BAKED ALASKA

MARKETING GUIDE

Thank you so much for hosting a performance of Baked Alaska. We really appreciate all the work you’re putting in to making the performance a success.

Alongside the practicalities of arranging the venue and accommodation for a performance, promotion is probably the largest job associated with hosting the show. This is why we strongly suggest asking a couple of people to specifically oversee publicity for the performance. (Do pass this guide on to them too...)

This guide contains some practical tips to help you promote the show, as well a few things to help you plan. However, you know your local area much better than Riding Lights ever could, so we’ve left lots of blank spaces for you to scribble down your own thoughts and expand on these suggestions.

A couple of key points (if you read nothing else, read these)

  • START NOW – It’s never too early to tell people about the performance, and doing a little bit of promotion work regularly is much more effective than trying to blitz it all in one weekend.
  • It’s essential to get OTHER CHURCHES involved in promoting the show – Ask them to include a verbal notice at the front on multiple weeks and give them an allocation of tickets to sell themselves(It’s estimated that you need to give a notice every week for 5 weeks to catch everyone in a church congregation)
  • Think about other key ORGANISATIONS or INDIVIDUALS who would be interested about the show (churches together partnerships, student groups, bible study groups, book groups, scouts, guides and other uniformed organisations, any local youth theatres,community theatre groups, community choirs, secondary school drama and RE departments… any one else?)
  • You absolutely need to tell people about the show in different ways – a notice, a flyer, email, posters, phone call, facebook event etc.– think about how you usually hear about events near you.
  • WORD OF MOUTH, and a good recommendation from a friend is still the most persuasive was to encourage someone to buy a ticket – ask people to invite friends.
  • AND MOST IMPORTANTLY… BE ENTHUSIASTIC about the show – it spreads.

Everything else in this guide is designed to help you do the above – to help you work out who to contact about the show, and when.

And of course – any questions, or anything we can help with or advise on please give me a call on 01904 655317 or email

Peter Birkinshaw, Marketing Manager

WHO TO TELL ABOUT THE SHOW

Filling out the questions below should give you a better idea of who to tell about the show

Why should people see the show?

Who will be interested in the show? (and how do we reach them?)

Any organisations (+ contacts within them) who will be interested?

Any individuals involved / associated with the event / keen on this topic who can help?

Is there any activity to build up audience excitement? (photos, blogs, videos, competitions. social media engagement and interactivity…)

Local Churches to contact:

Other local Christian organisations to contact:

Local green / environmental groups to contact:

Other organisations / groups / people:

THINKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL GROUPS
This table will help you think practically about how to contact different people about the show. Fill in the groups on the left hand column and answer the questions along the right – we’ve started filling out the first row as an example.

Target Group / Why will they be interested in Baked Alaska? / What will engage them with the show? / How can we reach them? / Any individual or groups who can help? / Any media which will be useful? / Any potential issues?
Organising Church Congregation
/ - We’re hosting
- Hot topic in the run up to the Paris conference
- Entertaining and enlightening night out
- Professional quality theatre
- Safe event to invite friends to / - Enthusiasm about show
- Christian Aid and Riding Lights involvement
- is it linked to other church activity? E.g. a mission week or sermon series? / - Notice at the front of church
- Flyers in pews
- church email list
- Parish magazine
- church website/news
- On Facebook
- On Twitter / - endorsement from church leaders/clergy
- Any individuals who’ve seem Riding Lights perform before and enjoyed it? / - video notice?
- PowerPoint slide?
- flyers and posters / - Not everyone attending church every week
- Late bookers
- Any other church events in the week before the performance?
Other Churches in the area
Target Group / Why will they be interested in Baked Alaska? / What will engage them with the show? / How can we reach them? / Any individual or groups who can help? / Any media which will be useful? / Any potential issues?
Local
Environmental / Green groups

TIMETABLE

Use this timetable to help spread out your promotional activity. Again, there’s some suggested activity filled in, but plenty of space to add your own. (Remember, you can always ask others to take on some of the work load)

6+ WEEKS BEFORE
Date: / 5 WEEKS
BEFORE
Date: / 4 WEEKS
BEFORE
Date: / 3 WEEKS
BEFORE
Date: / 2 WEEKS
BEFORE
Date: / 1 WEEK BEFORE
Date: / PRODUCTION
WEEK
Date:
Ask local churches to promote the show and sell tickets / Contact other organisations (youth groups, book groups?) about the show / Put up poster and flyers around town / Invite people to Facebook event / Remind bible study / house groups about show – provide leader with notice / Reminder emails / Last minute reminders – the show is this week!

OTHER USEFUL INFO

Baked Alaska webpage:

(or ridinglights.org/alaska if you’re short on space)

Organisers webpage (lots of resources here):

Riding Light Facebook Page:

Riding Lights Twitter:

@ridinglights

Hashtag: #bakedalaska

National Box Office:

01904 613000

Riding Lights Office contacts:

01904 655317

(Peter - Marketing Manager)

(Caitlin – Tour Organiser)

(Becky – Ticketing and Box Office)

(Juliet – at Plug and Tap, our Press and PR agency)