The following is a Marketing Plan compiled as an assignment for Audience Development, Drexel University, Fall 2012.

This plan was NOT used by the Levoy Theatre.

December 11,2012

ScottArmato

Contents
OrganizationalOverview ............................................................................................................................... 1 SituationAnalysis..........................................................................................................................................3 Survey ............................................................................................................................................................6 AudiencesandStrategies.............................................................................................................................. 8 Families.....................................................................................................................................................8 AfricanAmericans...................................................................................................................................11 YoungerProfessionals............................................................................................................................. 14 Strategiesnottiedtoaspecificaudienceoroutcome........................................................................... 17

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Organizational Overview
Mission Statement Summary
The Levoy Theatre Preservation society is committed to reviving and continued operation of the Levoy Theatre as a performing, screen arts and educational center serving Southern New Jersey. The mission of the Levoy is to serve as an economic, educational, cultural and entertainment cata lyst for the people of Millville and greater South Jersey. The mission further mentions historic in terpretation and culturally diverse programming, and encourages people of all economic levels tocelebratetherichhistoryofthebuilding.

Current products
The current products of the Levoy include performing arts offerings and films. These include four shows produced by their resident company, The Off Broad Street Players (OBSP), numerous touring acts,filmsshowninconjunctionwiththeJewishFilmFestival,andKidsProgramming.KidsActivi ties and Educational Programming are planned. Ticket packages are available for OBSP produc tions,theJewishFilmFestival,andKidsProgramming.Aseasonsubscriptionhasrecentlybeenadd ed. There are references to a Family Series on the website, but it is unclear as to whether this re ferstotheKidsProgrammingorifitisaplannedseparateseries.ThroughMarch,Iseeonlytwoacts thataregearedtowardAfricanAmericansandnonegearedtowardHispanics.

Pricing Methods
For touring acts, there are three pricing levels: Premium, Select, and Choice. The prices for these vary according to act: eg. John Oates $43/$38/$33, Four Bitchin Babes $32.50/$26.50/$26.50. The films in the Jewish Film Festival are priced $8 per film, with flex passes starting at $15 for two films, increasing $5 for each additional film. OBSPs productions are priced at $20 for adults/$14 for Sen iors (62+) and Students (<18). Kids Programming also varies per offering, though generally less ex pensive than the other touring acts. A price range is given for these tickets, though only the lower price is available online. Pricing for OBSP packages vary according to which night (Friday, Saturday, orSunday)yourpurchase,startingata15%savings.PackagesfortheKidsSeriesvariesaccordingto the time of the show (morning vs. afternoon), starting at $48. The season subscription package is priced at $1250 for one and $2200 for two. I do not see a pricing structure specifically geared to ward encouraging people of all economic levels to participate. Parking is free in both onstreet andsurfacelotparking,usuallywithinoneblockofthetheater.

Place
TheLevoy Theaterhasalongandrichhistory.Aftersittingabandonedforover 30yearsand suffer ing a significant collapse of the structure two years ago, it has been rebuilt from the ground up into a stateoftheart 638seat theater at the center of the Glasstown Arts District in Millville, NJ. The theater is ADAaccessible with ramps and curb cutins, accessible counters and bathrooms, and ele vator accessto the balcony level. There are severalwheelchair seats available throughout the audi torium,andsomeseatsareequippedwithremovablearmrests.Assistivelisteningdevicesareavail able free of charge, and sign language and opencaptioning are available with sufficient notice.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |2 The Box Office is open 10am 6pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. There is an informational website at www.levoy.net with a fullyfunctional virtual box office provid edbyeTix.

Promotional Strategy
The website at www.levoy.net is informative. Their Facebook account is active and they update it frequently, though tending to post late at night. There is an email list; although Im on it and have yet to receive an email. I could not locate a place to submit my address for a physical mailing list. TheydonotyethaveapaidMarketingDirectoronstaff,andtendtorelyonthegoodwillofthelocal paper,theDailyJournal,andwordofmouth.

