The Poster Post
The Wallace Foundation has been funding a number of studies around the country for the last ten or so years aiming at "building arts participation" - especially in rural communities through the broad swath of what the cosmopolitan arts crowd might call the "fly-over zone." But rural communities exist all over the country - even within hours of the largest metropolitan areas. Indio and Sonora California, the Catskills, Southern Vermont, Eastern Pennsylvania and Northwest Washington State are all excellent examples.
Among the many pragmatic pieces of information generated by these studies was where people in these communities receive (and look for) information about arts events. The number one source: newspapers (56%). Second to that, radio, TV, then word-of-mouth.
Posters bring up the rear at a paltry 0.37%. I have railed against posters for years as a drain on limited marketing resources, only to have board-members-about-town button-hole me and demand to know why the posters weren't up or blame the lack of evident postering for a saggy box office report. Posters take heavy graphic design, color printing, expensive paper, and more importantly, a tremendous amount of time to distribute. Of all the outlets for information, they are also the least controlled: your poster can be stapled over, removed, or soaked by rain no later than the minute after you turn your back to walk to the next poster site.
Posters end up in coffee shops near the toilet, in bookstores near the toilet, in grocery stores near the employee break room, in the back seat of your volunteer's car, and in doorways where smokers hang out.
Sure, if you've already developed a nice graphic and you have some extra dough or a great relationship with a printer - go ahead, hang a few posters. They draw nice attention to the windows and doors of your theatre - especially if you're in a high traffic area. The degree of control you have over your own real estate eliminates most of the problems - but it does cut down on exposure.
I'm trying to dig up the original report on this, which got me so excited to write about in the first place, but I can't lay my hands on it at the moment. Check back in a few days, and I'll have the sources added to this post.
Among the many pragmatic pieces of information generated by these studies was where people in these communities receive (and look for) information about arts events. The number one source: newspapers (56%). Second to that, radio, TV, then word-of-mouth.
Posters bring up the rear at a paltry 0.37%. I have railed against posters for years as a drain on limited marketing resources, only to have board-members-about-town button-hole me and demand to know why the posters weren't up or blame the lack of evident postering for a saggy box office report. Posters take heavy graphic design, color printing, expensive paper, and more importantly, a tremendous amount of time to distribute. Of all the outlets for information, they are also the least controlled: your poster can be stapled over, removed, or soaked by rain no later than the minute after you turn your back to walk to the next poster site.
Posters end up in coffee shops near the toilet, in bookstores near the toilet, in grocery stores near the employee break room, in the back seat of your volunteer's car, and in doorways where smokers hang out.
Sure, if you've already developed a nice graphic and you have some extra dough or a great relationship with a printer - go ahead, hang a few posters. They draw nice attention to the windows and doors of your theatre - especially if you're in a high traffic area. The degree of control you have over your own real estate eliminates most of the problems - but it does cut down on exposure.
I'm trying to dig up the original report on this, which got me so excited to write about in the first place, but I can't lay my hands on it at the moment. Check back in a few days, and I'll have the sources added to this post.
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