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"Power of the Wigwam" Mystifies News Media, Benefits School System, Architectural Firm

Situation
The superintendent of schools for a system based in Central Indiana, together with representatives from its Indianapolis-based architectural firm, wanted to emphasize the benefits associated with a decision to re-locate the Corporation's Administration Building to a site formerly occupied by the city's oldest high school and its famed gymnasium, known as "The Wigwam".

Solution
The team successfully managed the announcement, first with the creation of a news media advisory that revealed "the future of the Wigwam Complex" would be discussed. The tactic led to speculation by some media outlets that the facility would be closed.

In fact, one Indianapolis television station previewed the story with dramatic footage (the night before the announcement) from an earlier fire at the site. Speculation also grew in the community, as a number of people contacted the superintendent's office to express their concerns.

Success
On the day of the event, all four Indianapolis television stations combined to air some 15 stories about the decision, which proved to be very popular in the community.

The resulting media coverage, which also included an article on the front page of the city's local newspaper and several broadcasts by area radio stations, was estimated at more than 10 times the budget allocated for the project. The resulting success led to the team handling a number of other projects on behalf of the school corporation and one other Indianapolis-area architectural firm.

The amount of the coverage also prompted a principal of the architectural firm to say that the team had harnessed successfully the "Power of the Wigwam" as a key factor in the success of the event.