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Our Marketing team at Adelaide Fringe has put together this marketing strategy guide, packed with tips and tools to help you craft your very own marketing plan for your event. We know getting your show seen can feel like a big mountain to climb, especially if it's your first time participating in Fringe. This guide is designed to make that journey a little smoother.

By working through the templates and tools outlined here, you’ll gain a much clearer understanding of your event, who your audience is, and how to best use various marketing channels to get the most out of your Fringe season and even beyond.

Contents

Crafting Your Marketing Strategy

Stepping onto the Adelaide Fringe stage for the first time is incredibly exciting! But with so many amazing shows on offer, how do you make sure yours shines brightly? A well-thought-out marketing strategy is your secret weapon. This guide breaks down the essential elements you’ll need to consider, from understanding your show’s unique selling points to reaching the right people and managing your budget wisely.

Download the Template

Download the Marketing Strategy Guide PDF

Use the editable Marketing Strategy Template

Show Objectives Template

Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of marketing, it’s a great idea to identify what you actually want to achieve with your Fringe season. These objectives should be realistic and something you can measure. Think about what success looks like for your show. Is it about selling a certain number of tickets, connecting with other artists and industry professionals, or perhaps getting specific reviews?

Here are some examples of what your objectives might look like:

  • Audience Growth: Aim to grow your email database by 10% or increase your social media followers by 15%.
  • Sales Goal: If you've performed before, perhaps you want to increase ticket sales by 10% from your previous year.
  • Professional Growth: Maybe you're looking to attend a few Honey Pot sessions and network with Australian festival representatives to expand your connections.

SWOT Analysis Template

A SWOT analysis is a fantastic tool to help you get a clear picture of your show's position. It’s a framework that helps you pinpoint your Strengths, acknowledge your Weaknesses, identify exciting Opportunities, and recognise any potential Threats or challenges.

  • Strengths: What makes your show truly unique? Why would the media be interested in it? Have you had past successes, awards, or a loyal audience? Think about your brand reputation, any accolades, or the talent and experience of your crew.
  • Weaknesses: What challenges might you face? Do you need to overcome any specific hurdles? Are there resources or skills you might be missing to hit your objectives? This could include financial constraints for production or promotion, a higher ticket price compared to similar shows, or any skill gaps within your team. For instance, a higher ticket price like $60 for an adult ticket might be a weakness if similar comedy shows are priced between $30-$50.
  • Opportunities: What does your audience or the media want right now? What could be your unique selling proposition? Are there any current trends or news stories you could tap into to promote your show? Consider changing consumer behaviour, the desire for diverse audiences, interactive elements, or potential collaborations with other artists. For example, if your show is about food and drink, an opportunity could be to introduce a wine tasting element.
  • Threats: Who are your competitors? What are the risks that could prevent you from achieving your goals? This might include economic volatility, logistical issues like an inaccessible venue, or the impact of negative reviews. An example could be if your venue isn't accessible for wheelchair users.

Ticket Buyer Persona Template

Before you start spending on advertising, it’s really important to know exactly who you're trying to reach – your target market. A great starting point is to look at any previous ticketing data you might have or even your social media followers. If this is your very first show, consider your existing networks – your family and friends can be a great initial audience.

Sometimes, the theme of your show can give you a clue. For example, a comedy show about being a teacher would likely appeal to actual teachers. Consider developing a ticket buyer persona, which is a fictional representation of your ideal audience member. This helps you figure out how to best pitch your show to them.

Think about these aspects when building your persona:

Basic Information:

  • Age Range: For example, 28-40.
  • Gender: Females, Males, LGBTQIA+.
  • Occupation: Tradies, corporate professionals, nurses.
  • Location: City dwellers, suburban residents, regional residents.

Psychographic Information:

  • Interests/Hobbies: Live music, going to bars, socialising with friends.
  • Values: Community engagement, experiencing new things.
  • Lifestyle: Active, tech-savvy.

Behavioural Insights:

  • Buying Motivation: Celebrating special occasions.
  • Buying Preference: Fuss-free online ticket purchasing.

Communication Preferences:

  • Communication Channels: Social media updates, email marketing.

Ticket Purchasing Behaviour:

  • Budget: Are they looking for $10, $30, or $50 tickets?
  • Decision Factor: What influences their decision? Is it the show's reputation, the accessibility of the location, reading reviews, or the price?

Marketing Touchpoints and Tactics Template

This template will help you brainstorm a range of tactics to achieve your show's goals and objectives. Your tactics can involve a variety of channels:

  • Social media platforms: Think Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others.
  • Digital advertising: Online ads on various platforms.
  • Print advertising: Traditional ads in newspapers or magazines.
  • Press & Media: Engaging with journalists and reviewers.
  • Networks: Leveraging your existing connections.

When developing your tactics, always consider the best ways to engage with your Ticket Buying Personas. It's often said that it takes around seven 'touchpoints' – or interactions – to convert someone into buying a ticket.

Here’s an example of how to link your objectives to your tactics:

  • Objective: Grow your email database to 2,000 subscribers.
  • Strategy: Run a prize giveaway to encourage sign-ups.
  • Tactic: Launch a sign-up campaign on Facebook using a $100 budget.
  • Metric: Track the number of new email subscribers you gain.

Marketing Budget Template

Creating a marketing budget is absolutely essential. It helps ensure your advertising efforts are based on realistic prospective ticket sales. When you're setting your overall show costs and anticipating income, we generally recommend that the box office income you need to reach your break-even point should be no more ambitious than selling 20% to 25% of your total ticket inventory. It’s best to avoid assuming you’ll sell a high percentage of your tickets, especially if this is your first Fringe or if previous seasons haven't sold out. To reduce financial risks, it's really important to have a clear pricing strategy and understand your break-even point.

1. When setting your ticket prices, consider the following:

  • Audience Demographics: How much are your target audience likely willing to pay?
  • Competitive Analysis: Look at what similar shows at Fringe are charging.
  • Value Proposition: Make sure your ticket price reflects the perceived value of your performance and aligns with the general pricing at Fringe.
  • Be smart with any discount pricing.
  • Make the most of the price type offers available through Fringe, such as the Fringe Membership and Lumo Flash Sale.

2. Calculating the Break-Even Point (BEP):

To figure out your break-even point, you'll need to:

  • Identify your costs: This includes your registration fee, venue hire, marketing expenses, technical crew, and cast wages.
  • Identify your potential earnings: This can come from funds you raise through grants, sponsors, crowdfunding, private investment, and of course, your box office income.

Once you have a handle on these figures, you can use our marketing budget template to wisely allocate your advertising spend. As a rough guide, your marketing budget should typically be about 10% of your anticipated revenue. So, if you expect to sell $5,000 worth of tickets, you should budget approximately $500 for marketing.

Summary

  • Clearly define your show's objectives before you start any marketing activities.
  • Use a SWOT analysis to understand your show's unique position and identify areas for growth.
  • Develop ticket buyer personas to truly understand your audience and tailor your marketing messages.
  • Strategically plan your marketing tactics and budget, keeping your break-even point in mind.

Additional Resources

We’ve put together some helpful templates and further reading to support your marketing journey: