Fringe Marketing – What We Do

Registration contributes to the Festival marketing campaign:

• Festival Guide (50,000 copies)* • Festival Website • eNews • Print Material (posters, catalogues, maps, flyers, postcards) • Advertising (print, digital and radio) • Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube • Signage • Promotions • Information Booth • Market Research • Festival Publicity

*this is where your image, blurb and event details will appear Social media Talk to Press people

Giveaways & Identify your Email Discounts audiences

Collateral Advertising

Free event listings

Public relations recommendations

Embargo date: 10th Couple of questions

What makes your event/performance unique or special?

There will be around 450 events in this year’s . Why would the media be interested in yours? Take some time to think about what makes your event different and any interesting angles that might appeal to the media and the general public.

Don’t be a wallflower. You need to have a story to tell, a willingness to get up and tell it.

Who is your Target Audience?

It’s essential to work out who your target audience is. This assists you in creating appropriate publicity material and also helps you in sending your publicity materials to relevant media outlets. The Media Release

Your media release is the cornerstone of your publicity campaign. It is your most valuable tool in communicating information about your event to the media. The more exciting or captivating your release is, the more likely you are to attract the media’s attention and have it covered.

Keep Your Media Release to one A4 Page. Journalists will request more information if they require it. Think of an interesting title and include it in the email subject line. Anything clever, funny or captivating will be more likely to be opened by the journalist. Include an attractive image. Have a high-resolution version (1MB and 300Dpi) should the journalist request it. Check for errors. Check (and then double check) for any spelling, grammatical and factual errors. Make sure the contact details are correct. Make sure you have the correct contact details for the person who is coordinating your media. Keep your phone on you – journalists often won’t call back twice. Acknowledge partners or sponsors. If you have sponsors, make sure you include a one-line mention to recognise their support. Media release Month 2017

Snappy, encapsulating headline HERE

INTRO PAR: This should be the most interesting, exciting, successful or bizarre thing about your show – the biggest hook to get the journo interested in reading on. Does it use live sheep? Is it the first time a fringe show has been performed in a dentist surgery?

WHAT: is the show about? PIC GOES HERE WHO: is doing the show? If they are a performer and do - colour something else interesting as a job, like make beanies for dogs, - this should go in too. striking - in QUOTE: from performer about why they were compelled to focus! make it the work

WHY: Raison d’etre behind show (the most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence)

PAST AWARDS AND PRODUCTIONS or QUOTES: from past reviews. Make sure to include who the review was from eg John Bailey, The Age.

Show title Dates Location Tickets Contact details The Follow Up

Don’t be afraid to follow up by phone or email. It is important that you call or email journalists to check that they received your media release and to check if they require further information, are interested in arranging an interview or wish to cover your event. Don’t harass anyone. Journalists are very busy people and as such they can be very hard to catch. Leave one brief phone message with your contact details and your spiel or send a polite email. Think laterally. Think laterally and try other sections of the paper if you’re having no success e.g. try the science section if your Fringe event has a science element to it. Be prompt in responding. Journalists often request things when they are on deadline and they need information promptly. An hour or two can be the difference between being covered or not. Be prepared. Prepare yourself before you pick up the phone. Make sure you know where your event is on, what time, how to book tickets Be contactable. If a journalist does call you, you want to take the call. They are unlikely to call twice. Activate your voicemail and check it. Images

A great image is a crucial part of any successful publicity campaign. Make sure your images have something that grabs attention.

Size matters. Jpeg images must be at least 300dpi, 1MB and approx. 10cm square so they offer good quality print but not too big to email. If you have a landscape and a portrait option, provide both

Make sure your image is a strong one. NO text or watermarks. Photos should be labeled. Label your JPG files with your event and contact name.

If there are people in your image, make sure you have confirmation that you can use them to represent your event in print or online.

Production images are useful for media when they have reviewed a show. Send us your production images so I can have them on file for media requests. NO

YES!

NO And then

Biographies

Prepare biographies for your key personnel to send to journalists when requested. If a journalist requests an interview with someone from your production, it’s very helpful if you can supply more detailed information on the person prior to the interview.

Doing Interviews Be on time. Bring along your event information in dot points for quick reference. Be prepared. Interviews can be face to face or on the phone (or even via email). The journalist will tell you which they would prefer. What’s On websites

- City of Melbourne/That’s Melbourne http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Whatson/Pages/Whatson.aspx

- Event Finder www.Eventfinder.com.au

- Everguide: http://promote.everguide.com.au/

- Eventful http://eventful.com/events

- Tourism Victoria http://my.visitvictoria.com/register.asp

- Faster Louder http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/

- Live Guide http://www.liveguide.com.au

- Niteguide http://www.niteguide.com.au/Events

- A list Guide http://www.alistguide.com.au/

- Worldweb http://www.melbourne.worldweb.com/Melbourne/Events/AllEvents/ Background

As the publicists for Melbourne Fringe Festival we are always on the lookout for great stories about you, the incredible talent that make Fringe.

We have your media releases and your images, but now we need more! The following questions below will help us build stories, through local media, niche media and who knows what media.

Where do you live now? Where did you grow up?

Do you come from a particular cultural background?

Has art always been your career? If not, what other study or careers have you pursued?

Is there something unique about you or your story that has influenced your work? Do you have a personal life story, quirky passion, hobby or interest?

Advise on your availability for interviews?

[email protected] Richard Watts • ArtsHub’s National Performing Arts Editor and Deputy Editor • The host of 3RRR’s flagship arts program Liz McGillivray and Will Spencer Fringe FAQs

Tues 20th June: Money

Tues 4th July: Access

Tues 18th July: Marketing

Tues 1st August: Social Media

Tues 29th August: Tour Ready