I received an email over Labor Day Weekend from Chad Bauman, Marketing Director for Virgina Stage Company asking me if I would add his Arts Marketing Blog to my blog. At the time there weren't too many entries and I wasn't about to link to a site that only had two entries. After a week I visited again and saw it was coming along so I added it to my list of links on the right.
As I delved further, I discovered that not only does the theatre have their regular website and Chad's blog (though his is general topics as well as about VA Stage), but they also have a MySpace site. (VA Stage is apparently a Capricorn) According to Chad, MySpace drives twice as much traffic to the organization website as Google does. I have actually had people suggest we advertise on MySpace and am now really beging to ponder it.
Even more compelling is an article on the Chronicle of Higher Education website today detailing why Allegheny College went to a lot of trouble to create a rather detailed page on MySpace.
The site has become an integral part of Allegheny’s public-relations plan, Mr. Richwalsky says, but it was created "out of necessity": Campus officials worried that if they didn’t lock up the "alleghenycollege" login name, someone else would create an unofficial (and less flattering) profile for the college.
The plethora of unflattering material on MySpace was part of the reason I have been reticent to advertise on the site. But I suppose there is just as much danger of someone putting up a regular website at www.Joestheatresucks.com.
Back to VA Stage though. They fill out their online presence (at least that I have discovered thus far) with a blog of their own. The blog contains entries and sketches from the costume designers, a copy of the annual report and video and audio clips from the rehearsals of their current show.
I have been pushing for theatres to put together blogs about productions for awhile now so I am happy to point out examples when I find them. Now granted, it takes a lot of time to maintain and monitor all these sites. But it doesn't have to be expensive. Both VA Stage and Chad's blogs are hosted on Blogger which is free as is the MySpace account. The video clip is hosted on YouTube-also free. So if you have more time than money (or skilled volunteer help at least) it is possible to expand your organization's exposure and presence on the cheap.
NB-It occurs to me now that I have published this entry that there are obvious impediments to the whole concept of simple and cheap. The reproduction and transmission of an artists performance is often protected by copyright and/or a union. Set and costume designs are likewise protected by copyright. In these days when intellectual property rights are so strongly defended, an organization would do well to secure permissions before posting any sort of image or recording online.
Posted by Joe at 11:44 PM Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (4) | Categories: Marketing/PRCopyrights are such an "interesting" problem. For community theatre, would still photos of the final set and performers be subject to the whims of the copyright holder of the playwright? Or of the designers for that show? Do you know of a good (or bad) web site that details some of the copyright issues for live theatre?
Posted by: Michael Clark at September 14, 2006 2:54 AM