Essentials of… Tour Marketing Penny Mills
• Welcome and introductions • Marketing Campaign Planning Overview • Understanding Audiences • Refining Messages • Effective information exchange • Implementation • Evaluation / PR / Local networking
Introductions • Your name and organisation • What you would like to get from today With your neighbour • A moment of marketing success?
Marketing Planning Overview
Marketing Campaign Planning “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Structure Vision Objectives Messages Target audiences The Plan Evaluation
Why? • Why this piece of work/event? • Why now? • Why these venues/locations? • Which audiences generally? • Which audiences specifically? • Why will audiences want to attend? • What will audiences experience? • What will have happened if it is a success?
Use what you know Do your research: • Use audience information • Use previous endorsements • Collect more as you go • Get to know the people at the venue • Get to know the locations • Track what works / hasn’t worked • Tailor your campaign
Consider the audience strategy • More of the same? • Relationship building • Introducing… something new/different • Diversifies the programme • New audiences • Tailoring the offer • Diversifying • New programme for new audiences
The messages • What is your tour’s USP? • Why would audiences pick it out from the crowd?
SMART objectives • 65% average capacity across the tour • 70% of tickets sold at full price and 30% at concessions (students or seniors) across the tour • 30% first time attenders to our work across the tour • % under 35 years across the tour • 70% attenders within a 1 hour drive-time of the venue • Over 80% enjoyed or very much enjoyed the performance/event across the tour • Recruit 2 local amabassadors at each venue location 1 month in advance of the performance/event • Increased membership of our society/organisation by 5% within one year following the tour
More SMART objectivews • Website unique visitors increased by 20% over the 2 months of the tour compared to non-touring periods • Referrals on the host venues websites ranked the company website in the top 5 referrers for the period of the tour • Doubled the number of social media ‘influencers’ (sharing or re-tweeting) on company channels during the course of the tour • 20 young people under the age of 24 involved in workshops with artists in each of the performance locations
Understanding Audiences
Exercise • Think about something you do in your spare time and describe the other people who do it with you • What characteristics do they share?
You can segment by… Factor Characteristics Demographics Age Life stage Social grade Family circumstances Geography Where people live Where people work Behaviour What people have done in the past Attitudes Values and beliefs Politics/faith ‘Lifestyle’
Segmentation The process of splitting customers in a market into different groups, within which customers share similar needs satisfied by a distinct marketing proposition. A useful segment is… Distinctive Reachable Big enough
DIY segmentation • What do you know already? • Add in a few expert resources • Ask the venue • Ask the audience
Regional differences?
Mosaic Republic of Ireland
Exercise • What is their level of interest in the arts? • What might their motivation to attend be? • What kind of offer would you make them?
How would you segment your audiences? • Age range • Life stage – family • Local / visitor • New attender • Frequency • Artform interests • Special interest / professional interest • ?more
Motivations and barriers
Motivations and barriers • Motivations – what makes people want to attend • Barriers – what discourages/stops them • Need to decrease barriers and develop motivations
Barriers There’s no bus
Practical barriers • Transport • Timing of programme • Location of programme • Useful information in advance • Ticket pricing/merchandise • Signs and information at the venue
Psychological barriers • Messages that say ‘it is for people like you’ and ‘it will be worth it’ • Images in publicity • Word of mouth – ambassadors • Staff reflects audience • Customer service • Third party endorsement • Benefits not features in communications ….. and programme that is relevant and engaging
Segmentation – infrequent attenders Lifestyle Lapsers Trophy-Hunters Passed me by Trip or treat Popular & unperturbed In search of.. Keen to share Knowledgeable Knowledgeable niche
Motivations • Socialising • Entertainment and fun • Treat, special occasion • Family time • Escape and relaxation • Learning and self improvement
Refining Messages
• Describe something you’ve seen recently • Describe something you did for the first time • What sorts of things are you talking about when you describe it?
Which message?
What do you want people to say about you? We deliver
Describing our offer - Features and benefits • Features = facts about your offer • Benefits = reasons why people will want it Feature Benefit Ballet performance Escape from everyday life Join a samba band Learn new skills Children’s art workshop Keep your children busy during the holidays • When writing copy ask yourself ‘which means that…’ From This way Up! Flat pack guide to marketing, available from AMA
Benefits led
Benefits led
How is it going to feel?
What audiences are looking for? • Experiences that provide • entertainment • relaxation • escape • socialising • learning • participation • inspiration • personal development
Exercise – make these features into benefits • Following its launch in Dublin, the exhibition goes on tour>>> • We are performing at The Cube, National University Ireland, Galway>>> • Tickets can be purchased by phone using all major credit/debit cards. Advance booking recommended>>> • Showing all films in High Definition on a screen that measures 3.6m x 2.74m. Sound is provided via a pair of 265 watt speakers and a suitably sized AMP >>>
AIDA • Make your message grab attention • Use key selling points to attract interest • Develop the promise with endorsements to inspire desire • Finish with a call to action • Build campaigns and messages around AIDA
The elevator pitch • Describe your event to a specified target audience in 3 sentences • Test it out on someone
Match the relevant benefits to your audience segments Segment Benefits Family and community Have fun focused Spend quality with family and friends Celebrate our local community
Messaging through images
Messaging through images
What a Google search gives you
Effective Information Exchange
Top Tips for venue relationships? • What would your top tips be? • Have a discussion about particular successes • Or where it has gone wrong (or you think it might go wrong)
My top tips • Think about the sizzle not just the sausage • Make venues/promoters feel special • Get in early on negotiations • Meet face to face • Show them what they have to sell • Get to know your audiences • Make it personal for audiences • Take audiences on a journey to action - AIDA • Seek out ambassadors and advocates • Contingency plan in advance
Top tips from the group • Keep connected year round with venues/promoters • Dialogue/conversations • Tell them about plans • Invite them to an event • Make suggestions • Visit face to face • Check out what else may be distracting a venue • Tailor messages for staff at venues • Provide video/audio • Take care to protect shared folders ie . thro’ dropbox
Implementing the Plan
The Marketing Mix • Product – everything about it • Place – from where to find out to the venue • Price - value • Promotion - communicating
Promotional tools - characteristics Broad reach Targeted Features Mass audience Individual High visibility High relevance Simple generic messages Targeted and detailed message Examples Outdoor media Direct mail Transport posters Social networking National newspaper ads Cost Relatively expensive Cost effective when aimed at the right group Results you Large number of people see your Fewer people see your message, can expect message but should be the right people High pubic profile Little impact on public profile Relatively low response rate Higher response rate Use them What you are promoting has a high You have an established when recognition factor eg star or well relationship that allows you known brand match their interests with your offer
Build a campaign • Different messages • Different types of communication channels • On and offline • Different locations • Different timings
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