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Wed, January 21, 2009
Over the past quarter, we ran a survey online that aimed to dive deeper into theatergoers’ behavior and preferences online. While there is a lot of information we took from the research, I pulled out two specific focuses of the research that I think many of you would find interesting. The first bit of information surrounds social networking and usage by website and age group. In short, is it just younger audiences connecting through social networks and which social network do they actually prefer – MySpace or Facebook? The second bit of information is on text messaging usage by age group. The real issue we were trying to understand here was do older audiences feel comfortable text messaging.
Before I share the data, here are a few important points about the survey. We had a little over 1,250 surveys completed in full. We offered no incentive for those to complete it and it ran across a variety of Broadway show websites along with email lists to past ticket buyers. The surveys were completed in October through December of 2008.
Onward with the information…
Social Networking Usage of Theatergoers
The first bit of research I wanted to share was some information we learned on the social networking front. Social networking, particularly Facebook, is a very hot topic right now and will continue to be over the next year. So, we wanted to dive in and see what actual ticket buyers are doing in the social networking space.
When we asked the 1,250 folks, “Are you part of a social networking website such as MySpace or Facebook?”, 45.3% answered “Yes” while 54.7% said “No.” Interesting, huh? Well, let’s make it a lot more interesting by looking at the age breakdown by usage.
Social Networking Usage by Age
18-24 years old (95.3%)
25-34 years old (71.1%)
35-44 years old (48%)
45-54 years old (30.5%)
55-64 years old (21%)
So, before I continue, let’s keep in mind that these percentages are most likely higher than the ‘average person’ because these people are completing the survey online (meaning they are more online savvy to begin with). With that being said, these numbers pretty much paint a direct correlation by age and usage of social networks. No major surprise to me here – but, the big question you must ask yourself is if the usage percents are high enough to justify you using investing in participating in the social nets in a way that justifies the expense. When I say expense, I mean the time, commitment and actual costs that are required to have a meaningful presence.
Finally, one more bit of research that I think you’ll find interesting on this topic. When asked which social network that they used, a whopping 83.4% said Facebook with MySpace coming in a far second at 37.6%. There was nothing even close after that and we listed at least another ten so-called popular social networking platforms.
Beware of the hype surrounding social networking – it’s the Wild West right now as there are a lot of false promises and, quite frankly, ‘scare tactics’ that your brand needs to be on Facebook. The reality is, your marketing plan and goals will determine that – not hype. Know “the what” you are getting into first and fully understand “the why” before jumping in – I’ve seen it backfire in a bad way if you don’t.
Text Messaging Usage of Theatergoers
You know my stance on mobile marketing, so I couldn’t possibly offer up some research that didn’t include data on mobile marketing. When asked, “Other than making phone calls, which of the following do you use your cell phone for?” take a look at the % of respondents by age that say they use their phone for text messaging.
Text Messaging Usage By Age
18-24 years old (92.3%)
25-34 years old (84.9%)
35-44 years old (81.3%)
45-54 years old (69.5%)
55-64 years old (52.4%)
So, it’s not just kids text messaging. The bigger question here is which mobile marketing concept/application makes the most sense for which age group. I have my hunches here based on campaign performance we’ve been seeing as of late, but want to do more research to try and support those hunches.
I hope you found this helpful. There was a lot of other interesting information we have from the survey which we will be talking about in client meetings over the coming weeks. We will have (what I think will be) even more interesting data to share next quarter as we expand our research efforts. If there are specific issues or research you would like to see from us, please don’t hesitate to send me a note. Your feedback is helpful.
Sun, August 31, 2008
Quick reminder - if you are a show selling your tickets through Telecharge, make sure you are participating in the College Tix program. As of right now, NYU, Columbia and Baruch students are participating in the program - there is no cost to participate, you simply need to offer a price point somewhere around $25 - $35 per ticket which are sold like a regular discount code. There are numerous safe guards in place to help prevent the code from being used by anyone other than students and, to date, the program has already sold over 2,000 tickets for Broadway. So, if you're not on it - now is the time as there will be a lot of on-campus advertising that the early bird participators will benefit from most.
Mon, June 12, 2006
As stated on numerous occasions, we are not crazy about the 'movie' and 'theater' industry analogies. When you really think about it, it's comparing apples to oranges.
With that said, they do spend boat loads of money and are always trying new things on the web. We found this article that talks about some recent campaigns and what they feel is working and what is not.
Click here to read more.
Thu, May 25, 2006
Publicity is one of the key drivers to Broadway ticket sales. Good press could equate to big sales. Bad press could be devastating.
Elements from your overall publicity live in Google, get spread through blogs, run on syndication networks and are ultimately read by millions. They are talked about on message boards, chat rooms and make their way into every day ‘word-of-mouth’.
With all of these opportunities and threats for public relations that have been enhanced by the Internet, we decided to check with some of the industry experts to get their take on the market.
We sat down with Chris Boneau of Boneau Bryan Brown public relations to get his thoughts on a few topics.
Click here to read the interview.
