Basic Marketing Overview:
12 WEEKS OUT
Contact talent, sign contracts,project expenses, review riders and make deposits.
Meet with sponsors, concert committee & promotions committee to finalize promotional strategy.
Finalize ticket prices.
Reserve any equipment (refer to artist's rider) such as sound, staging and lighting.
10 WEEKS OUT
In house ticket sales program and teams confirmed.
Outside Ticket sales program and teams confirmed.
Promotional materials ordered.(posters, flyers, tickets, radio/TV spots, etc.)
Radio/TV spot schedule determined with sales office of radio/TV station.
Contact local newspapers about featuring a story on an artist and the concert.
Begin running "teaser" radio spots announcing concert and on sale date.
6 WEEKS OUT
Tickets should go on sale, if not done so before now.
Promotional materials (flyers, posters, etc.) distributed.
Confirm ad placement and cover stories.
Send group email to potential ticket buyers.
5 WEEKS OUT
Direct mail piece should be sent. It is helpful to utilize direct mail companies that can do target mailings to specific demographics. Please target churches in this mailing as well.
Flyers should be placed in local church bulletins.
Contact local youth pastors/music ministers regarding special group rates, contests, meeting times, etc.
4 WEEKS OUT
2 WEEKS OUT
WEEK OF SHOW
ADVERTISING & PUBLICITY
Begin full radio advertising campaign and establish contest/giveaway schedule.
Any event day personnel needing to be hired, should be contacted at this time.
Contact caterer and identify menus and number of meals.
3 WEEKS OUT
TV advertising (if any) begins.
Organize, invite and hold a local youth pastor/music minister luncheon to encourage them to purchase group tickets for their parishioners.
Contact local groups and para-church organizations (college Christian organizations, women's groups, Bible study groups, etc.) for group purchases.
Follow-up calls made to all key recipients of direct mail piece.
Create information gathering card to be distributed to concert attendees. Card should request information such as name, address, email address, age group, etc. This is a key source of information for use in future concert promotions.
Analyze ticket sales and modify promotional campaign accordingly.
Finalize all personnel for day of show.
Contact artist management for last minute artist details.
Finalize all mail-order and group ticket sales.
Promoter is expected to do a direct mailing to regional churches and individuals in concert market 5-8 weeks prior to concert date. Regional churches are willing to provide you their mailing lists.
High schools, colleges, and universities should also be considered as "key" regional groups for a direct mail piece. Many colleges will allow you to stuff mailboxes at certain designated times. Others may charge a small fee for the service.
POSTERS & FLYERS
Be sure to blanket your area with a sufficient number of posters and flyers. Don't limit yourself to just churches and high schools. Be sure to cover all the bases: local retailers (pizza shops, arcades, sporting good stores, gas stations, etc.) and non-profit organizations (YMCA, public libraries, etc.). Always be sure to ask first before hanging posters in some of these areas. Additionally, it is common courtesy to remove the posters following the concert date.
Often a second run is needed two weeks prior to the date as posters and/or flyers get knocked down or are defaced.
Distributing flyers at other concerts in the area prior to your date is always effective. Be sensitive and ask the "other" promoter as to the manner which is most acceptable and the least threatening (ie: after the show vs. intermission.)
RADIO
Make sure to utilize both Christian and mainstream radio. Besides targeting the top contemporary Christian station, incorporate spots on the most popular CHR and rock stations.
Focus the rotation of spots on drive times, Saturday mornings, Thursday & Friday nights, etc. Besides the regular schedule of rotating spots, be sure to include concert information on all community bulletin boards, concert calendars, etc.
Be sure to personally invite all important station personnel to the concert. You may offer comp tickets, but use discretion so that you don't end up giving all of your tickets away.
Host/promoting stations are obviously ideal sources for an MC for the concert. Make sure to get approval from management before giving a presenting slot to a radio station.
Contact the manager's office to arrange call-in interviews by the artist to the local Christian radio station.
TELEVISION
While being probably the most expensive medium to utilize, with the right type of spot placement, television can yield the greatest results. Whether you're dealing with commercial, cable or public, make a point to become informed on the demographics of the stations in consideration.
When buying time, target programs that appeal to the expected age of your audience attendees.
NEWSPAPERS / LOCAL PUBLICATIONS
Be sure to utilize both larger metropolitan papers as well as smaller community papers. When talking with editors, besides including the concert announcement in a community events section, make a pitch for an interview or feature story and placement of a photograph.
Be sure to contact area college and high school papers. Generally, these publications are always in need of material and often have a strong focus on entertainment.
Contact the management office to ensure that the artist's publicist and you are communicating and working together on interviews, newspaper stories or features, etc.
TELEMARKETING
When first designing your promotional campaign, be sure to include both time and manpower to cover this area. All too often this area is overlooked. Putting a voice to what you're putting out in print can make the difference.
Key calls should include talking with pastors, youth pastors and music ministers in your area. The goal should be not only to inform them of the concert date and the ticket price breaks for groups but also to educate them on the focus and integrity of the artist's ministry. You should call a minimum of 50 churches in your region, and considerably more in some cases.
Experiencing Worship, The Study