Kitchen Theatre Company - Media Plan Book by Ryan McGee

Fall 2013

MEDIA PLAN PRESENTED BY

OVERVIEW The Kitchen Theatre Company will be entering its 24th year of production next season. Started in 1991 by Ithaca College students Matt Tauber and Tim O’Brien, it serves as a home for determined artists. In 2008, the Theatre purchased its current space on West State Street in Ithaca. The improved and attractive facilities have earned them a LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council, meaning it is one of the few sustainable theatres. Recently in 2012, the Theatre became an equity theatre under the Small Professional Theatre contract, allowing them to access a wide range of talent for productions. The Theatre continues to grow as a heartwarming and energetic place to call “home” for many actors. Its 99-seat capacity makes each performance intimate. Support in the community is growing as well, bringing in season ticket subscribers as well as new customers to the various productions offered every year.

‘‘

Important conversations happen in the Kitchen.

Our media plan will get people talking.

Millennial Media, a group of five intellectuals, is honored to present a media plan for The Kitchen Theatre for their July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 fiscal year. With a budget of $35,000, we aim to attract women and men 1834 as well as people 55 and older. Our plan will provide insight and suggestions to help position the Theatre as a regional theatre beyond the Ithaca market. We will expand outreach and advertisements to surrounding areas, including Syracuse and Binghamton. Our tactics include online search engine optimization, social media advertisements, partnerships with businesses and regional theatres, radio spots, events, and emails. The variety of media vehicles will create local and regional buzz for the productions.

MARKETING OBJECTIVES

Gain local and regional buzz of the Theatre to position it as a regional theatre Entice theatre-goers from around the area to “discover” the Theatre and attend productions

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS

The Kitchen Theatre Company has various strengths that outshine their weaknesses. Among them include the various ticket options and deals customers can find when looking to attend a play. Deciding between a 6 or 8 play subscription package, a cheaper matinee show versus a more expensive opening night performance, or taking advantage of the Student Rush discount (only $15) allows prospective customers to choose the best option to satisfy their individual needs. The price of tickets (roughly $34) for a regular performance is reasonable for a play. Another major strength of the Theatre is the intimate performances. Because there are only 99 seats in the Theatre, all seats are good seats. Attendees really get to see the play directly in front of them as opposed to nosebleed seats in a larger venue. The environment is also very wholesome and personable. Rachel Lampert, the Artistic Director, thanks everyone after the show and makes an effort to get to know everyone who steps foot in the Theatre. The wide range of topics boasts well for the Theatre because there is something for everyone. People who want a heart-wrenching story about teenage cruelty would be interested in From White Plains whereas someone who likes comedies can check out Cock, for example. The story lines of each play are intriguing and get people thinking about deep topics. Sustainability plays a large role in Ithaca, so the LEED certification is an attractive feature of the Theatre as well. The plays featured are sure to include phenomenally talented actors and actresses because the Kitchen Theatre is an equity theatre. The shows, therefore, are comprised of professionals who capture the role they play.

WEAKNESSES

Some weaknesses the Kitchen Theatre face include the surrounding area’s lack of knowledge. This presents an opportunity to increase visibility through media. Because there is a small staff working on marketing and advertising with a small budget, that limits the amount of exposure possible. Another weakness is the sources of funding. As a not-for-profit theatre, they rely on grants and donations for roughly 60% of their incoming funds. That requires a lot of outreach and recruiting.

OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities for the Kitchen Theatre include the current funding options for other businesses. Companies have the option to co-produce, underwrite, or sponsor plays. They can also purchase corporate subscriptions, advertisements in the season program, or space rentals. If more businesses know about their opportunities to get involved in the Theatre, it can bode well for making money. An increased presence on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube will also attract a younger crowd, who can then buzz about the Theatre to their friends and family.

THREATS

Threats that pose an issue for the Kitchen Theatre include the stigma that it’s a local theatre because it’s based in Ithaca. People from out of town may believe they can get the same type of performance closer to home. Its competition includes Ithaca College and Cornell on-campus theatres, community groups that do readings and plays but don’t own their own space, the Hangar Theatre, State Theatre, movie theaters and any other type of entertainment that takes up peoples’ time.

