With reopening somewhere on the horizon, it’s important for theatre companies to plan how to bring an audience back.

In this episode, we talk about the elements involved in building a personal brand. We then explore Seth Godin’s concept that marketing is storytelling, which is lying and how theatre companies can use that to reach the right audiences with their marketing.

Building a brand

Why do you want to build a brand? What’s the value of caring about your reputation, whether you’re an organization or a an individual? Why do you need to take steps in order to be invited at the table? Why can’t we just do the work and be recognized for that?

Building a brand is not just a sleazy endeavour, touted by douchy marketing bros. It’s about your desire to transform the world and your brand is an invitation to others who want to see that transformation to participate in the work that you do.

Plugging in to your audience’s story

While there is a need for us to step up to the plate and constantly advocate for our art form, effective marketing is not that. Good marketing is not about making the arguments for theatre as an art form, your brand or your play in particular. Good marketing is telling a story that fits within the story your audience is already telling themselves.

You don’t need to convince the exhausted parent who just wants to spend Friday night chilling on a couch with Netflix on TV and TikTok on their phone to give up their hopes for comfort and enjoy a night out. There’s a large audience out there who is looking for something new and exciting to do on a Friday night. Your marketing strategy is to meet people where they are instead of trying to convince them of something else. It’s the same when it comes to arts advocacy. The people you want to reach with your message are the ones who will effectively spread it for you.

Putting this together with your brand, the ongoing relationship is where you deliver that transformation that you and the audience are both looking for.

References

All Marketers Are Liars, Seth Godin