Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

Are you saying that you need to create a marketing plan for the playhouse for an advertising class? Or are you just needing to prepare some promotional ideas?

If so, is the business real or ficitional?

What are the project requirements?

If you can answer those questions for me I can try to help

Are you looking to sell tickets, sponsorships, or other sources of revenue (performance classes, stage direction, rentals, etc.)?
Does the theatre solely perform plays written by minorities, a single minority, or for minorities?

Omaha, NE...great town. I went to school at Creighton.

There are two great organizations here in Minneapolis/St. Paul that follow a similar model, The Mixed Blood www.mixedblood.com and the Penumbra Theatre www.penumbratheatre.org. I would contact the Marketing Directors and asked them for some advice.

Strategically, it sounds like you want to get the word out about your group. Start from learning more from those who you already know, and if possible, learn a bit more. These folks could possibility be your evangelists. Do this by creating a bond, let donors and friends of your theater know the progress as you ramp up production through tools like Twitter and Facebooks (I think Fan/Brand pages are awesome). Both are great tools to help spread the word.

Create a Web site, if you have one, great. Online ordering is a plus! Share a page/email/social network, even better. You have an interactive space to help spread the word.

Work your free local weekly and theater critics. Build relationships with other local theaters. And, as for campaign to promote your season, you can work with a team to ads for print and online. It's all about budget at this point.

Finally, to better connect with Corporate folks, either for fundraising or staging specialty acts, think H.R. contacts who are looking for help with promoting diversity or combating discrimination issues in the work place. Offer group/corporate discounts. Omaha would be a good place for that, but it take time and a set of works that you can present to decision makers that will make the case.