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

- Ticket options - Intimate performances - Warm atmosphere - Wide range of topics for plays - Equity theatre - LEED certification

- Lack of knowledge about the Theatre in community - Small staff – maybe not enough hands focused on marketing/advertising - Relies on grant funding and donations for roughly 60% of income

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

- Funding/advertising for other companies - Increased social media presence

- Competitors - Local theatre stigma

BIG IDEA The big idea for our media campaign centers around our addition to The Kitchen Theatre’s current tagline - Important conversations happen in the Kitchen. We want to invite and entice new people to attend the productions throughout the year. Because people who see one show are likely to see another and spread the word, it is essential to get people hooked at least once. Our new tagline is “Join the conversation” to infer we want them to take action and get involved in the stories the plays tell. This will be evident on all promotional materials and in media outlets to ensure consistency of the campaign.

TARGET MARKET PRIMARY

After conducting research on MRI, we have identified two markets that should be the focus of the Kitchen Theatre’s marketing communications. Our primary target is men and women over the age of 55. We identified this group by researching the typical profile of theater goers. The Kitchen Theatre already has a fairly significant following among this group, but they are primarily from Ithaca, NY. We decided to expand this geographical target beyond Ithaca to all of Central New York, including Syracuse, Rochester, and Binghamton, in order to position the Kitchen Theatre as a reputable regional theater.

SECONDARY Our secondary target differs from the typical theater goer, but is a group unique to Ithaca and Central New York as a whole - men and women 1834. This group does rate above index for theater attendance and is highly concentrated in the region because of the presence of colleges and universities. Geographically, we will focus on this age demographic in the Ithaca area because of the group’s generally lower income and ability and willingness to travel. They can also serve as outlets of word-of-mouth advertising by telling their parents, friends, and classmates. By tapping into this group, the Kitchen Theatre can expand its audience and increase its ticket sales.

MARY ELLEN (58) AND BILL (61) Mary Ellen and Bill have been married for 30 years and have three children, all of whom have moved out of the house. Bill retired last year from a successful career as a lawyer. Mary Ellen works as a part-time reading specialist at an elementary school outside Rochester, NY. They live a comfortable life with fairly little concerns about money. While Mary Ellen and Bill spend little time watching television, they turn to print magazines and the internet for entertainment and news. In the car, they listen to the radio and especially enjoy NPR. They enjoy live performances and attend an event about every two months. Usually, they seek out live entertainment nearby in Rochester, but every so often travel for a particularly unique experience. They have been to the Kitchen Theatre once before, but don’t go often because they believe they can find the similar entertainment closer to home.

MEGAN (22) Megan is a senior art history major at Ithaca College. She is from Westchester, NY where she learned to appreciate Broadway theater, though it does not dominate her life. As a college student, Megan spends a lot of her time on the internet, both for school and entertainment, and is active on social media. Outside of classes, Megan seeks new experiences and frequently attends inexpensive concerts around Ithaca. Every so often, she attends a play on Ithaca College’s campus with her friends, but she has never been to a theater performance in Ithaca outside of student productions. Megan has heard of the Kitchen Theatre, but knows very little about it and has never looked into attending a performance.

MEDIA CHOICES EMAIL AND DIRECT MAIL We will utilize the online database information the Theatre currently has as well as those acquired from new customers. To build the database, we plan to have information cards at each performance and any event representatives from the Theatre attend. The perk to filling out a card is being entered in a raffle to win tickets to performances. Information gathered will be used to send emails and/or direct mail pieces if emails are not provided. They will be sent in July to introduce the entire 2014-2015 season, as well as before each play’s first performance and before special events. Additional emails can be sent as reminders. Our goal for using the database to communicate to current and prospective customers is to convert current ticket holders to subscribers and current prospects to customers. This will aid in getting buzz about the Theatre as the Theatre feeds the information via email or direct mail to contacts. Recipients may then share the information with their friends, family, and coworkers, among others. Because email is free and doesn’t take a lot of time, the small staff will be able to reach a lot of consumers with minimal work. Sample Direct Mail Piece

The 2014-2015 season offers

8 diverse plays View the schedule at

kitchentheatre.org Get your tickets now!

