Sometimes when I read Broadway twitter streams I feel like I am watching an episode of MTV’s My Super Sweet 16. Yes, this sounds ludicrous, but let me explain.
For those of you not familiar with the show, it is built around a bratty child and the days that lead up to their extravaganza of a birthday party. Mainly it consists of watching teenagers kiss up as much as possible to world’s most spoiled child so that they may go to the magical fiesta extreme that is the celebration of Miss Nasty Pants’ 16th birthday. But here is the catch, at the end of every episode we watch as Miss Diva loses all her friends as soon as the party is over. Yes, attendees might still say hi in the hallways, but they will no longer kiss Miss Prissy Pants’ butt.
I know, you’re scratching your head asking, “How does this show relate to Broadway & twitter?”
Recently there has been a surge of Broadway shows & etc raffling off tickets & merchandise via twitter. Strategically, I am guessing they think this will build their following & social media presence. It is helping them gain followers. But when they aren’t willing to give out free tickets anymore for answering silly trivia or being the nth person to RT them, will people be as eager to support the show virally? Probably not. Sure, people won’t stop following them on twitter, but they will stop paying them the same type of attention they did when free gifts were in the mix. Like the sweet sixteener, they become just another casual “hey” in the hallways.
Some would argue that the trick is just to offer tickets consistently. But, what good does that really do? If you have to persuade people to like you, then they don’t really like you. Also, by raffling tickets to your followers, there’s a good chance that someone who would have purchased a ticket, had there not been a raffle, would win. If that happens, the show’s losses are double. First their out the price of the ticket they raffled. Second their out the price of the ticket their follower would have purchased. Overtime, if a follower can only win once, the shows profitability and the lure to attentively follow are less. Law of diminishing returns anyone?
What these shows are failing to realize is that an experience is more than just a product, it’s a memory. Give aways are focusing on the tangible rather then promoting the wonderful experience live theater offers. I don’t blame theater companies for missing the mark. It’s hard to make an experience on a world class stage translate into a 140 characters 10 times a day. But, it is possible.
While no show on Broadway twitter account, and for that matter no theater related one, is doing everything correct (or nearly correct), I would like to highlight a shows that is trying to think outside the box & gain followers without bribing users with the chance at free tickets. (Disclaimer: this show still has quite a way to go before mastering the art of experiential marketing on twitter.)
Rock of Ages (@RockOfAges) attempts to recreate the tone of show via their tweets. The majority of their communications are 80’s themed and carry the same cocky tone as the show’s narrator, Lonny. Though this tone is at times inconsistent it does help share the feeling of the play. I like how it presents itself as addition rather than replacement (such as in N2N’s case) for the show.
At the end of the day, you gain loyal followers by being germane. Relevancy can’t be purchased, it can only be earned. While shows on the great white way are trying to make a splash with social media, they are lacking this crucial element.
In Conclusion 2 thoughts:
1. No one will buy what they can get for free.
2. You can’t buy love, but you can buy temporary affection.