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Situation Analysis
Strengths 1. New.NoveltyFactor. 2. WellrespectedAD(artisti cally) 3. OBSPtraditionofexcel lence 4. Communitysupport 5. Theunknown 6. Location 7. Strongfamilyofferings 8. Wellrecognizedtouring acts Strengths/Opportunities 1. Dosomethingnew.Be somethingdifferent.Cre ateabrandthatspeaksto excellenceandinnovation. 2. Bignameson3rdFridays 3. Moreculturallydiverseof ferings 4. DinnerandaShowpackag es 5. Morechoiceinfamily packages 6. Moreculturallydiverse familyofferings Strengths/Threats 1. Connectwithcommuni ty:createabuddysys tem 2. Connectwithschools: postercontests,artcon tests,tieins 3. Classesandworkshops 4. Communitynights 5. Programmingthatap pealstoJoeNascar 6. HaveaMikeTroutDay" 7. Thenoveltyfactorwill wearoff 1. 2. 3. Weaknesses Numerousmisstepsalong theway CommunitytiredofLevoy news Producingcrowdpleas ers/undifferentiated product ADcheckeredpast Unstructuredmarketing

4. 5.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Opportunities Untappedmarketactual theatre Minoreconomicupturn Desireforescapism Needforculture Artsdistrict/3rdFridays Culturallydiversecommu nity Activefamilies

Weaknesses/Opportunities 1. Differentiateproduct 2. Guestdirectors 3. Createarealconnection withtheartsdistrict. Highlightadifferentphysi calartisteachmonth. 4. HireafulltimeEDwith marketingexperience 5. Raisethelevelofdiscourse inCumberlandCounty

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Threats AppelFarm/Landis,FPAC twostrongcompetitors Disinterestedcommunity Economystillflagging MotorsportsPark Highpovertyrate,lowin comelevels Loweducationlevels

Weaknesses/Threats 1. AppelFarmandFPAChave STRONGmarketing 2. Withtheextendedcom munityindifferenttothea tre,misstepsresonate. Rebrandgradually.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |4 The Levoy Theaters situation is both dire and rife with potential. While there are strong threats and weaknesses working against them, there are tremendous opportunities that play directly into their strengths.Thekeytotheirsuccesswillbemarketingtowardthoseopportunities. Perhapsitsstrongestandmostobviousstrengthisthatitsnew.Inthesefirstfewmonthstoayearthat theyre open, most business will be driven by the fact that its a new experience for the people of Mill ville. However, the curiosity factor will eventually wear thin. At some point, theyre going to need pro grammingthatwillkeeptheaudiencecomingback. Another strength is the wellrespected Artistic Director of OBSP, their inhouse production company. Walter Webster has been producing excellent work in this area for about as long as I can remember. While I was in high school, he was the director of Sacred Heart High Schools drama program in nearby Vineland for an underfunded parochial school, their shows were always the best in the area. Howev er, Mr. Webster did get himself into quite a bit of trouble there, causing a hasty exit from Sacred Heart, woundedheartsandegos,andareputationthatturnsoffsomeperformers. The Levoy has tremendous community support. The Levoys story is the story of the American Down town: it had remained closed since 1976, and, as Downtown Revitalization became a buzzword in the early 90s, momentum began to build for its refurbishment. Money was raised, work began three years ago, and the building collapsed shortly thereafter. For several months, it existed as a fencedin hole in thegroundonHighStreet. Since then, its been rebuilt as a stateoftheart performing arts facility, yet its opening has been plaguedwithmissteps.Theproductionmeanttoopenthebuilding,TheMusicMan,beganrehearsalsat a separate facility well before the building was ready. Opening night approached, and the official word from the Levoy was that everything would be ready. Needless to say, the theater had no chance of be ing ready opening night, but the official announcement that The Music Man would be playing at a local school didnt come from the theater until the day of opening. It is this amateurish handling of public relations that will end up being its death. If the Levoy is going to be front page in the Daily Journal, it needstobeforpositivereasons. However,sinceitsopening,theLevoyhaslandedsomestrongacts.JohnOates(ofHallandOates)plays this weekend. Theyve had Rusted Root and Jars of Clay. Theyre getting the acts they need at the mo ment;thatmomentumneedstocarrythroughtherestofitsexistence. Theopportunitiesthatexistinthismarketareworthyofexploration.Thebiggestopportunityistheun tapped market in the area: while there are four other theatres in the Cumberland County area, they all have the tendency to produce much the same product. They tend to play it safe, producing crowd pleasersandcashcowswithoutthepossibilitytooffend.TheLevoycoulddistanceitselffromthepack by producing lesserknown works. Im certainly not suggesting they do so exclusively; however, a bal ancebetweenthetwocouldbringinanuntappedaudience. FurtheruntappedmarketsexistwithintheminoritycommunitiesinCumberlandCounty.Therearevery few performing artistic and entertainment venues for AfricanAmericans and Hispanics in the county;

