Fun and Games with Mobile Marketing (for your Theater)

Photo courtesy of digitaltrends.com

I know my posts have been a little more businesslike than artistic as of late, so I'm going to explain a little bit about why my marketing-themed blogging is important.

• First, when the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts says that the problem with theater non-profits in America is that there is an over-supply of theaters and not enough audience demand while data shows that the majority (51%) of the NEA's support in the form of grant money goes to only three out of fifty states (and nearly 35% of all NEA grant money is going exclusively to New York, Chicago and LA), there are some problems with representation in the theater funding world.  We need all the advantages we can get.

• Second, theaters are having trouble adapting to the culture change brought on by newer generations who are exposed to less arts education and generally are not suited to the traditionally passive activity of attending live theater.  While many theaters ARE adapting to cultural shifts and are managing to do it outside of NY, Chicago and LA, they're not marketing themselves well enough to get the word out about their fabulous innovations.

• Finally, much of this marketing information (with respect to social networks and mobile ads) is so new that NO ONE is an expert.  This makes learning and writing about these marketing strategies fresh and fun!

The Growing Importance of Mobile Ads

This data was released by Google at the end of a colorful video only a few weeks ago:

“71% of us search because we saw an ad both on traditional media (43% search after seeing a TV ad) and on our phones (17% search after seeing an ad on a mobile device).  And we’re acting: 9 out of 10 mobile users have taken action all thanks to a smart phone search.  The simple fact is: Mobile Ads work.

Recall seeing a mobile ad?  You’re not alone: 82% of users notice mobile ads yet 79% of top advertisers don’t have a mobile optimized website.  It’s important to build a good mobile user experience because if we see a mobile ad we tend to click on the ad (42%), visit the advertiser’s site (35%), make a purchase (49%), or call the business (27%).  Don’t miss the mobile movement; mobilize your marketing to reach the new Smartphone consumer.”  

Is this relevant to your theater?  Certainly, because Google also released that a huge percentage of users (95%) are searching for local businesses to meet their needs and 49% of local searches done by users are looking for entertainment.  They could be searching for you; are you putting yourself out there?  If so, is your website's  mobile experience pleasant for the user (meaning, do you have a mobile optimized website)?

In the same report, Google discusses how inseparable Smartphone users are from their mobile devices, including the fact that

• 93% use their phones at home (where their laptops and desktops are accessible).
• 72% use their phones while "consuming other media." A third of that use is while watching TV.
• 39% use their phones while they're in the bathroom .
• 20% would rather give up their cable TV before giving up their phones.

With this in mind, it may be more of a sacrifice for audiences than you think when you ask patrons to turn off their cell phones before a performance. What I propose is that theaters begin to embrace the mobile habits of their audience.  

Fun and Games for the Smartphone Crowd

Louis Vitton QR Code created by Takashi Murakami for SET.
Courtesy Engadget.com

Pimp Your QR Codes

• I love QR Codes, those magical barcodes that can be scanned by a smartphone to launch an offline-to-online experience.  Now there is technology to personalize QR codes to include colors, pictures, even your logo.  Use it.  Be artsy with it.  More people will scan your codes and reach your website.

Wait, how am I using QR Codes?

• I'm glad you asked, because the possibilities are numerous.  I've been using them for years to create scavenger hunts for my friends and family (looks like others have finally started following suit).  If anyone wants the birthday present I got them, they have to scan the QR codes I've placed around the house, neighborhood or city and crack the riddles that appear when scanned.  Each riddle leads to the next QR Code location which ultimately leads the player to their birthday gift.  Obviously too many codes can make the game tiresome, so you should balance having enough clues to make the game worth playing, but not so many that they want to quit.  I stick with 9-12.
• Maybe it's because I watched Legends of the Hidden Temple too much as a kid, but I also set up obstacle courses and games which ultimately reward the user with a QR Code.  Also, users can earn special items (like my old baseball bat) to help them with the next challenge (breaking the piñata to find the QR Code hidden within).
• To get back to the point, QR Codes can link users from everything to text, pictures, music, youtube videos, your website... whatever you can think of.  You could put codes on the part of the theater ticket that the audience member will keep, in your programs, on refreshments (McDonald's monopoly taken to the next level?) or set up your own pre-show events with QR Code style fun and games that are on theme with your performance.  This would be great for murder mysteries, for example.
• Just remember: a QR is kind of like a scratcher card, it takes a bit of effort to uncover, so there should be a payoff!

By the way, there are Smartphone applications in existence to help you design and customize your own QR Codes, but I haven't tested them.  Other people have written how-to blogs for a DIY technique using a Photoshop-styled picture editor and trial and error.  The possibilities are Googlable!