Toronto the Good
A summer musical about Toronto in the 1890’s
Artword Theatre
75 Portland Street, Toronto ON M5V 2M9
 

Tel: (416) 408-1146
Fax: (416) 408-0532
website: www.artword.net
email: artword@artword.net
Marketing Plan

Publicity

Artword has an ongoing relationship with Josée Duranleau of Duranleau Publicity, who looks after all media relations, excluding advertising. An advance press release has already gone out.

Print Advertising

Our standard advertising includes Now, Eye. the Toronto Star Live Theatre Directory and the Globe and Mail Arts and Entertainment Directory. This time, we will also be taking out advance ads in the Toronto Star and optionally the Globe and Mail. We are also looking a smaller newspapers that connect to specific target communities, including the Gleaner newspapers, the Mirror chain and the Mississauga News.
Other print advertising targets tourist publications. We have taken out ads in Where Toronto and in Great Toronto Getaways (Buffalo editions, May and July). We are currently researching other publications that can reach tourists.
We currently have an ad in the program of Video Cab’s production, The Mackenzie-Papineau Rebellion, playing at the Cameron House until June 2.

Group Sales

We are working with Group Sales International on group sales. They are very positive about the success of group sales for Toronto the Good, partly because the subject matter will be very saleable, and also because there is shortage of theatre activity in Toronto this summer.

Sponsorships

We will increase the amount of print advertising through two types of sponsorships:

Negotiations are currently underway.

Radio

Radio will be an effective medium for this show. We will make the best deal we can with a mainstream radio station for a sponsorship/ad package. If possible, we will have two sponsorships – one with a Toronto station and one with WAVE 98 in Hamilton, who have offered us a very good deal in the past, and who reach into Mississauga. We hope to piggyback on radio advertising by our corporate sponsor.

Television

We are looking into a sponsorship/ad package with a cable station.

Web

his is an area of high potential. Increasingly, tourists and 905ers are using the web to plan their activities. We have a fine web site of our own, and many of the tourist sites already link to it. However, there is much more to be done. We are currently researching tourist sites, and linking to them and joining them where appropriate. We are also using the web as a source of information for tourist agencies and tour operators.

Hotels and B&Bs

In the past we have given information to concierges and Bed and Breakfast operators. This time we will be doing much more to get these influential people on our side. One of our preview nights will be a Hospitality Night for concierges and people in the tourist industry.

Dinner/Show Package

An important aspect of our promotional plan is our dinner/show package with Innocenti. Our marketing targets tourists and people who live in the GTO but outside the downtown area. They are looking for a full evening out, and don’t know what restaurant to go to. The convenience and assurance of a restaurant right across the street is very attractive.

Posters, postcards and flyers

We will distribute 1000 full-colour posters, 11x17, through Grassroots Advertising. In addition, we will be distributing postcards for racks. We have a very good price on four-colour printing. The total number of posters and flyers printed will be determined by distribution requirements.

Direct Mail

We have a mailing list of 1400 names, carefully maintained, of people who have come to Artword and requested to be on the list. We send a regular "What’s On at Artword" newsletter approximately every three months. An online version of the newsletter is always available on our website.
For Toronto the Good, we plan, in addition to our regular newsletter, to mail an advance booking form, offering a discount for early bird sales.

Unaddressed Mail

Artword is located in an area of rapid condo development. We plan to use the Canada Post unaddressed mail services that can target this postal code area. Other areas may also be targeted.

Email List

We maintain an list of email addresses of people who requested to be notified of Artword events, and will send notices.