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |5 though together they comprise over 50% of the population. Strategies must be in place to capitalize upon these markets, with culturallyfocused programs designed to tap the diverse ethnic groups living withinCumberlandCounty. Another huge opportunity is its location within the Glasstown Arts District. Millville is home to several artgalleries,restaurants,coffeeshops,andbarswithintheGAD,andtheirThirdFridaycelebrationstyp ically drive quite a bit of business. Scheduling big names those nights like John Oates this coming weekendwilladdtothecontinuedsuccessoftheGAD. There are substantial threats to the Levoy. As I alluded to earlier, there is tremendous competition in the market. Cumberland County is the poorest and leasteducated county in the state. A large portion ofthepopulationistraditionallydisinterestedintheatre.However,witheverythingtheLevoyhasgoing for it, I dont believe these threats should mean its inherent demise. I have several strategies that will helpbringthisvariegatedaudiencethroughitsdoors. The confluence of weaknesses and threats is the most frightening. Both Appel Farm and the FPAC at Cumberland County College have excellent marketing departments; the Levoy is going to be outflanked inthisregard.ManyofthestrategiesIveoutlined thusfarwillbecompletely uselesswithouttheprop ermarketing.Strongleadershipisnecessarytoavoidthepitfallsthathaveplaguedtheorganizationthe pastfewyears.

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Survey
Research Objective
IstheLevoyTheaterproperlytargetingAfricanAmericanaudiences?Istheirprogrammingsufficient to reach this audience? Are they marketing their AfricanAmericangeared offerings in the proper venues?

Target Sample
With over 20% of the population in Cumberland County, AfricanAmericans are a significant portion of the Levoys possible audience. Targeting those above the median income range is an important stepinthegrowthoftheLevoy.Thistargetaudienceisinalaterlifestage,withperhapseitherold er children at home, children who have left home, or childless couples. AfricanAmericans tend to specifically respond to offerings perceived as being for them. They prize offerings that highlight theirrichheritageandculture,particularlyplacingahighpremiumonfamilyandfaith.Offeringsin corporatingtheseidealshavethetendencytodowell.

Survey Questions
1) Howdoyoukeepinformedofactivitiesinthearea?(Chooseallthatapply.) g. Facebook a. TheDailyJournal h. Levoy.net b. ThePressofAtlanticCity c. CumberlandCountyReminder i. NJ.com d. TheGrapevine j. WordofMouth k. Other(Specify:_________________________) e. BridgetonNews f. Email 2) Whatradiostationdoyoulistentomostoften? a. ____________________________________ 3) Howfrequentlydoyouexperiencealiveperformance? a. Lessfrequentlythanyearly b. Onceayear c. Twiceayear d. Onceeverythreemonths e. Onceamonth f. Morethanmonthly 4) Whattypesofliveperformancesdoyoutypicallyattend? a. Concerts b. Plays c. Musicals d. Danceperformances e. Other(PleaseSpecify:_____________________________________________)