BUDGETING

Standard postcard – both sides colored – 4.25” x 6” Postage = $0.33 We estimate that a majority of ticket holders will have provided their email or will do so on comment cards. Direct mail will be used for people who don’t provide email but do provide their home address. Thus, we are allotting for 5,000 mail pieces for the year in our budget for a total of $1,650. Timeline of direct mail and emails: 1 week before each of the 8 plays + 2 special events + 1 before season introduction + 1 after season thank you = 12 mailings

Written by Lauren

MEDIA CHOICES BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS In Ithaca, there is a strong relationship between residents and local businesses. Therefore, strategically advertising the Kitchen Theatre in the local community would increase awareness and foster a positive brand image. First, we would like to ensure pamphlets are available at all nearby hotels, as those individuals are often tourists looking for entertainment. We will also seek reciprocal advertising placements in pamphlets for Finger Lakes Wine Trails, because the trails are a major draw for tourists. We will also increase exposure by distributing brochures and window clings to all cooperating local establishments. These will also increase regional and national awareness. We also want to practice creative, unusual placements in the community: for example, print discount coupons on Gimme! Coffee sleeves; this is an ideal placement for our target as people who will spend more money for quality coffee may have the expendable income to spend on theatre tickets. The Ithaca community is also passionate about eco-friendly, sustainable practices. Therefore, advertising on TCAT buses would not only spread local awareness, but reflect positively on the Kitchen Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan.

REGIONAL THEATER PARTNERSHIPS

Although Ithaca is a small city, it has a vibrant and bustling artist community and we intend to capitalize on this in our media plan. The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn is one of the most highly respected theaters in the Finger Lakes region. We would like to advertise in their playbills because we would have access to a captive audience of theatergoers. We will use a similar reciprocal advertising tactic with other theatres in the Ithaca region, such as the Hangar Theater, Ithaca College Theatre School, and the State Theater. At Cinemapolis, the local indie movie theatre, they post local advertisements before the movies begin. Cinemapolis draws educated culture-lovers for their thought-provoking films, which is a perfect target for our placements. Nearby, there are other artistic opportunities for media placements: in Corning, there is the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Art Museum. We will place ourselves in their pamphlets because our target audiences are similar. This will spread regional and national awareness, as both museums draw people from the across the country.

Written by Fran

MEDIA CHOICES ONLINE SEARCH Because both of the chosen target markets are very active online, internet and social media marketing are dominant pieces of the plan. Our online strategies will begin with basic search engine optimization. By tweaking keywords on the Kitchen Theatre’s website, it will appear more frequently in searches for theaters in Central New York. To further the Kitchen Theatre’s success in web searches, we will also capitalize on paid search. By bidding on common keywords used to find theaters in the region, the Kitchen Theatre will appear in more search results along with its regional theater competitors. Keywords will include “Ithaca theater,” “Auburn theater,” “Syracuse theater,” and other similar searches.

KEYWORDS

Ithaca Theater Syracuse Theater Auburn Theater Binghamton Theater Central New York Theater Rochester Theater Ithaca

REGIONAL EVENT WEBSITES

Syracuse Rochester Binghamton Auburn Ithaca Tourism Ithaca Entertainment

Syracuse.com VisitRochester.com VisitBinghamton.com AuburnPub.com VisitIthaca.com IthacaEvents.com

EVENT WEBSITES The Kitchen Theatre is currently featured on local event websites such as Ithaca Events and Visit Ithaca. To expand its reach regionally, the theater should also submit its events to similar websites in Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, Corning, and Elmira, like Syracuse.com, Visit Rochester, and Visit Binghamton. This will allow the Kitchen Theatre to capitalize on free services offered by cities in the region.

SOCIAL MEDIA Another free service the Kitchen Theatre already uses but could further benefit from is social media. Currently the theater has an active Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube channel. We suggest it use these more to engage directly with fans and and those seeking information about the Kitchen Theatre. Posting a video teaser of plays will entice consumers to purchase tickets to see it. To further promote its brand on social media, the Kitchen Theatre should buy sponsored pay-per-click posts on Facebook (see appendix for an example). These can be targeted based on users’ likes, followed pages, and location so money is only spent to reach the most qualified targets. Because the Kitchen Theatre has a very small marketing staff, it can be difficult to coordinate social media posts. We advise that the staff use Hootsuite, an online tool that allows organizations to create, plan ahead, and schedule automatic social media posts.

