Marketing Community Theatre
I learned that marketing community theatre can be both challenging and fun as I went to work with Scottsdale, Arizona’s Desert Stages.
Established in 1995, Scottsdale Arizona’s Desert Stages Theatre provides aspiring young performers with often life changing theatrical training. The community theatre provides high-quality live performances for the entire community and prides itself on providing a creative and inclusive environment where actors can learn, grow and thrive.
The Challenge
From 2004 through 2016, the 136-seat theatre occupied a small (6,500 square foot) building one the corner of Scottsdale Road and Highland Avenue in downtown Scottsdale. The location was convenient to most Scottsdale families and the rent and other operating expenses were manageable. Then, everything, changed.
During 2017, Desert Stages move to nearby Scottsdale Fashion Square. While moving into prestigious Fashion Square certainly increased the theatre’s visibility and capacity, the move created a substantial financial challenge.
The move increased (doubled) the theatre’s space to about 12,500 square feet dramatically increasing space rental expense. It also necessitated extensive renovations to convert two movie theater spaces (which had no stages) into live performance venues with large stages, curtain systems, theatrical lighting and sound systems, and dressing rooms.
To deal with pending financial challenges, the theater company initiated a $900,000 fundraising campaign. In addition, they retained me to implement a strategy for marketing community theater.
Research
Initial research with audiences and parents of young performers indicated a very high level of satisfaction with both theatrical performance and training programs. That was the good news. But, the not so good news was that community awareness of Desert Stages was at a very low level. As a result, show ticket and training revenue would fall far short of covering rent and additional expenses.
Strategy
We implemented a marketing strategy that centered on:
- Defining a compelling Desert Stages Brand
- Developing a website that told the brand story, promoted youth theatrical training and performing opportunities and current and upcoming shows.
- Integrating a robust ticket sales software application into the new website.
- Developing relationships with local news and family entertainment media and implementing an aggressive press release process.
- Securing a nonprofit Google Ad Grant and developing an extensive search ad campaign.
Results
We implemented this marketing strategy very quickly and some very good results followed almost immediately. Donations increased within the first month of campaign launch. Website traffic tripled within the first 90 days. Within the first campaign year, revenue from online ticket sales increased from approximately 10% of total income to 50% and total monthly income for combined training and ticket sales increased by more than100%.
Desert stages was warmly embraced by local media as the Desert Stages brand came to share in the prestige and importance of the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall.
Need A Little Help?
Please Contact Me if your organization needs a little (or maybe a lot of) help with your community theatre marketing campaign..