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |7 5) Whatisyourfavoritegenreofmusic? a. Classical b. Christian/Religious c. Country d. Folk e. HipHop f. Jazz 6) Whattypesofmoviesdoyouenjoy? a. Dramas b. Comedies c. Biopics d. RomanticComedies g. h. i. j. k. l. Pop R&B Rap Rock Reggae Other(Specify:__________________________)

e. Action f. Horror g. ScienceFiction

7) InthetimetheLevoyhasbeenopenforbusiness,howmanyprogramshaveyouattended? a. 0 d. 3 b. 1 e. 4 f. 5ormore c. 2 8) HaveyouexperiencedanyoftheOffBroadStreetPlayersperformances,eitherattheLevoy TheaterinMillvilleorelsewhere? a. Yes b. No c. NotSure 9) Howstronglydoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement:TheLevoyTheaterisforme.? a. Stronglydisagree b. Disagree c. NeitherAgreenorDisagree d. Agree e. StronglyAgree

Implementation
Thissurveywillbeimplementedpersontoperson,strictlytargetingAfricanAmericans,inheavily traffickedareasthroughoutCumberlandCounty.Shoppingareas(CumberlandMall,grocerystores, etc.)andcitiesdowntownareasshouldbetargeted.

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Audiences and Strategies

Families
The families in this target audience have one or more parents raising at least one child in the 216 age range. As the average household size in Cumberland County is 2.84 (higher than the rest of the state), in all likelihood there are large families in the area looking for activities appropriate for chil dren. Targeting families making at least the median household income $50,651 would be most beneficial. When deciding on an arts offering, parents tend to judge both the offering and the ven ue, exhibiting a certain amount of brand loyalty to a venue they find particularly accommodating to the needs of them and their children. They also respond to offerings that both fit their busy sched uleandwontkeepthechildrenouttoolate.Budgetaryconcernsarealsohighwiththistargetmar ket raising children is expensive enough without the added strain on the budget found when tak ing them to the theater every week. Furthermore, parents are always looking for ways to get their children out of the house without the need for their supervision: the ability to drop them off some whereandpickthemupatalatertime. Benefits offered The Levoy has several offerings throughout the year that appeal to this market. They have six spe cific performances throughout the season geared toward families with children in this age bracket. The pricing of these offerings are generally within the budget of a family in the defined income range,andfurthersavingsareavailablewiththepurchaseofafamilypackage. Objective Increaseparticipationinfamilyofferingsby25%overthenexttwoyears. Strategies Create more flexibility in the offered Family packages The family packages force parents to schedule their children months in advance. Parents find this problematic, as childrens schedules are apt to change at a moments notice. Between soccer prac tice, ballet lessons, music schedules and the like, parents are wary about paying for something theyrenotsuretheylluse. Ifthesubscriptionsweresetupsuchthataparentcouldpayaflatpriceandchoosefourshowsover the course of a season, more parents would be apt to purchase. Once the parents have purchased this subscription, send out emailed reminders in the weeks before the family offerings to remind themtousetheirsubscriptioniftheyreable. A direct mail piece, targeting the families in a 20mile or so radius of the theatre, would be quite successfulinmarketingthisprogram.Levoy.netshouldalsobeusedinpromotingthispackage. Make the building more welcoming for children The Levoy Theater has been beautifully and classically renovated, though it might not be the first place kids think of when they want to have fun. If the family offerings were accompanied by filling the lobby with balloons, for example, or hiring a clown or a magician basically giving the theater

