Background: The Chicgao Academy for the Arts is a private performing and visual arts high school. Having outgrown its current facilities, the school launched a capital campaign to raise $30 million to relocate to a new building.

Goal: Support the capital campaign by increasing awareness of the school and its accomplishments.

Challenge: In 2006 the school celebrated its 25^th anniversary, won the Illinois statewide award for excellence in arts education and the Kennedy Center's Creative Ticket National Schools of Distinction Award. This resulted in heavy media coverage during that year. However, the school was left with the question: what’s next?

Strategy: Flanigan Communications, Inc. decided to focus not on the school itself, but on the accomplishments of its students, staff, leadership and alumni as well as events. 

Results: Since launching the media campaign in October 2007, monthly coverage have been achieved. Placements include coverage of a panel with alum Writer/Director Adam Rifkin; a feature on Randy Duncan, dance chair in Dance Teacher Magazine and other national publications; event coverage in society pages; cover stories of award-winning students in community papers such as Skyline, Chicago Journal and Doings and DownBeat Magazine; leadership coverage in Today’s Chicago Woman and Crain’s Chicago Business.