Marketing Broadway

 "A general rule of thumb on Broadway is that only 30% of shows actually make back their original investment."-Randall Ringer (Narrative Branding)

Here are 3 marketing challenges that musicals have to overcome:

"1. Build an audience for an unknown show.  Also known as Audience Development.

2. Reduce the risk that the average audience member feels when buying a ticket.  For most people Broadway is a big treat, more expensive than a movie.

3. Reduce the risk of the producers who need to maximize their limited marketing budgets."

   

   Now Imagine the different challenges that the musical-film adaptations of these shows have to face. Many of the musical films that have been created in the past decade from famous Broadway musicals are not well known by the general population. Like several films that I have already discussed in this blog, the marketing techniques that the producers chose to use were to assume that the general public already knew that these were musical adaptations. The usual outcome and reaction by the demographic that watched the film for the first time in cinemas was that they had no idea that the whole movie would be singing. Movies like "Into the Woods" and "Sweeney Todd" are perfect examples of this marketing. This became a huge turn off and although the movies were profitable and successful because of their artistic value and celebrity castings, they also have become movies that people would never consider watching again. Many would prefer that these movies were advertised as musicals from the beginning, but would the movies have the same success if they were? 

   Very few musical movies have had the same success and have even been nominated for Academy Awards. For this specific genre the fact of the matter is that there is no right or wrong way to advertise in a right, fair way. Not all movies are like "Les Miserables" that everyone knows but the good thing is that these type of movies are usually casted well and are easily popular with their music and big budgets.

 URL:

http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=musical&sort=moviemeter,asc&title_type=feature

Website Title:

IMDb

   URL:

https://narrativebranding.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/marketing-the-broadway-musical-or-the-people-in-the-picture-on-broadway/

Article Title:

Marketing The Broadway Musical - or - The People In The Picture on Broadway

Website Title:

Narrative Branding

Publication date:

2011-04-26