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |9 moreofacircuslikeatmospheretheexperiencewillstaywiththechildrenlonger.Theydlearnto associate the Levoy with more than just seeing a show: theyd begin to see it as a fun place to be, thusnaggingtheirparentstogomorefrequentlyandcreatinglifelongpatronsoftheatre. This is something that doesnt necessarily have to be marketed on its own. A line in the direct mail piece, a line on the website, not much more: perhaps a short reminder to parents to give them selves some extra time. This aspect isnt primarily a selling point to the parents: this is exclusively forthekids. Childrens activities Classes and workshops geared toward both younger and older children would be wise: these are fantastic income generators. Perhaps a Mommy and Me theatre class for younger children and their performanceoriented parents would be wise, with more involved workshops for the older children. MusicTheatreInternational(MTI)hasaseriesofJuniorshows,appropriateformiddleschooland high schoolaged children. They also have a series of Kids shows, appropriate for elementary to middle schoolaged children. These shows are always a great cash cow. Many theaters charge the children to be involved to offset the cost of sets, rights, and costuming, and the audiences for these showsarealwayswellattended.Everyoneinthefamilywantstoseelittle11yearoldJanieplayLily St.RegisinAnnie,Jr.thewholefamilyflockstotheseevents. Again,marketingfortheseprogramscanbeinthesamedirectmailpieceastherestofthefamilyof ferings. However, Id suggest augmenting this with a flyer in the schools, tastefully highlighting the educational aspect of these offerings. Many of these offerings will survive strongly through word ofmouth, as well: once there is a base of frequent users, it will become less necessary to market these widely. Kids have the tendency to get their friends involved with their activities, and keep each other aware of what is going on locally. An email to the parents who purchased family sub scriptionswouldalsobewise,aswellasplacingtheseactivitiesprominentlyonthewebsite. Connect with the schools I would suggest seeking out family programming that can coincide with the stories used in the ele mentary schools language arts classes. Work with the school administrators to find ways of doing thiseachyear.Manyofthebookschildrenarereadingthesedayshaveanassociatedperformance: scheduletheseperformances.Thenhavethestudentsinteractinsomeway:apostercontest,anart contest,etc. AsmanyareaeducatorsareinvolvedintheOBSPproductions,thoseteachersshouldberecruitedas advocates spreading the word about goingson at the Levoy. For schools without much educa torinvolvementatthetheater,asystematicapproachfocusedtowardgettingtheminvolvedshould beimplemented.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |10 The general marketing for these shows would exist with the rest of the family series marketing. However,theschoolsshouldbemarketedtoward,aswell.Attempttoschedulegroupsalesthrough theschools,maybescheduleatourofthetheatersothekidscanseetheirartworkhangingthere. Tracking Plan Outputs Tracknumberofticketssoldtofamilyevents Tracknumberoffamilypackagessold Tracknumberofauditionersforchildrensshows Trackrevenuefiguresforfamilyofferings Outcomes Increasedrespectbyfamiliesinthearea:TheLevoyisexcellentforfamilies. Increasedvisibilityincommunity Measurables Boxofficedata Trackingcodeondirectmailpiece(UsecodeFAMDMtoreceiveanadditional5%discount!) Qualitativeobservation Resources Financialcapital o Designdirectmailpiece o Distributedirectmailpiece Humancapital o Compileandinterpretdata

