Marketing and Publicity
Marketing is a very important part of putting on a show. Most productions recruit a dedicated Marketing Manager as part of their crew, and everyone involved in the production tends to chip in and help with marketing.
Usually, a basic marketing plan for an OUDS show will include:
Posters: these will usually be A3 and include art, titling, and performance details for your shows, as well as a QR code or link to your tickets. Be aware that some venues (such as the Burton-Taylor) have specific requirements about what information needs to be included on your poster, and some funding bodies will insist on your posters including their logo or name. Some venues (such as the Playhouse) will ask you to print larger versions of your posters as well, as they have space for A1 and A2 posters. Most people order a print run of about 50 posters from a company like Solopress. You can put up posters in most Colleges in Oxford, as well as most cafes and pubs – make sure you always ask the Porter/proprietor/etc in charge that it’s okay, though.
Flyers: these will usually be A5 or A6 and thematically consistent with your posters. These might be double sided, and include more blurb, photos, or other marketing information than your poster. Flyers can also be ordered from a company like Solopress.
Instagram: most Production Companies will have their own dedicated Instagram accounts, where they’ll post content about the show. This can include rehearsal photos, cast and crew reveals, interviews, bios, teasers, or anything else their Marketing Manager thinks of. Make sure you have people’s consent before publishing photos of them or their personal information (such as their name) online.
OUDS Instagram takeovers: the official @_ouds Instagram account offers productions the opportunity to “take over” their stories for a day in the run-up to their show. This is a good way of getting reach outside of your Company account’s pool of followers. There’s a form at the end of this page where you can sign up for an OUDS Instagram takeover.
Student press: you can get in touch with student newspapers, such as the Cherwell, Isis, Blue or Student, and invite them to come and review your show. It’s worth being aware that if you’d like your review to be published during your show week, you’ll have to ask for this explicitly – sometimes student papers have publication schedules that last a week or longer. Sometimes, student papers will also be able to do an interview with your director, cast, or anyone else on the production you’d like to be interviewed. It’s a good idea to get this in a few weeks before your opening night, so it’ll be published before your show opens.
The Termcard/Calendar: you can list your show dates on the OUDS Termcard (Instagram) and Calendar (Website Homepage), by filling in the form here.
Other: the limits of marketing are pretty much the limits of your marketing imagination (and, of course, the law). Many shows make trailers, collaborate with venues for gala nights, or advertise through more unconventional objects – for example, Matchbox Productions have made their marketing iconic by producing show-themed matchboxes for each of their productions and making them available at businesses around Oxford.