Print version

Ukrainian Christmas at Kyiv's Philharmonic Hall

Situation

With Christmas 2000 approaching, several of our high-profile clients, all with powerful brand names (Shell, Lucent Technologies, and JTI) sought a truly memorable and distinctive idea to celebrate the Christmas season. Rather than go the classic route of greeting cards and gifts, these corporations wanted to distinguish themselves by presenting their clientele with something special, something to evoke images of a traditional Ukrainian Christmas.

Strategy

Romyr developed a unique package that provided our clients the opportunity to offer holiday greetings while supporting a cultural renaissance,  by inviting them to sponsor the first recording of Ukrainian Christmas carols featuring the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the Kyiv Chamber Choir. We selected carols that were traditional favorites as well as little-known masterpieces.

A limited number of CDs were distributed as calling cards of the sponsoring companies. However, to promote this endeavor, Romyr staged an event to link the sponsors to this cultural achievement. We organized an exclusive concert at the Kyiv Philharmonic Hall to present the new CD to the public. We reserved the entire hall and invited a diverse and distinguished cross-section of Ukrainian society including government officials, political and business leaders, and journalists.

The Event

Scheduled on January 19, the last day of the Ukrainian Christmas season, the concert attracted eager guests who arrived well before show time. Despite modest promotional efforts, word of the event had spread throughout the general public. Those in the media and the musical arts communities were particularly eager to attend the performance, and for good reason. The choir and the orchestra treated the capacity crowd to an exceptional evening. The tunes of holidays past delighted the audience and provided a warm and convivial holiday spirit. An additional benefit was the spirit of camaraderie among attendees who networked at the informal reception, which followed the program.

Results

Media acclaim and coverage, along with the popularity of the CD and the concert were clear evidence of the success of this exclusive sponsorship package. The event set a precedent for multinational-based companies and investors to support traditional Ukrainian music. The distinctive cultural flavor, too, lent great value to sponsors who proved that their interest in Ukraine goes beyond the balance sheet. This clearly contributed to the favorable press.

For their investment, sponsors accomplished three major objectives: they offered a unique Christmas present to their customers and partners; they positioned themselves as good corporate citizens supporting Ukrainian culture; and they had an opportunity to reach select audiences during the exclusive event. For its part, co-sponsor and organizer Romyr & Associates enjoyed countless accolades from musicians, journalists, the business community, and government officials.