PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE Ken Davenport, Broadway Producer, Off-Broadway, Theater

An article about Social Media.

In case you didn't get my tweet last week, here's a link to an article I was asked to write for Mashable about Broadway and social media.  

Special thanks to Mashable for having me. It's always an honor to be asked to be a part of a community that is outside of our little theater world bubble.  Broadway is such an insular industry, but we've got more in common with other folks than we think.  And the uber-smart folks at Mash (Thanks Sharon, Adam and Pete) understand that.

Speaking of social media, Typepad, my blog host, has changed its setup in the last few weeks, which could use some 'plaining:

If you want to share any of my blogs on social media (facebook, twitter, technorati, et. al), click on that blue "share" link with the green and white less-than sign next to it at the bottom of any of my posts.  A box will pop up with all of the social media options and you can share away (and thanks in advance for that).

And another nod of thanks to the Mashers. 

Look what else has changed in Times Square!

The roads aren't the only thing that have been altered in the center of our city. 

I snapped this photo from the top of the TKTSteps this morning. 

How long do you think it will be until all the billboards in Times Square are video?  Very Blade Runner, don't you think?

Video is not only taking over Online, it's taking over Outdoor.  Expect this baby to reproduce like rabbits in the next 12 months.

And expect video bus sides next.

A Graphic Design book about Broadway.

I e-stumbled upon a nugget of an interview recently with Barry Weissler, the Producer of the phenom known as Chicago, and Drew Hodges, the head of Spotco, one of the powerhouses in the theatrical advertising world, which handles Chicago.

What's interesting about this interview is that it's not in the theatre section of the NY Times. It's not on Broadway.com or in American Theatre. It's from a book called The Graphic Designer's Guide to Clients:  How to Make Clients Happy and Do Great Work by Ellen Shapiro.

What's also interesting is that the interview was done years ago, and features questions like, "How important is it for a show to have a website today?" as well as insights into how both Drew and Barry, two of the best in the biz, approach the creation of art for a show.  

And with Google Books, you can read it without buying it.  

Read here.  (p. 171)

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Only 13 days left to enter The Producer's Perspective Tony Pool.  Win $500! 

Play today!  Click here!

I'm a celebrity, so see this show.

A few weeks ago, our President urged citizens to buy cars.  American cars.

And guess what?

The day after the speech, Chrysler sold more cars. 

The endorsement is an age-old advertising trick that takes advantage of the Cialdini-styled social proof in all of us.  Put a well respected politician, athlete, or doctor, etc. right next to a product, and let the influence take over.  Tiger Woods appears in ads for Accenture.  Jared, the miracle dieter, sold Subway sandwiches.  And Bob Dole pitched for Viagra.

It works.  Don't you want to be like Mike?  Just wear these sneakers!  Want skin like Scarlett's?  Use this make-up. 

Want to #$@ like Bob Dole?  (Ok, I just threw up in my mouth.)

If endorsements work so well, why haven’t we seen more of them in the theater?

Could an email blast from Stephen Sondheim help sell a struggling new show by an up and coming composer?  Could a TV commercial with Kristin Chenoweth sell a musical comedy?

What about Nathan Lane and Faith Prince selling the new Guys and Dolls revival? 

Would the expense of the endorsement be worth it?  Could we afford it? 

There's only one way to find out.  And it wouldn't even have to be the President for me to pay for it.

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Only 18 days left to enter The Producer's Perspective Tony Pool.  You could win $500! 

Play today!  Click here!

Acting and Advertising have a lot in common.

The first rule of advertising when launching a new advertising campagin for a product is to test, test, and test.  And when you're done, test again.  Because no matter what you think of a logo or a tag line, it's not until it's in the market that you know if it works or not.

And with each set of results, you tweak your campaign until you better the results.  Simple.

Acting is no different.  Yes, you need to have a firm grasp on how to present your character before you "launch," but once you get in front of that audience, you may find that they respond a bit differently than you thought they would. 

You could be stubborn, and not allow the audience's response to affect what you do.  Or, you could treat it like an advertising campaign, and make little tweaks here and there, depending upon the audience's reaction, to allow them to enjoy your performance even more (provided, of course, that these tweaks [and I'm not talking about making changes to the actual text, mind you] are with the Director's approval).  

That's what's great about acting for the theater, as opposed to film.  Once that film performance is in 'the can,' you can't make a tweak, no matter what.  You couldn't even dodge a tomato if it was thrown at you.

But in the theater, you can, and you should, because having a live audience is like a having a focus group in front of you every single night.  

To ignore them, would be like a marketing person ignoring metrics.

At the Broadway League conference: Day 3/What is Web 2.0 and how do we use it?

If there was a theme at this Spring's conference it was Web 2.0 and the following questions:

- What are the essential Web 2.0 tools in a modern theatrical marketing plan?
- How do we use and then track those tools?
- How we do we turn all those "friends" and "followers" into buyers?

