CASE STUDY: Toby Jug Museum 

BACKGROUND: Located in Evanston, Ill. the museum holds the largest collection of Toby and character jugs in the world. 

GOAL: Increase the number of inquiries and museum visitors

CHALLENGE: The museum is small, addresses a tiny niche and is open by appointment only.

STRATEGY:  Pitched antique and collectible trades using the “world’s largest” as the hook; focused on the quirkiness angle for general consumer, travel, destination and meeting planning media.  Contacted tourist organizations and webs sites such as the North Shore Convention and Tourism Bureau and GoCityKids, and North Shore hotels to include the museum brochure on premises and/or list on Web sites.  

RESULT: To date, 27 media hits have been generated. The museum and its collection have been featured in almost every antique trade media in the U.S., including Antique Week and Antiques and Collectibles, as well as several in Canada and England. Additionally, the museum had a two-age feature in the Chicago Tribune, numerous Pioneer Press papers, short features in travel publications, including  Midwest Meetings and Group Travel, as well as an Around Town segment on Channel 9 in July 2007.  Additionally, the museum is listed on numerous web sites, such as GoCityKids.com.  Most importantly, inquiry calls and visitors have both measurable increased.