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Variety: "How exactly did 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' get beached? Among the deluge of theories flooding the Rialto since word of the abrupt closing leaked out, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the show's marketing."
Marketing and advertisment is what I consider to be one of the most important parts of theater. Without getting the right information out you cannot get word out about your show.
It seems that marketing along with other things killed this show. Not only did it lack a "star" it lacked a powerful playwright like simon that seems to be out of place now with modern audiences.
Poor marketing and advertisments- one of which is posted on the third floor of the prunell centers- shows the pastel colors and taglines that just arent funny. Maybe a stronger ad like that of August Osage County that shows depth and darkness could have provided a better boast for Beach.
No matter the type of entertainment, there will always be a large part of your audience that finds out about you from something other than your primary advertising method.
If you are doing the same thing in the same place for many years then word of mouth can carry you through marketing mishaps, but when you gamble on all of your advertising through a single outlet and it's not a successful campaign then there's very little left to get people into the seats.
Bryce, I would have to disagree with you in terms of Simon. The most frequently produced show last year in the state of Ohio was 'The Odd Couple.' That seems like a really pointless stat, but I still don't think it's Simon's name necessarily...you also have to wonder about the surrounding circumstances of this show. I mean...it's opening collided with Jude Law playing Hamlet, and big budget musicals like Billy Elliot and Hair that are dishing out great reviews. If I go to New York and have the option of seeing one show...Simon just seems to be a little dull in comparison...especially when you bring up your point about the advertisement, which I completely agree with. The advertisement for that show did not show off the show's fun elements at all. Advertisement isn't something I completely understand...but I can't say it isn't effective. For instance, when I knew nothing about A Chorus Line, I saw a billboard for the revival some years back, and I automatically thought, 'I want to see that show.' I suppose that is the ultimate goal of good advertisement design...to hook your audience in even when they know nothing about the show. Brighton's design was definitely not as fun as it should have been, considering the show is hysterical.
I think the article really hits the nail on the head when it points out that bold, simple, iconic images are the best advertisments for Broadway shows. They are simple as they want to be, but also mysterious in a way. They always make me want to know more. I wouldn't want to spend money on something with a dreary ad, especially if it says that it's a comedy. Another thing that really seems to not work is giving out of context lines, because that takes away some the mystery of it all. It's very much like a trailer for a movie that shows all the best parts of the movie, but in a different sense. It just takes away part of the expectation of what you go see it for.
The early closing of Brighton Beach Memoirs just goes to show how important good advertising is to the success of a production. You could have the greatest new show in the world, with a stunning design, and fantastic performers, but in the end, if you don't let people know that it is there to be viewed, no one will go see it. And it's not enough to just spread the word around. Potential audiences respond best to ads that are intriguing and iconic, ads that they will remember after one look, and then see a million times over in newspapers, magazines, etc. Repetition of an iconic advertising design is the key to get audiences into the theater.
5 comments:
Marketing and advertisment is what I consider to be one of the most important parts of theater. Without getting the right information out you cannot get word out about your show.
It seems that marketing along with other things killed this show. Not only did it lack a "star" it lacked a powerful playwright like simon that seems to be out of place now with modern audiences.
Poor marketing and advertisments- one of which is posted on the third floor of the prunell centers- shows the pastel colors and taglines that just arent funny. Maybe a stronger ad like that of August Osage County that shows depth and darkness could have provided a better boast for Beach.
No matter the type of entertainment, there will always be a large part of your audience that finds out about you from something other than your primary advertising method.
If you are doing the same thing in the same place for many years then word of mouth can carry you through marketing mishaps, but when you gamble on all of your advertising through a single outlet and it's not a successful campaign then there's very little left to get people into the seats.
Bryce, I would have to disagree with you in terms of Simon. The most frequently produced show last year in the state of Ohio was 'The Odd Couple.' That seems like a really pointless stat, but I still don't think it's Simon's name necessarily...you also have to wonder about the surrounding circumstances of this show. I mean...it's opening collided with Jude Law playing Hamlet, and big budget musicals like Billy Elliot and Hair that are dishing out great reviews. If I go to New York and have the option of seeing one show...Simon just seems to be a little dull in comparison...especially when you bring up your point about the advertisement, which I completely agree with. The advertisement for that show did not show off the show's fun elements at all. Advertisement isn't something I completely understand...but I can't say it isn't effective. For instance, when I knew nothing about A Chorus Line, I saw a billboard for the revival some years back, and I automatically thought, 'I want to see that show.' I suppose that is the ultimate goal of good advertisement design...to hook your audience in even when they know nothing about the show. Brighton's design was definitely not as fun as it should have been, considering the show is hysterical.
I think the article really hits the nail on the head when it points out that bold, simple, iconic images are the best advertisments for Broadway shows. They are simple as they want to be, but also mysterious in a way. They always make me want to know more. I wouldn't want to spend money on something with a dreary ad, especially if it says that it's a comedy. Another thing that really seems to not work is giving out of context lines, because that takes away some the mystery of it all. It's very much like a trailer for a movie that shows all the best parts of the movie, but in a different sense. It just takes away part of the expectation of what you go see it for.
The early closing of Brighton Beach Memoirs just goes to show how important good advertising is to the success of a production. You could have the greatest new show in the world, with a stunning design, and fantastic performers, but in the end, if you don't let people know that it is there to be viewed, no one will go see it. And it's not enough to just spread the word around. Potential audiences respond best to ads that are intriguing and iconic, ads that they will remember after one look, and then see a million times over in newspapers, magazines, etc. Repetition of an iconic advertising design is the key to get audiences into the theater.
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