Wed, May 24, 2006
Publicity is one of the true market drivers for Broadway sales.
Variety and The New York Times have been two primary resources for covering both the art and business of Broadway. To the Broadway community, their coverage has an incredible impact on our business for better or worse. Furthermore, it’s clear that the Internet has changed the playing field and we believe further increased the importance of their role in the survival of a Broadway show.
First, their coverage no longer just hits their print readers. Stories in both of the journals now hit online and spread virally to readers across the globe. Second, their coverage is no longer a one shot deal. The stories are archived and available at any time.
We were fortunate enough to chat with Gordon Cox of Variety to discuss his take on reporting in the digital age.
Click here to read the complete interview.
Wed, January 25, 2006
Here is an interesting article from The New York Times about a recent "Word-of-Mouth Association" conference. It talks about the emergence of a word-of-mouth marketing industry and how companies are beginning to think more strategically about using it in their marketing plans.
When I read this article in The New York Times, I actually found it amusing. I would bet $50 that they recruited attendees to their conference via direct mail and advertising in print publications. Go figure.
The question is, "Can you buy word-of-mouth"?
Can the theatre world effectively put in place a marketing strategy for word-of-mouth that has a serious effect on sales? Is putting $500,000 into a buzz marketing campaign better than putting $500,000 back into the production to make the show more enjoyable to the customer? We wish we had the answer to that.
Click here to read the story.
Thu, December 01, 2005
So, your production is on GMA or the Today Show. We watch ticket sales closely but what about the "chatter" or "buzz" that comes from that television appearance? It's easy to watch short-term ticket sales but gauging word-of-mouth is much trickier.
Well, a new online "word of mouth" measurement vehicle is looking to tackle this issue. Their pilot program will begin testing the top 30 network prime time programs.
We can only hope that this kind of research is made available to the theatre biz.
Click here to read more.
Wed, October 05, 2005
Related Topics : Blogs, Buzz
How do you get your fans blogging about your production? How can you jumpstart the word-of-mouth online?
To answer these questions, it's important to understand the mindset of a blogger. Many people think of bloggers as reporters. While I think it's a fair comparison, it's not necessarily accurate considering most blog out of their desire to write, not as their job description.
Consider this.
"Nearly half of bloggers post personal accounts and journals rather than news, politics and gossip."
The question becomes how do you make your production seem applicable to their personal lives.
Click here to read more.
Tue, October 04, 2005
Simply stated, according to a new research study, the answer is public relations.
While it may not be 'fair' to compare advertising and public relations, it does look at the fundamental question of how you generate buzz around your production.
Is it more cost-effective (or simply effective) to do it through advertising or through a press release? In this study, they tested an online advertising campaign against a press release and found the bottom line in generating traffic with PR was 21.4 to 56.3 percent cheaper than online advertising.
Score one for Broadway's publicity groups.
Click here to read the complete story.
Mon, October 03, 2005
Termed CGM, or consumer-generated media, it is already having an effect on many of your productions.
Simply stated, CGM is comprised of message boards, chat room and other places online where people voice their opinions on products and services. Think NYTimes.com fan reviews or Amazon.com's user reviews.
So, how does this effect theater marketers?
Well, a new study found that "active ad skippers" -- people who, with or without DVRs, reported deliberately skipping over ads on TV -- were 25 percent more likely to participate in Internet message boards, forums and blogs.
In short, it is essential to keep a close eye on your production's buzz online. People bypassing your advertising messages are looking elsewhere to make their decision on whether or not to see your production.
Click here to read the complete story.
Sun, October 02, 2005
Can you buy good word-of-mouth?
- One third of consumers said they'd be disappointed if a trusted contact failed to disclose that he or she received incentives to recommend a particular product.
- Twenty-six percent said they'd never trust that friend again, and 30 percent said they'd be so turned off that they'd shun the product or service.
(Study by Intelliseek/August survey of 660 online consumers. )
Sat, September 24, 2005
So, you read a rave or a rant about your production on some random blog? What effect does that really have?
Well, the answer varies, but it's safe to say that a large portion of your non-traditional theater base may be formulating their opinion about your production outside of the traditional media outlets.
Think of the young professional, which is a highly sought after market and tough to reach.
Do you think they are more influenced by a Ben Brantley review or by a positive or negative post on Gawker? Hmmm.
The blog market has exploded and, while over hyped, is a force to be reckoned with. With RSS fees making their content even more viral, we need to keep a very close eye on this market to help shape positive word of mouth.
Click here to read an interesting article on the blogging world.
Mon, July 18, 2005
What are the effects of online chatter?
We all visit Talkin' Broadway, Broadway World and other chat boards to hear the buzz on shows. Does the positive or negative chatter really lead to an effect on ticket sales?
It's a tough question to answer.
What really can't be denied is that online chatter is on the rise and "we," as an industry, need to keep a closer eye on it. Take a look at this very interesting article by Idil Cakim from Burson-Marsteller USA that looks deeper into online chatter and the effects of blogs.
Click here for the complete story.
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