Entering its 15th season, Halifax's well-loved theatre company was in desperate need of a boost. Attendance and revenues were both dropping, due to weather, competitive factors and reduced marketing efforts. Impact was contracted to help rejuvenate the brand in the public's eye.
We looked at attendance data for previous years to determine the core audience. Although Shakespeare is seen to be a more conservative and 'safe' entertainment choice, the plays' venue, Point Pleasant Park, and the company's unique take on the traditional stories, make it a destination for a younger, hipper crowd. The brand needed to resonate with this core group, who are actively looking for places to go out with friends, as well as an older demographic who are more traditionally patrons of the arts.
We developed a fresh and playful campaign that put a twist on the plays' themes by combining them with modern and not-so-modern characters from popular culture. We used a variety of media, including online, print, radio and TV. The results were just what the doctor ordered, nearly doubled attendance and revenues over the 2007 season.
