The History Theatre, Inc.
About
History Theatre, founded in 1978, entertains, educates, and inspires through creating, developing, and producing new and existing works that explore Minnesota’s past and the diverse American experience. It provides a lens which links past to present, explores common heritage, and illuminates understanding of what it means to be American.
Marketing Initiative
History Theatre’s plan invests in marketing and audience development strategies and brand building so that growth needs and expenses can be met. Events before and after performances, social media tools, surveys and focus groups offer opportunities for patrons to interact with History Theatre and the stories presented on its stage. In order to guide future programming, pricing and promotion, the History Theatre is implementing a
system to measure and track the degree of success of various types of marketing efforts.
Highlights, 2010-11
History Theatre increased the quality of customer service through new training for ushers and volunteers and enhanced online ticketing functionality. Marketing changed to a “hipper, more trendy messaging and visuals” to modernize the theatre’s image. Show events encouraged attendance by offering familiar activity, such as a pizza night, linked
with an unfamiliar play. Initiatives such as Send-a-Friend, special email communications, and newsletters deepened subscriber relationships. “First timer” communication attracted business from single ticket buyers, as did appeals through Twitter, Facebook, and a blog. Ticket revenue exceeded original revenue goals by 154%. The largest audience gains were among subscribers, enabling the theatre to hire a fulltime season ticket manager.
Marketing Activities, Year Two
- Highlight the epic nature of the season’s 2011-12 shows with the message, “big things
are happening on stage.” - Adjust audiences to new ticket pricing for tiered seating in the theatre’s 600-seat venue.
- Package more events with shows and promote earlier in the season.
- Explore additional e-communication methods, such as RSS feeds, video to record trailers and interviews that increase exposure on YouTube, and Tumblr for more visual online presence.
- Engage in co-promotional partnerships with other compatible organizations.
- Gain more psychographic information through focus groups and retest assumptions about which theatres are History Theatre’s main competitors.
- Increase community understanding of History Theatre’s brand and avoid confusion with History Center.
