The Santa Train is a cherished tradition in Appalachia where local communities gather along a 110-mile route at 14 stops through rural Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to receive more than 15 tons of gifts handed out by Santa Claus, volunteers from sponsoring organizations, and a celebrity guest.
Last year marked the 71st run of the Santa Train. On behalf of our client and event sponsor CSX, MP&F once again helped plan the event, providing media relations, social media and logistics support.
Logistically, the event is particularly challenging. We are responsible for coordinating interviews and assisting up to 20 members of the media on the train as well as securing a topnotch celebrity guest to ride the train. Many perform mini-concerts on a pro bono basis.
The 2013 celebrity guest was “American Idol” season 12 runner-up Kree Harrison, who first rode the Santa Train at age 11 in 2001. Previous celebrity guests include the award-winning country duo Thompson Square (2011-2012), Wynonna and Naomi Judd (2009-2010) and Allison Krauss (2006).
Our 2013 national media campaign generated more than 500 clips and 9.3 million impressions between October and December, and the team secured clips in several well-known outlets, including Country Woman and Country Weekly. Our social media efforts generated a 37 percent increase in followers on the Santa Train’s social media channels, and a 58 percent increase in followers on Facebook.