Role & Contribution
Marketing strategy, team direction, campaign management, branding, print/ digital design and placement, promotion, web direction and facilitation.
Story
Peace Mountain Theatre Company (PMTC) was referred to me from a client I had been working with for several years. This little Montgomery County, MD theatre company was in dire need of a rebrand and some assistance increasing sales and brand exposure. After a few initial meetings and discussions on budget limitations, a marketing plan was compiled and an outline for potential strategies was provided.
Branding
The previous logo was in need of a facelift. The shadows were overwhelming, it lacked color, the typeface weight was too light, the letters too spaced and overall it was outdated. The exploration included colors and a simplification of the artwork. I included a contrasting typeface for the secondary information and removed the shadow.
Website
Moving forward, the brand needed a new website. Under budget requirements, a template was customized to meet the needs of the company for an online presence. PMTC needed to inform their patrons about upcoming shows and educate users on the history and background of the company. I outsourced the production of the website and artistically directed the formatting and structure. Online templates impose many creative limits, which at times was very frustrating, but ultimately the patron feedback was positive, analytics continued to improve with with reduced bounce rates and in PMTC's final season in 2021, online ticket sales skyrocketed to sell out several shows- and every Sunday performance.
Show Branding
Each performance was branded with it's own identity for advertising. From 2019-2022, Peace Mountain Theatre performed 6 shows. During COVID-19, Peace Mountain shifted to virtual performances. The theatre was one of the only theatres in Maryland to continue to produce shows during the pandemic. Artwork was concepted, digitally illustrated/designed and used for promotional support and advertising.
Direct Mail
Peace Mountain Theatre Company was a non-profit organization. Theatre support was driven by fundraising, donations, grants and season subscription holders. Direct mail campaigns and packets would kickoff each season and provide the assistance to direct and market the productions.
Advertising
In addition to printed materials to market Peace Mountain Theatre, advertising was key. A detailed marketing strategy was compiled to expand the demographic and to increase audience reach. Social media provided advertising and networking opportunities. Placement of digital ads on affiliate websites provided increased website traffic and consistent visibility to increase brand recognition.
A visual analysis on local competitors in the market was presented to Peace Mountain Theatre to provide examples for a plan of action. Peace Mountain needed to understand what the competitors were doing and how they could improve their efforts.
Analytics were tracked and documented on the increased traffic to the website and the increased ticket sales created by the digital marketing placements.
Digital and social media advertising produced a major traffic boost and increased ticket sales.
Big Growth
When I began working with Peace Mountain, performances were being held at a local Synagogue. The expansion of their team and the increased marketing efforts provided an opportunity for a new location. The theatre company growth created the need to move locations for bigger audiences. Peace Mountain began performing in the Bethesda Writer's Center.
Online ticket sales continued to soar and 65% of the showtimes in the last season were sold out. Previously the organization had struggled with ticket sales. Management for the mailing list and ticket sales became a full time job. The mailing list grew by 32% and the management of inquiries regarding shows and ticket sales provided a position to fill.
Moving On
The team with Peace Mountain Theatre was thrilled with the journey, however, they performed their final show in 2022. Retirement had been put on hold for too long and although it was difficult to put down their passion, they decided to focus on the next chapter.
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Reach out. We have lots to talk about.