BUDGETING

Search - $2,079 for 189 days (21/show + 3 weeks in July) Social - $945 for 189 days (21/show + 3 weeks in July)

MEDIA CHOICES RADIO For radio, we are allotting a substantial amount of our budget, partially because it’s an expensive medium to utilize, but mostly because it has a huge potential reach within our target market. Using stations within Cayuga Radio Group and WICB, we will be able to reach a diverse group that’s highly localized. Through Cayuga Radio Group we will advertise on WHCU Talk Radio and the Vine 98.7. Our primary audience is the recently retired, 55 and up demographic who are seeking entertainment. Listeners of WHCU are typically 50 and older travelers who are financially well-off. These people are empty-nesters who have free time to go to the theatre regularly. WHCU has approximately 48,000 listeners, meaning that the CPM is only $1 on average. In addition to WHCU, we will place ads on Vine 98.7. This station caters to our secondary audience and is also substantially cheaper to buy time on. Listeners to the Vine are dual income domestic partners, young families and single people who are educated and either professionals or students living active lifestyles. They keep up with what’s trending and are environmentally conscious, which bodes well for the LEED-certified Kitchen Theatre. The median age of listeners on the Vine is 34, with high coverage of the 18-24 market. The Vine has an approximate listener base of 12,000 people, meaning the CPM is, roughly $0.83. Out of the scope of Cayuga Radio Group, we will buy underwriting announcements on WICB during the Best of Broadway show year-round. This show caters to an audience already interested in live action theatre and musicals. Listeners of this show are typically within the 55 and up audience and live within a 50 mile radius of Ithaca. Since the Kitchen Theater is a non-profit organization, they will receive a discounted rate for announcements at a cost of $7 per spot. Potential reach is 5,000 listeners with a total CPM of $1.40.

WHCU 10 drive time announcements per week, for 26 weeks VINE 10 drive time announcements per week, for 26 weeks WICB 2 Broadway announcements per week, for 52 weeks

26 x 10 x 45 = $11,700 26 x 10 x 8 = $2,080 52 x 2 x 7 = $730

SAMPLE RADIO SPOT

Since 1991, the Kitchen Theatre has provided broadway quality theater to the Ithaca area in an intimate setting. Located at 417 West State Street, and convenient to several dining establishments, plan your next date night or group outing and take advantage of special offers at partnering restaurants with your show’s ticket stub. Come to the Kitchen and join the conversation.

MEDIA CHOICES 1.

SPECIAL EVENT PROMOTIONS The Annual Great Downtown Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival October 2014 - Ithaca, NY

As for street fairs, this one is one of the most outstanding ones Ithaca has to offer. Apple Fest is full of family entertainment, games, rides, prizes and live performances on two stages. It is a great introduction to the rich farm and artist community of Ithaca. First time visitors can witness a variety of wonderful local entertainment while also visiting the historical outdoor pedestrian shopping mall, the Ithaca Commons. The pedestrian mall is the epicenter of the festival and the gateway to a nostalgic journey to harvest season. This would be a great way to reach an extensive market. Everyone in the town of Ithaca knows about Apple Fest and people travel from all over just to attend. Setting up a table at Apple Fest to promote the Kitchen Theatre is a great way to gain awareness of the company and what it has to offer. Handing out flyers and even having a pop-up performance at Apple Fest can show the community what the theatre is all about and gain a more diverse audience. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost anything to set up a booth. The only thing that would need to be obtained is a permit, which can be granted by the city of Ithaca.

Ithaca College and Cornell Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Departments of Performing Arts For over 70 years, the Ithaca College Department of Theatre Arts has drawn students from across the United States and around the world. The department is committed to attracting a diverse body of students, all of whom love live theatre. Cornell University just started a major in performing arts and theater and media. Both of these schools offer a wide variety of talented young performers that have a passion for theater and who are ideal outlets for buzz advertising. By utilizing the campus amenities and facilities, the Kitchen Theatre can host improv nights along with other interactions or seminars with the students to generate buzz within the college environment. Word-of-mouth marketing will stem from the experience students have with professionals from the Theatre. This strategy will reach our younger market of 18 to 22.

MEDIA CHOICES 3.

SPECIAL EVENT PROMOTIONS Ithaca Farmers Market The market itself offers farmers, artisans, bakers, food producers, townspeople and tourists the opportunity to come together in a relaxed social atmosphere to find all sorts of products grown and produced within a thirty mile radius of Ithaca. On Saturdays and Sundays, it is located on the waterfront at historic Steamboat Landing. Local products, including food and crafts, are sold beneath a covered pavilion built 24 years ago. Because of public demand, the market has expanded to three other locations within the City of Ithaca. This would be a great place as well to help the Kitchen Theatre gain buzz. The Farmers Market offers a relaxing atmosphere where people of all ages go to pick out fresh organic food or shop for crafts and homemade art. This is an ideal location for pop-up performances too as both the primary and secondary target markets frequent the Farmers Market on the weekends. Community locations like the Ithaca Farmers Market are great outlets where you can reach a high volume of the community and potentially gain more interest and buzz for the Kitchen Theatre.

