Marketing Youth Theatre
Our cause marketing program for Scottsdale’s Desert Stages raised several hundred thousand dollars to support theatrical training for aspiring young actors. Creating this program was also deeply rewarding, on a personal level, because I have a deep belief that theatrical training can contribute a great deal toward helping youngsters grow into a happier, healthier and more productive future.
The Challenge
Scottsdale’s Desert Stages Theatre is an award-winning, non-profit performing arts center that strives to provide young actors with opportunities to explore their creative talents.
The theater’s marketing challenge came blazingly into view during 2016.
From May 2004 through year-end 2016, Desert Stages had occupied the modest (and inexpensive to operate) building pictured at right. Summer camp fees and show ticket revenue was sufficient to cover the relatively modest rent and other expenses. Then, everything changed.
During 2016, the theater moved to a much larger, more prestigious, and a great deal more expensive space located in Scottsdale’s Fashion Square mall and the topic of marketing community theatre became front and center.
The new space had previously been a multi-screen movie theater. Converting it into a performing arts center required extensive (and expensive) renovation and technology investments. Those investments were financed with a loan that, in concert with increased rent and operating expenses, created a pressing cash flow problem.
I was retained to develop a marketing strategy that would solve the cash flow problem.
Research
Research determined that the existing level of debt would make winning additional grant funding unlikely. It was also apparent that the previous year’s aggressive donation campaign had reached and then exceeded the limits of donor compassion.
Based on these findings, we determined that we would have to increase cash flow the old fashioned way . . . by earning it. Fortunately, there was great potential to do that through developing a number of nonprofit marketing marriages.
Strategy
The theater’s new Fashion Square location was adjacent to a food court which is visited by several million upscale shoppers on an annual basis. We needed to reach those shoppers and attract their attention. In addition, the Scottsdale community is home to an extensive entertainment-seeking population. We likewise needed to attract local entertainment consumers’ attention.
Responding to these opportunities, we developed a marketing and fundraising strategy centered on:
- Maximizing visibility on the JumboTron digital display that revolved above the food court through a pro bono marketing marriage with the shopping center’s landlord.
- Creating a robust revenue-generating show ticket marketing website through a nonprofit marketing marriage with Google . . . a donation of up to $120,000 per year in Google search ad advertising.
- Integrating ticket sales records into a database and e-blast promotional system.
- Creating a nonprofit marketing marriage with a local public relations firm, and
- Entering into nonprofit marketing marriages with the a number of Fashion Square retailers and restaurants.
Results
During the first year, our new approach to marketing community theatre:
- We took full advantage of a Google Ad Grant to increase online ticket revenue, from a 5% share of total sales, to more than 50%
- We produced newly found show ticket revenue of $530,182.
- We produced $182,500 in revenue from Youth Theatrical Training.
The annual Gala fundraising event also benefited from extensive website, Google Ad and email promotion with year-to-year gala revenue growth of more than 30%.
Marketing the youth theatre at Scottsdale’s Desert Stages was a lot of fun.
Read more about Nonprofit Marketing Marriages and taking advantage of Google Ad Grants.
