Lyric Arts Company of Anoka
About
The mission of Lyric Arts Company of Anoka is building community and nurturing artists and audiences of all ages through the magic of live theater. As the only full-time, year-round theatre in the northern Twin Cities’ metropolitan area, Lyric provides opportunities for artists and audiences of all ages to experience and celebrate these art forms in their community.
Marketing Initiative
Lyric Arts has a long-term vision of being Twin Cities’ most outstanding and professionally operated community theater. To reach that goal, the theater’s two-year marketing plan calls for expansion of three distinct audience groups within a 15-mile radius of the theater to obtain a 20% increase in single ticket sales. The plan also calls for converting 200 current audience members in these two audience segments from single ticket to subscription buyers, and encouraging current subscribers to renew at an 85% renewal rate. Lyric Arts calls the three audience segments at the heart of its marketing effort: “North Suburban Gentry” (aged 55-70 with household income above $50,000), “Booster Club” (aged 45-60 with household income of $175,000 – $225,000), and “Young Urban Suburbanites” (aged 24-40 with household income over $75,000).
Highlights, 2010-11
A sea change took place in the way the organization approaches marketing, which is now comprehensive, rather than on a show-by-show basis. All staff committed to weekly publicity planning meetings to accomplish marketing in a more integrated and professional manner. To reach each of its desired demographic groups, Lyric experimented and tracked results of various marketing strategies, such as newspaper and print ads, direct mail, and Facebook. Several traditional marketing efforts that were ineffective were curtailed or substantially revised, such as a direct mail piece. Overall, the efforts increased annual ticket sale income by more than 18% over the previous year. Other first year highlights included a new “host” staff position, implementation of a software package enabling better tracking of audiences and their input, and redesign of the organization’s logo.
Marketing Activities, Year Two
- Increase marketing of the Flex Pass subscriptions and Family Packages to assure that consumers have good information, long in advance, about these new opportunities.
- Fully engage the new staff member in establishing personal relationships with Lyric theatergoers and evaluate the impact of this.
- Continue to upgrade the visual images and printed items with a freelance graphic designer.