The Annual Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off February 2015 - Ithaca, NY

The Annual Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off features chili prepared by approximately thirty restaurants as they compete for the titles of Best Meat/Overall Chili, Best Vegetarian, and People’s Choice Chili. The Chili Cook-off features a farmers market with vendors and local wineries, breweries, and farmers sampling their goods. All activities take place on the Commons and surrounding streets. There are other events that occur throughout the day, including the Chili Olympics, Hot Pepper Showdown, Chili ‘Stache Competition, and Chili Idol Karaoke. Like Apple Fest, this event is a well-known community event located in the heart of Ithaca. The Theatre can benefit from being present and offering information about the plays, whether that be through a performance of a current or past play or simply through information about the Theatre’s offerings.

7. 8.

SPECIAL EVENT PROMOTIONS Downtown Farmers Market The Syracuse Downtown Farmers Market takes place from June 11 to October 8, 2014 in Clinton Square. Presented by the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, the market features over fifty farmers and produce dealers selling seasonal vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, cheeses, baked goods, flowers, plants, handcrafted items, and more. Some weeks the market hosts live entertainment. This is similar to Ithaca’s Farmers Market where the consumers similarly engage in this communal activity. With the option for live entertainment, this market is a great spot to expose the Kitchen Theatre to the target audience.

Syracuse Jazz Fest 2014 This festival is packed with live music entertainment. It runs from Thursday, July 3, 2014 to Saturday, July 5, 2014 and is one of the largest free jazz festivals in the northeastern United States. It features music, food and craft selections. This is a great way to reach people outside Ithaca that are interested in the music and art industries. Since it’s free, the Kitchen Theatre could have a tent and use the space to hand out information about the Theatre and gain a vast number of potential customers.

Binghamton’s Annual July Fest July Fest is entering its 52nd annual event that occurs for three days in July. Fest goers enjoy quality arts and crafts, food, music, antique cars, and a Parlor City 5k run. To be part of the event, you just need to submit an application to showcase the Theatre.

Elmira Jazz Festival Elmira is celebrating its 8th annual Jazz Festival on August 17th 2014. The Festival has become one of the most anticipated events of Elmira’s summer season and is free to the public. Whether one simply relaxes and enjoys the music while sipping a drink, or dances on the streets with friends, it is the perfect setting for a memorable summer day. This festival is also a great place to host a pop-up performance or informational tent. The admission is free of cost so the only cost would be personal expenses for traveling and supplies to distribute.

MEDIA CHOICES LOW COST PROMOTIONAL IDEAS 1. 2. FILM

Create a promotional video of the plays to post on social media and your website.

Save on the printing expenses, call a local print shop and ask them to become a sponsor. Offer to place their logo on all printed material, give them verbal acknowledgements at curtain call, and place a link to their website on the online event page.

3. 4. 5.

WEBSITE

A simple, free Facebook event will do the trick if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to make individual play pages online.

CONTESTS

Contests offer a wide geographic reach that get prospective customers involved. Giving away tickets to performances will not only get them to see one performance, but they may see additional plays and bring friends.

As mentioned previously, email is a free way to contact customers. In MailChimp, you can build a campaign and send out your email blast at no cost.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT There are a variety of ways we will calculate return on investment. We will continue using the tracking system already in place. To further the accuracy and traceability of our campaigns, we will use a variety of codes that will differentiate which advertisements were most effective. For example, in the direct mail piece, the phone number extension featured will be exclusive for that campaign. Therefore, we can tell which users utilized the direct mail in their purchasing. Similarly, we will direct users to specific URLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on our Facebook so we can calculate which users were driven to the page using those materials. Facebook analytics will provide the number of people who clicked on our sponsored post, so we can see who engages with the message. Another strategy we will utilize is customer surveys. We will ask them what or who referred them to the Kitchen Theatre, as well as ask about their experiences with our advertisements. This will allow us to gain a better understanding of what draws customers in and how we can capitalize on this in the future.

MEDIA FLOWCHART

MEDIA EXPENDITURES BUDGET $35,000 Does not include creative costs

MILLENNIAL MEDIA Lauren Quigley lquigle2@ithaca.edu Chris Mastrosimone cmastro1@ithaca.edu Grace Erickson gericks1@ithaca.edu Ryan McGee rmcgee1@ithaca.edu Francesca Toscano ftoscan1@ithaca.edu

APPENDIX