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AfricanAmericans
With over 20% of the population in Cumberland County, AfricanAmericans are a significant portion of the Levoys possible audience. Targeting those above the median income range is an important stepinthegrowthoftheLevoy.Thistargetaudienceisinalaterlifestage,withperhapseitherold er children at home, children who have left home, or childless couples. AfricanAmericans tend to specifically respond to offerings perceived as being for them. They prize offerings that highlight theirrichheritageandculture,particularlyplacingahighpremiumonfamilyandfaith.Offeringsin corporatingtheseidealshavethetendencytodowell. Benefits offered TheLevoyschedulesactsthatappealtothisaudience.Inthepastmonthorso,theyvehadagospel choir and a Motown group. However, more programs are needed in the future only one is sched uledinthenextfourmonths. The productions by the inhouse company, the OffBroad Street Players (OBSP), are not geared to ward this audience. However, with their current pool of actors, expansion into this market shouldntbeconsideredatthistime. Objective IncreaseAfricanAmericanparticipationby15%overtwoyears. Strategies More acts that appeal to this particular audience As far as I can tell, the Levoy has scheduled a total of three acts that have a particular draw for this audience over the course of a year. Since AfricanAmericans comprise nearly 20% of the Levoys possible audience, the programming should reflect that by booking nearly 20% AfricanAmerican gearedprogramming. Id market these offerings in three places: radio, radio, and more radio. AfricanAmericans are strongly drawn to programming that they perceive as being for them and they know its for them if they hear about it on their radio station. For a broadcast medium, radio is relatively in expensive, and will be instrumental in reaching this audience; I suggest stations like WTTH 96.1FM and WJKS 101.7FM, targeting primarily drivetime. Obviously, keeping the website uptodate is im portant,aswell. AfricanAmerican based packages Highlight these acts with a special package. Give it a special name: Black Voices or something of that ilk perhaps not even that specific; maybe something emphasizing rhythm. While packages havebeendeclininginpopularityoverthepastdecadeorso,Ithinkthataspeciallytailoredpackage appealing to this audience could do well: it would indicate to the audience that the Levoy is doing something to particularly appeal to them. Build in a certain amount of flexibility; packages have beenflounderingbecauseoftheirrigidity.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |12 These packages, again, could be promoted on the radio, perhaps as a tag on the ads for the perfor mances, though I think a targeted direct mail piece will work better. Build this into the website, perhaps with its own branding. Nothing too drastic; nothing to distract from the Levoys brand this could be accomplished using a complementary background for the dates on the website. Care mustbetakentohighlightthisseriesforthisaudiencewithoutexcludingtheremainderoftheaudi ence. Outreach programs A performancebased writing workshop geared toward the area youth could be quite successful at theLevoy.Itwouldbeaplaceforstudentsofallracestocometogethertowriteabouttheirexperi ences and create a performance from those writings, but emphasis would be on a more African American style of expression. I see it meeting weekly the Levoy is a large enough building that the workshop could conceivably exist during one of the resident companys rehearsals. Otherwise, this is something that may be able to be done through the schools meet in a classroom after school,thentransfertothetheateroncetheperformanceisreadytoberehearsed. Promotion for this program would be primarily through the schools, with emphasis being given to it on the website. This could, conceivably, be crosspromoted with the family offerings. A page dedi catedtoitinthefamilymailerinitsinitialyearmightbebeneficial;however,Iseethisbeingagrant funded free program, so the ROI would be relatively low. Furthermore, an email to the purchasers ofthefamilypackagewouldalsodowell. Furtherpromotionforthisprograminparticularwouldbethroughthechurches.AfricanAmericans asagrouparegenerallymorefaithbasedthangreaterpopulation;gettingthewordouttochurches about this program would prove beneficial. As this program has a community development aspect toit,churchesareapttoseeitasadvantageoustotheirownmissions.Inaddition,thechurchesare prime recruiting grounds for the other programs devised for this audience; I would expect a certain amountofspillover. More culturallydiverse family offerings As I look at the advertisements for the family offerings on the website, I see entirely white faces. There should be at least one offering featuring a raciallydiverse cast. Again, as AfricanAmericans are drawn to offerings that are for them, this could go a long way in building, at the very least, goodwill,and,atthemost,asizableAfricanAmericanaudience. However, I wouldnt promote this offering with the AfricanAmerican package; Id keep it with the familypackage,usingthedirectmailpiece.Iwouldntdoanythingtodifferentiatethisasaspecial performanceoruseanythingotherthantheusualfamilypackagepromotionstosellit. Tracking Plan Outputs TracknumberofticketssoldtoAfricanAmericans TracknumberofAfricanAmericanbasedpackagessold Trackparticipationinoutreachprograms,particularlybyAfricanAmericans

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |13 TrackrevenuefiguresforprimarilyAfricanAmericanprogramming

