Last year during a Chamber of Commerce event I saw some flyers for a local community theater. They were offering season tickets for the upcoming shows.
As I looked at the flyer I turned to my accountant that was also there and asked if I could write it off as entertainment. Her response was it would be better as an advertising expense.
A couple of weeks later I contacted the theater group, CAST – Community Actors’ Studio Theatre, about tickets. During our discussion, I found that they have another brochure that is for advertisers.
The advertising package contains various sized spots in the programme ranging from a 1/4 page business card up to a full page or the back cover. There is also information and links put on their website and some levels provide additional advertising at the event, on banners and other flyers.
But the best part is that it includes seasons tickets to the shows.
I have seen many live theatre performances that vary from local groups, improv, and full Broadway productions. The list includes Miss Saigon, Showboat, Lion King, and many others. It has been a number of years since I had been to any.
One that caught my eye when I was looking at the flyer was “Oklahoma”, although I didn’t remember too much about it I do remember when I was a kid going with my Grandparents and an Uncle out for a spaghetti dinner and to see the live show in a small theatre. It was an experience that I wanted to share with my own teenagers.
The other part I liked was that they were performing many recognizable shows including Spamalot, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, A Christmas Carol, and The complete works of William Shakespeare (abridged).
After a great season of shows and the only one, we could not make due to Show Choir and Dance competitions it was time for this season.
There was no hesitation about this years’ advertising. They have a great line up of performances this year.
Now to some lessons learned that you can take forward. When I met to put the ads in last year we were very rushed to put them together and get them in the first programme. Due to my delay, we were almost sliding the card into the press during printing. I used a postcard that I had made previously with the store information and some background graphics.
Once I got to the first show and was looking for my ad in the program I realized that the program was black and white and I actually turned the page past my own ad as it was mostly grey due to the background image.
But it was actually closer to this size in the programme
Always on the lookout for better marketing methods, I started looking at the other ads to see what worked well. As it turns out one of the most noticeable smaller sized ads was for a pest control company. A very simple 1/4 page ad put in vertically Logo, Bugs listed, Location, Phone number.
They covered it in about 4 lines. This is who we are, this is what we do, here’s where we are, here’s how to contact us. Boom. Drop The Mic.
I also realized that I needed to target the potential customer that will be holding the programme. A simple ad for a Coin Laundry may bring back bad memories of their first apartment or a college laundromat.
At this point, we are still working on the layout of the new ad but it will be black and white. Logo, What we do, Where we are and how to get a hold of us.
My thoughts right now are:
“Your Comforter Cleaning Headquarters
Drop it off and let us do the work”
1304 Greenbrier Rd, Anniston, AL
WashinGoldenSprings.com
256-835-2141
I would love your thoughts on a catchy ad and to hear about other non-traditional ads you have run.
I’ll see you at the show
UPDATE:
I was at the first show last week with my wife, two daughters and two of their friends and found our ad in the program. Much better than last year and a better placing on the page.
On another note, my daughters and their friends had a fantastic time. They are all 15 and whenever I glanced over it was great to see them so focused on the show.
Exposing kids and teens to live theatre has an impact you may not see for years but with the cost of a local show about the same price as a movie and snacks, I’ll take the support of local talent any day. And who knows maybe your kids will see someone at the Academy Awards one day and be able to say they saw them at a local theatre “back in the day“.
Ken
