4 

Communicating 

your message

This chapter outlines a range of communication tools you can use in your

promotional campaign and what you need to know about producing

printed material. 

Promoting the arts can be a complex business because you're selling both a product and a

service. You're not selling art but rather the experience of it. For example, your product is

a dance show and customers consume an experience of an evening out. This begins from

the time they first become aware of the show (e.g. through a flyer or advertisement)

through to booking for the show, arriving at the venue, using the venue facilities and

experiencing the show.

The materials you produce to promote your show are referred to as communication tools

(see Tools to get across your message, page 29). A mix of tools, including posters, flyers,

media releases, press advertisements, and direct and indirect mail advertising will make up

your promotional campaign.

4

Working with the media will be a major part of your promotional campaign. Chapter six, The

media, discusses in detail how you can make the most of opportunities offered by the media.

Effective use of communication tools means that you:

  entice people to your event

  reduce or remove the barriers to purchasing a ticket

  engender customer loyalty

  encourage people to buy more tickets or to buy in a specific manner (e.g. to attend a

show on a specific day or in a group).

Branding

A brand helps consumers identify with a given product. To reach your various target markets,

you need to devise a simple message that is communicated consistently. This message should

capture the uniqueness of your product and is called the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). 

Think, for example, about the messages you would convey to your target markets if you

were promoting a comedy show. To your primary audience your main underlying

message might be: 

 You'll be sorry if you miss out on the fun with these top national comedians.  

27

Smart arts

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Toi huatau