The Challenge:

When RSA began working with Central States Fair, Inc. in 1996, the public perception of this organization was at an all-time low, and gaining community sponsorship and support was an uphill battle.

Our objective was to rebuild their image and increase event attendance, while working within a diminishing budget. Led by Ron Jeffries, the newly appointed Fair Manager, we put together a team and a public relations plan to bolster the positive reputation that the Central States Fair desperately needed to survive.

The Solution:

We embarked on a public relations campaign that allowed the Fair to accept their mistakes, own up to failures, and lay out a plan for renewal. We kept the public informed, earned their trust, and worked to strengthen interest and attendance by promoting the heritage and tradition of the Central States Fair. RSA led this public relations effort with no funds to support it. We worked with media to pitch positive stories as they developed and slowly gained community support.

During the first two years with the Central States Fair, RSA was challenged to work with an advertising budget cut by 40 percent. We were able to stay within budget and show an increase in attendance both years, by developing media partnerships and sponsorships for grandstand events. We gave radio stations presenting rights to concerts, gaining bonus advertising and cash sponsorships each year.

The Results:

We were able to overturn the deficit in three short years, boasting profits in 2000. In 2003, the Central States Fair was able to secure funding and community support for the new Pennington County Event Center, which hosted more than 250 events during the calendar year, providing millions of dollars in economic impact for the Rapid City community.