In one of the best panels I've ever witnessed at a League conference (or at any conference, for that matter), Victor Hamburger, Chris Szalaj, and Sean Zehnder stepped the listeners through the basics of Web 2.0 components and strategy.

What was so great about the panel and why did it differ from so many others?

Because instead of the standard Powerpoint presentation that accompanies most of these 'talks,' these guys put their Powerpoint into a fully functioning website so all of the conference attendees could take it home with them.

And so I could share it with you.

They understand that sharing this information amplifies the theatrical conversations going on around the world, which only helps all of us.

So check out their custom site, www.whatshotonbroadway.com/nyc, which has everything from a glossary of terms, to basic social media strategy, to that very Powerpoint presentation that inspired it all.  It's pretty crazy awesome for those of you with questions on how to effectively use 2.0 for your shows.

It may seem a bit ironic that such a crucial 2.0 conversation was occurring about 5 years after the term was first coined (and probably a year away from web 3.0 , and 2 years from what I call World Wide Webile, which is the exact same web experience on a phone as on a computer), but such is our biz. We're always a bit behind (partly because of our complacency, and partly because our audiences are not exactly early adopters of this technology).  

But with more speakers like these guys, and sites like theirs, we just may catch up.

A Beepin' Follow-Up on Followin' Tweets.

Last week I blogged about keeping an eye on what people are saying/typing/tweeting about you in the social media space.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon (pun intended) a site that I've fallen in geek-love with, that I have to tell/type/tweet you about.

Check out TweetBeep, which is exactly like Google Alerts but for Twitter.  Sign up, enter your keywords, and TweetBeep will email you every hour if you'd like, letting you know if anyone has tweeted your keyword.

An example?  TweetBeep just sent me a note letting me know that the Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bristol, PA just had this to tweet: 

Hopes you enjoyed that BEAUTIFUL weekend! The cast of ALTAR BOYZ arrives in Bristol this Friday! We can't wait!

TweetBeep is so fast, you'll be able to find your ambassdors in the social media space before . . . well, before they can come up with the next Twitter.  I mean, Friendster, anyone?  MySpace?  

Will we be wondering what happened to Facebook someday?

If you have a third party app to share, that helps you keep in touch with your social media-ites, comment below!

People are talking about you behind your back. And now, you can listen.

Bad word of mouth is like a little forest fire.  

Get enough bad word of mouth and those little fires will combine and be on your doorstep, smoking you out of house and theater, before you can say, "Smokey The Bear." 

Since so much word of mouth occurs online these days, there are several online "smoke detectors" that can help you monitor your word of mouth and online reputation.  

And if you're smart enough, you can actually throw some water on those fires, extinguishing them before it's too late (insert scary fire music here).

Here are three "smoke detectors" you should be using to monitor what people are saying about your shows, and an example of how we've used them here in my office.

1.  The Google Alert

The Google Alert is the classic detector. Sign up, tell Google the word, phrase, etc. you'd like to track, and it will send you a daily email of all the web sites with that word, phrase, etc. in it.

Put in your show's name (and any variation), your name, your theater's name, whatever, and let Google do the work.  Or, put in the name of a competing show . . . he-he-he.

How have we used it?  

We've used Google Alerts to find good reviews, both in the 'traditional' press and from the new media corps (bloggers).

But most recently, a Google Alert sounded an alarm about a a rogue and unauthorized production of The Awesome 80s Prom.  We were able to react swiftly and shut them down before any damage was done to the brand.  Thank God for Google, because we were about to enter into an agreement for The Prom in the same city!  That Google Alert saved that deal, without a doubt.

2.  Tweet, Tweet.

Thanks to Twitter, there's a new type of online conversation going on now.  Luckily, there are ways to monitor it.  Twitter has a search function which pulls up recent activity on any word or phrase that you're interested in. 

Since tweeting doesn't take much time or commitment, your brand is much more likely to appear all over Twitter than in more full length blogs or articles. Just click here to see all the recent random tweets about Altar Boyz!

In addition to the Twitter search function, there are a bunch of third party search applications like Monitter, etc. that are tracking the T-world. Here's a blog that discusses a few.

How have we used it?

We find out who's tweeting about us, then follow them with our Twitter and encourage those same peeps to follow us.  Presto.  We've now established one-on-one communication with someone we know has an interest in our brand, and are building a Twitter army.

3.  Manual Labor

This is the hardest and most time intensive but, regardless of all the auto-detectors out there, I still recommend having someone on your team doing walk-throughs of potential "danger areas." There's nothing better than a Forest Ranger sniffing around every once in a while.  

Put someone on trolling the message boards on Talkin' Broadway, BroadwayWorld, and BroadwaySpace.  Search the site pages for your title (use the "Find On This Page" option in your browser menu).  

How have we used it?

In previews for 13, I used this detector to find similar comments of both praise and criticism.  If one person says something on a message board, it's not as important.  But find 3 people saying the same thing, it deserves further thought (regardless of whether or not you agree).

