Final Marketing Plan
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Dad’s Garage Theatre Company Marketing Plan and Campaign Daryl Allen, Tasha Tavaras, Yihong Yang, Si Peng May 28, 2015 AADM 745 – Promoting the Arts 1 May 28, 2015 Lara Smith, Managing Director Dad’s Garage Theatre Company P.O. Box 5867 Atlanta, Georgia 31107 Ms. Smith: Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review your organization’s current marketing techniques and suggesting new ways to boost your current results. Overall, we found that Dad’s Garage has great potential to expand its marketing of its current products but also has many areas that need improvement. There needs to be major changes to the organization’s website, such as creating a mobile friendly version, updating product and organizational information, and adding interactive components to enhance user experience; customer service, such as responding and resolving customer grievances, enhancing open communication methods so that guests can contact staff when there’s an issue and/or question; and establishing the most effective plans for the target market, such as monitoring the way Millennials use the internet, joining social media platforms that Millennials use more often, and providing the right content that will entice the intended market to utilize the products offered by the organization. This marketing evaluation and plan analyzes the current state of the organization with its current resources and explores in detail the main areas of improvement and presents innovative ideas to boost marketing results and the overall attendance and utilization of Dad’s Garage products and programs. Thank you again for the opportunity and please find attached the analysis and suggestions to take Dad’s Garage to the next level in the Atlanta theatre market. Respectfully, Group 1 Consultants D. Allen, T. Tavaras, S. Peng, Y. Yang 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary…………………………………………………… 4 Organizational Profile ………………………………………………….5 Community Profile….…………………………………………………..13 Competitive Analysis……………………………………………………25 Marketing Analysis & SWOT…………………………………….……..39 Target Market Identification & Marketing Mix……..…………….……84 Product Portfolios……….………………………………………………51 Customer Service & Membership……………………………………….110 Marketing and Evaluation……………………………………………….114 Marketing Expense Summary……………………………………………123 Summary…………………………………………………………………128 Appendix…………………………………………………………………129 3 Executive Summary Dad’s Garage Theatre Company is one of the most successful improvisational theatre organizations in metropolitan Atlanta. The organization’s longevity of 20 years proves that it has a loyal fan base and has the potential to continue to be relevant in the local theatre community. Currently located in the Little Five Points district of Atlanta, Dad’s Garage experiences major potential for growth however is stifled mostly in part from not having a permanent home at the current time. The surrounding neighborhoods, which include Inman Park, Candler Park, Old Fourth Ward and Edgewood, are excellent in hosting a market of eclectic arts supporters that have kept Dad’s Garage in business over the past 2 decades. Dad’s Garage currently offers improvisational theatrical shows, scripted theatrical shows, and educational program for emerging and/or aspiring actors, and a decent online presence. The organizations largest event each year is Baconfest, which is the annual fundraiser and promotional event for the organization. Financially, the organization has remained stable however not seen as much growth as it should have within 20 years. The budget for fundraising, marketing, and promotion is nearly non-existent which creates a huge issue with trying to cultivate a bigger fan base that is impossible if the community does not know about them. This is important when there are competitors such as Whole World, Atlanta Improv, and Horizon who offer similar products and may have the means to sway audiences away from Dad’s Garage. In today’s arts culture, it is important that organizations strive for innovative ideas to capture audiences and keep them interacting at all times. The organization needs to utilize platforms that are catered more toward their targeted demographic such as the implementation of mobile viewing, engaging more with the current social media sites and adding features that are specific to the trends of the target demographic of 18 to 24. Revamping current products alongside the introduction of new social media platforms will also encourage new members and fans to support Dad’s Garage. Evaluation of these components is essential in the learning and progressing as an organization. Through the use of customer satisfaction surveys, Google analytics, Facebook analytics, etc. the organization will be able to track not only the hits to the website and the growth in ticket sales, but the quality of products and service will also be measured. This is an important aspect because without quality service and products, the efforts of the marketing campaign are voided. 4 Organizational Profile Profile Summary Dad's Garage Theatre Company has managed to remain not only relevant, but an important piece of Atlanta's arts community. The theatre specializes in improvised comedy theatrical performances while providing sketch comedy, outreach and workshops, and classes for emerging actors. The close-knit organization has been around for 20 years and currently calls 7 Stages in the Little Five Points district of Atlanta home. Although Dad's Garage showcases crude humor, their following has remained loyal despite not being able to grow the audience. The use of many social media outlets and the locally known annual Baconfest, is the organizations main method of promotion and marketing. Financially, the company has remained profitable enough overall to sustain in the local theatre industry. History Dad’s Garage Theatre Company began in 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia by a group of 8 friends from Florida State University; Chris Blair, Marc Cram, Sean Daniels, John Gregorio, David Keeton, Joseph Limbaugh, Matt Stanton, and Matt Young. They had a college improv group called the Whammo Players and were looking for a place to perform on their own. They wanted to create a space where theatre could be fun and accessible, somewhere that they could make shows that spoke to their sensibilities. On June 23, 1995, Dad's Garage opened its doors at 280 Elizabeth St., the former Actor’s Express Theatre building, with the comedy play Fun With Science. The company has since regionally premiered Eric Bogosian's subUrbia in 1996, world premiered Graham Chapman's O Happy Day in 2000, and in the fall of 2010, secured permission to produce Two Gentlemen of Lebowski, an Elizabethan adaptation of the Coen brothers' film. The organization has survived 20 years in the Atlanta theatre industry and has remained relevant. Currently, the organization is looking more into expand their scripted show catalog. Mission & Services The mission of Dad’s Garage according to their website is: “Dad's Garage engages, cultivates and inspires artists and audiences alike by producing innovative, scripted and improvised works that are recognized locally, nationally and internationally for being undeniably awesome.” In addition to performing shows at their own venue, they also provide contract services by performing shows at private events similar to the ones performed at their venue which are comedy scenes and games made up on the spot using audience suggestions. Actors and content writers can be contracted to provide services for performances not original to Dad’s Garage. The cast also offers workshop trainings on how to practice acting and improvisational techniques. Through these workshops, the company uses team-building exercises that enhance skills such as listening, thinking quickly, and idea expansion in the workplace. 5 Employee and Staff Profile The organization is made up of 11 staff members: Kevin Gillese, Artistic Director; Lara Smith, Managing Smith; Jon Carr, Marketing Director; Matt Terrell, Director of Communications; Gina Rickicki, Development Director; Jamie Warde, Technical Director; René Dellefont, Associate Artistic Director; Matt Horgan, Associate Artistic Director & External Sales Director; Jason Drucker, Managing Associate and Front of House Manager; and Adam Pinney, Multimedia and Graphic Artist. Because it is a close-knit company, everyone is involved in everything. There are 22 ensemble members in which some of them are staff of the organization. Many of the staff frequently perform in improv shows, teach classes, act, write, and direct. There are 25 additional performers that are a part of the general company and rookies of the organization. The board is made up of 20 members and the advisory council has 6 members. The organizations associated with the board and advisory council range from Turner Broadcasting, to the City of Atlanta, and the Grady Health System. Kevin Gillese, Artistic Director Kevin Gillese started improvising with Rapid Fire Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta as a teenager in 1996. As an undergraduate he studied Theatre and Creative Writing at the University of Alberta. He then went on to take the Post-Graduate Comedy Writing and Performance program at Humber College in Toronto. Kevin is one-half of the comedy duo Scratch (with Arlen Konopaki), which has toured several times across Canada, Europe and Australia (highlights include appearances at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the English Theatre of Berlin, and the Vancouver International Improv Festival). So far the Scratch boys have written