Outcomes IncreasedrespectbyAfricanAmericansinthearea:TheLevoyisforme. IncreasedvisibilityintheAfricanAmericancommunity Measurables Boxofficedata Trackingcodeinradioad Pointofsalesurvey Persontopersonsurvey(includedinplan) Qualitativeobservation Resources Financialcapital o Designofradioad o Purchaseadspace o Designofdirectmailpiece Humancapital o Actor/voiceoverartist o Directorforoutreachprogram o Compileandinterpretdata

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Younger Professionals
Professionals in the 1835 age range are a completely untapped target audience in this area. These areeithersinglepeopleoryoungmarriedcoupleswithoutchildren.Theyareactiveandhavehigher amounts of disposable income than those with children and gravitate toward activities with a high social factor, placing a premium on seeing and being seen. The inclusion of alcohol is usually an important factor in choosing leisure activities. They are not looking for the same entertainment their parents enjoy, and their artistic choices tend to be edgier and less conservative. In Cumber land County, most activities tend to be geared toward either families with young children or older individuals; as such, this audience is always looking for something to do. Theyre looking for a night out, and arent as concerned as their older counterparts with getting home at a decent hour; their theatricalofferingsshouldleavethemwithenoughtimetogotothebarafterward. Benefits offered TheLevoyoffersthisaudienceamodestamountofchoiceintheirofferings.Theytendtobookmu sical acts that can appeal to this group, as well as comedic offerings that would be a great addition toanightonthetown. Most importantly, the location of the Levoy in the middle of Millvilles Glasstown Arts District provides this group with many options to augment their entertainment choices. There are several bars and restaurants in the area, as well as art galleries and coffee shops. There are many opportu nitiestoseeandbeseenthetrickistoincorporateanightattheLevoyintotheirplans. Objective Increaseparticipationby1834yearoldsby20%overtwoyears. Strategies Dinner and a Show packages This target audience is looking for a night out. Mostly single or young couples, they have more dis posable income than their familyladen counterparts. Their nights on the town involve exactly thatafullnightofentertainment. With the Levoys proximity to several excellent restaurants in downtown Millville, Dinner and a Show packages could do quite well with not only this group, but with their general audience. Ive seen these packages structured in different ways: the restaurants can sell a reducedprice ticket with any entre, the restaurants can charge one price for a prix fixe menu and a ticket, or any num berofrationalesthatworkbestfortherestaurants. The best ways to promote these packages are electronically: website, social media, email, Groupon, and the like. This is a technologicallyproficient crowd they use less traditional media than their older counterparts: newspapers and terrestrial radio are falling by the wayside with them. High lightingthepackagesinaseasonbrochurewouldalsowork.Thisisanideathathasbroadappeal:it shouldbemarketedtoothergroups,aswell.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |15 Free drink at area bars with ticket stub This crowd is generally looking for something to do after the show, as well, and that will usually in volvealcohol.WiththenumberofbarsindowntownMillville,thispromotioncoulddoratherwell many bars dont mind giving a free drink as a loss leader, knowing that many in this target audience wontstopafteronedrink. These should be marketed along with the Dinner and a Show packages. I wouldnt invest too much time or energy in the separate marketing of this promotion: a sign in the box office, a line on the website,sometabletentsinthebarsthemselves,orevengosofarastohaveitprintedontheback oftheticket.Thisisanancillarybenefitthatthiscrowdwillcometoexpect:wordofmouthwillalso gofar. Product differentiation One of the important aspects of this target audience is that theyre not looking for the same enter tainment their parents enjoy. While its great that the Levoy is able to book acts like John Oates, many in this crowd have no idea who he is. This is the Rusted Root crowd; theres not a chance theyrecomingtoseeAnnieorTheMusicMan. Dosomethingnew.Besomethingdifferent.Differentiateyourproduct.Createabrandthatspeaks toexcellenceandinnovationandisntmiredinthetheatricaltrendsofthedaybeforeyesterday. I would suggest starting a troupe separate from OBSP that could do works that would appeal to this crowd: edgier, less conservative, more modern works. I would suggest fewer fullblown musicals, andmoremodernstraightplays.Ifsellingall638seatsseemslikeachallengeatthispoint,seekout partnerships with some of the local galleries this is a group that would respond to something con sideredoffbeatanddifferent,andaplayperformedinagallerywouldappealtothiscrowd. Furthermore, a separate series on the Levoy website for the touring acts that would appeal to this group is paramount. I would, like the AfricanAmerican series, create a complementary brand for theseofferings,highlightingtheminsomewaywithoutexcludingtheremainderoftheaudience. Marketing this one is tricky. The inhouse offerings need to appear to be separate from OBSP, yet still carry the Levoy brand if these events arent going to be held at the Levoy, the audience still needstobeawarethattheLevoyisinvolved.Anindustrialthemeblack,steelblue,graycould differentiate this brand. Again, I would suggest strong electronic marketing: website, social media, email. Create a strong brand for this troupe again, something offbeat and different. Schedule everythingontheLevoywebsite,andlinktoaseparatepageforthisgroup. ItwillbeessentialtobuildtheLevoysonlinefollowingtomarketsuccessfullytothisaudience.Give incentivesforsharingpostsonFacebook510%discountsofftickets.UsetheFacebookpagefor ticketgiveaways,etc.Offerdiscountsforsigningupforyouremaillistthenusethelist.