The biggest of brands out there are all monitoring online activity.  Starbucks, Jet Blue, and so on.  And why shouldn't they?

After all, it has been said that the greatest leaders are the greatest listeners.

It's just time we listen with more than our ears.

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The Blogger Social is tonight! 

Creating mystique is not just for magic shows.

I don't remember how I heard about Steve Cohen's Chamber Magic, but somehow I did.  Having been one of those kids that was into Chinese Linking Rings and Multiplying Sponge Balls, I was intrigued.

When I checked out the website, the intrigue increased to genuine excitement.  Yes, Steve was apparently a fantastic magician, but that's not what got me to push the 'Buy Tickets' button.  Check out how the show was described as I dug deeper:

• Shows are only twice a week.
• Steve has performed for celebrities, politicians and the ultra-elite.  
• The show is held in a suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Towers (the same towers where all of the Presidents have resided when in town). 
• Jackets and ties are required for men and dresses are required for women.    
• There are only 50 seats sold for each performance.  The front row, close to the magic, is sold at a premium. 
• And . . . the show is sold out months in advance (I waited 5 to get my tickets).  

Steve is not only a master magician. He's a master marketer and showman.  So many of the bullet points above are taken right out of my favorite marketing textbook, Cialdini's Influence.  But in addition to following the Cialdini principles of social proof, scarcity, and so on, Cohen created a show that is not just a show . . . it's an experience.  And rather than do it 12 times a week, which he probably could, he does it just twice (and will probably have one of the longest running magic shows as a result).

As you'd expect, Steve is an incredible magician.  He did some things that I've never seen before.  But frankly, he also did a few things I HAD seen before (some of them were performed by Mr. Marc Salem, who was the inspiration for my Virgins Get In Free promotion).  And if I sat down and really analyzed it, I'd probably say that Marc Salem even did a few of those tricks better.

But that didn't matter.  Because I was in a jacket and tie, and we were at the Waldorf, and it took so long to get the tickets, and it just felt . . . well . . . magical.  

For the Actors, Orchestra and even Producers of your shows, it may seem like the show starts when the curtain rises.  But for the audience, the show begins when they start thinking about buying a ticket . . . so make sure you give them one.

Steve Cohen has a new show, by the way. It's called Midnight Miracles.

It's only performed once a month.  At midnight. At the Waldorf.  And for only 20 people.  Ticket price?  $250.

Don't try and bother getting tickets for April's performance, because it's already sold out.

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Only 2 Days until the 1st Theater Bloggers Social!

Thursday, April 23rd.

6 PM

Planet Hollywood

For more info and to RSVP, click here.

Rebranding intermission.

Here's my kooky thought of the day:

Get Twitter to sponsor intermissions.  Rename them "Twittermissions," in order to encourage people to "tweet" about the shows they are seeing during the break, thereby spreading the word-of-mouth faster than ever.

Ok, so maybe Twitter isn't going to pony up any cash for this bit of branding (only partly due to the fact that they're not making any money), but there is something about the idea that we can apply without them.

The feelings that inspire passionate word of mouth about any event or product are strongest when the audience is experiencing the event, or immediately thereafter.

Ask yourself . . . When are you most likely to talk about a great book you've read?  I'd bet it'd be right after finishing the last chapter.  A movie?  While walking out the door, or even right after a climatic event during the movie, much to the chagrin of the people around you ("Oh my God, did you just see that!?!?").  A meal?  When you've taken that first bite.  

And what about a musical?  Right when that curtain comes down . . . at intermission or at the end.

Smokey Joe's Cafe (in the mid/late 90s) was one of the first shows that I remember trying to take advantage of this post-ovation-energy by including show branded postcards in all of the Playbills and encouraging people to fill them out when the show was over.  If they did and then addressed them to a friend, the show would pick up the postage and mail them for free.

10 years later, the technology to spread that same message is the in the pockets of 9 out of 10 of adults.

It's not our job to mail the postcards anymore.  It's our job to point people to their pockets; to get them tweeting and texting  and "nexting" (which is my word for whatever is coming "next" in the social media pipeline . . . and guaranteed, there will be something).  And we need to do it while they are at the theater, before they even get out of their seats, if we can.

Why?  Because that's when the desire to spread that a positive message is the strongest.

You know the other time the desire to spread a positive (or negative message) is strongest?  When an audience member, or potential audience member, sees an ad:

POTENTIAL AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Oh look, a poster for My First Time. I want to see that show.
FORMER AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I saw it last week!  It's so funny. You should definitely go.

Successful, right? 

Yep, without a doubt, and that's what traditional media is for.

But ask yourself this . . . which method of spreading word of mouth is cheaper?

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Only 3 Days until the 1st Theater Bloggers Social!

Thursday, April 23rd.

6 PM

Planet Hollywood

For more info and to RSVP, click here.