasting
- Atlanta Jewish Times
- ArtsATL
- Rough Draft Atlanta
- Atlanta Patch
- Discover Atlanta
For executive directors, development teams and boards
Donors read the news too
Your programs are already news. A premiere, an anniversary, a returning favorite, a new exhibit: each is a reason for a reporter to call and a reason for a donor to give. Coverage tells a board member, a funder and a parent that someone outside your building chose to write about you. An ad can’t do that.
We also leave behind what keeps working after the campaign: a press kit, a reporter list and a content calendar your staff can run.
We’ve done this for public institutions too. For the British Consulate-General Atlanta, we earned 247 news stories across 101 outlets during the 2026 World Cup, with no ad buy.
Have a season coming up? Let’s put it in the news.
Send us your calendar. We’ll show you the stories in it.