L E V O Y T H E A T E R |16 Tracking Plan Outputs Tracknumberofticketssoldto1834yearolds TracknumberofDinnerandaShowpackagessold Trackrevenuefornewtroupe Outcomes RaiseprofileoftheLevoyintheyoungergeneration TheLevoycomestobeseenasthecenterpieceofanightout Buildgeographicreachofaudience Measurables Boxofficedata Pointofsalesurvey Qualitativeobservation Resources Financialcapital o Agreementswithrestaurants Humancapital o Newtroupe o Compileandinterpretdata

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Strategies not tied to a specific audience or outcome

Season Packages Research has increasingly shown that allinclusive season packages are quickly becoming a thing of the past. While they were cuttingedge in the 70s and 80s, todays audiences are looking for more flexibilityintheirpurchases. As such, I would strongly recommend discontinuing the $1250 season package. With only three months in the market, the community isnt yet sure what your programming will be; The Levoy has not yet built a reputation. Furthermore, you dont even know exactly what the season will be: the bulk of it is, as yet, undecided. Youre essentially asking a patron to pay over $100/month for a producttheydontyettrustanddoesntyetexist. Frequent Guest Program Instead, a frequent guest program may be profitable. Allow patrons to purchase a card ($25 or so) that will allow them to rack up a free touring act. This will give audience members the flexibility theywantwhilestillgeneratingrevenue. Smaller Packages Ive delineated some ideas for smaller packages throughout this plan; however, Ive focused on threespecificaudiences.Thereareotheraudiencesinthecommunitythatbearinspectionsuchas the Christian community. Packages like the ones Ive suggested could benefit them, as well. Com biningotheractsthroughouttheyearremainsapossibility. Buddy System Give your package subscribers the ability to bring a guest to one show at the subscription rate. If the guest purchases a subscription in the following season, the original subscriber is entitled to one extra show in their next seasons package. This would entice people to bring friends something beneficialforeachofthepackagesIveoutlined,aswellastheexistingOBSPpackage. Create a real connection with the arts district and the community Highlightadifferentfineartisteachmonthandhavetheirworkdecoratethelobby. Offertheatreclassesandworkshops. HostaMikeTroutDay.Broadcastaliveradiointerviewfromtheauditorium;WIP94FMmight beinterested.Thisguyisliterallyallanyonecantalkabout:havinghimatthetheaterwillbring ahugenumberofpeoplethroughthedoors,andmanyofthemwillstay.