Marketing Information Pack
Edinburgh 2015
Useful Contacts
Anthony Alderson
Hamish Morrow
DirectorGeneral Manager
anthony@pleasance.co.uk hamish@pleasance.co.uk
Stuart HurfordSam Smith
Marketing Manager
Design and Publicity Coordinator
stuart@pleasance.co.uksam@pleasance.co.uk
Ryan TaylorMatthew Dwyer
Head of ComedyTheatre Programmer
ryan@pleasance.co.ukmatthew@pleasance.co.uk
Amy ClampEmily Brazee
Associate ProducerPublications Coordinator
amy@pleasance.co.ukemily@pleasance.co.uk
Josephine TremellingAndres Velasquez
Production ManagerTechnical Manager
josephine@pleasance.co.ukandres@pleasance.co.uk
Yvonne Goddard
Jenny Hasley
Head of Finance
Finance and Admin Assistant
yvonne@pleasance.co.ukjenny@pleasance.co.uk
Chrissy AngusDan Smiles
Box Office Manager
Front of House Manager
chrissy@pleasance.co.ukfoh@pleasance.co.uk
Megan Davies-Varnier
Box Office Supervisor
megan@pleasance.co.uk
Key Contact Information:
Admin: 0207 619 6868 | Box Office: 0207 609 1800
Pleasance Theatre Trust, Carpenters Mews, North Road, Islington, London, N7 9EF
Pleasance Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales: Charity Number 1050944, and in Scotland: SC043227
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Welcome
Welcome to the Pleasance! Now that your slot in our
Edinburgh Programme has been confirmed, the next
thing to think about is marketing your show.
As you most likely already know, the Edinburgh Festival
is a hugely crowded marketplace. In 2014 the Fringe
Office reported 3,193 different shows in 299 venues
across the duration of the festival. As such, it’s not
enough to simply put on a great performance; if no one
knows about it then you won’t sell many tickets!
Fortunately, while there are a huge number of shows
competing for attention, there is also an equally large
captive audience, actively looking for things to do.
However, we don’t specifically market any Pleasance
shows on an individual basis.
The marketing contra that you pay goes towards the
overall Pleasance campaign, including your entry into
our brochure, which we then distribute extensively
throughout the city all month. By promoting the venue
as a whole we’re responsible for driving customers
through our doors; it’s then down to you to sell them
your show!
Rest assured we’re here every step of the way to offer
assistance and support.
Please read this information pack carefully, as we’ve
tried to answer as many questions as possible and give
you a few pointers to get you started...
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Budget
Every company has a different budget, which means there will never be a one-size-fits-all
solution to marketing a show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
However, as a rough guide we recommend that you allocate a minimum marketing spend
of £10 per seat, per week of your run, in order to fully promote the show to the required
level.
For example, if you’re performing in a 100 seat venue for three weeks, you should be
spending £3,000 on marketing. This is a rough calculation and will not be applicable to all
companies, so please talk to us if you have concerns about your budget.
Advertising
Spend your money wisely.
The main outlay is likely to be advertising, so be sure to do your research. Work out
exactly who the target audience is for your particular show and think about the best way
to reach them in order to avoid wasting money unnecessarily.
Certain festival-focussed magazines and websites have a blanket reach across Edinburgh
and will be perfect for raising awareness of a high profile show, but an up-and-coming
company in a 50 seat venue may well be lost amongst the noise. Far better to focus your
resources on more targeted forms of promotion.
The Pleasance sets up a selection of media partnerships each year with key festival
brands, entitling you to favourable advertising rates.
Useful Contacts:
Sheri Friers
The List
Email: sheri.friers@list.co.uk
George Sully
The Skinny and Fest Magazine
Email: george@festmag.co.uk
* See additional sheets for example advertising packages and discounted costs
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Design
In a festival environment, a show can live or die by its flyer.
With so many shows on offer, each potential audience member is likely to give your flyer
only a few seconds - if that - to make an impact. As such, if there’s one thing that you need
to get right, it’s your design.
The most successful designs are simple, recognisable and are able to instantly convey the
overall feel of your show at a single glance.
It’s important to have continuity across all areas of your marketing campaign (posters,
flyers, brochure listings, print adverts, website banners, etc.) so we strongly recommend
hiring a professional designer to produce your concept.
Pleasance Recommends:
Rebecca Pitt
Freelance Graphic Designer
Email: rebeccapitt86@gmail.com
Print
Posters and flyers are an essential part of every single Edinburgh Fringe marketing
strategy.
Flyers must not be larger than A5 (148mm x 210mm).
Posters must not be larger than B2 (500 x 707 mm).
In the interests of treating all our companies fairly, any oversized print cannot be
displayed on site.
All designs must be submitted to stuart@pleasance.co.uk and sam@pleasance.co.uk
before printing, to be approved and officially signed off.
Any print that has not been approved may not be displayed on site.
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All print must include:
•
•
•
•
•
Pleasance logo (Courtyard or Dome, available from our website)
Dates of run
Time of performance
Website address (www.pleasance.co.uk)
Edinburgh Box Office telephone number (0131 556 6550)
You might also like to include additional information such as ticket prices, the venue
address or the running time of your show, but these are not compulsory requirements.
Print Quantities
For a full festival run, we recommend ordering 7,000 flyers and 100 posters.
We require 100 flyers and 25 posters for our displays around the venue. You are welcome
to judge your own print quantities, but it is important to understand that we do not have
the space to store print on your behalf.
Delivery
For your convenience, we are happy to take delivery of your promotional print. Please
arrange for your print to be clearly marked with your company name and show title and
delivered to Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ.
Your print should be delivered on Thursday 30th July. The venue will not be staffed
before this point, so deliveries will not be accepted and we can take no responsibility for
lost or missing print.
Our reception opens to the public the week commencing 3rd August and all print must
be collected in full before this point.
Pleasance Recommends:
Gary Clark
PWPFS Print
Email: gary@pwpfs.com
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Distribution
Our street team is in place to boost the profile of the venue and our entire programme
over the course of the Fringe Festival; unfortunately they are not able to promote
individual shows.
Therefore you will need to arrange street team activity for your show, whether using
members of your own company or an external agency like Out of Hand.
If you do choose to employ the services of Out of Hand then please be aware that as a
Pleasance show we have established preferential rates on your behalf.
Just quote PLEA15 when booking any of the packages below:
Indoor poster distribution
£70+ VAT per 100 posters (sizes A4, A3 & A2 only)
Flyer distribution, into branded racks
£70 + VAT per 1,000 flyers (sizes up to A5)
Flyer distribution, loose into various locations
£40 + VAT per 1,000 flyers (sizes up to A5)
Street team distribution
£25 + VAT per person, per hour (2 – 5 hours)
£20 + VAT per person, per hour (6 – 10 hours)
£18 + VAT per person, per hour (11 – 20 hours)
£16 + VAT per person, per hour (20+ hours)
(There is an additional 15% charge before 8am, after 9pm and on Sundays.)
Useful Contact:
Karen Deacon
Out of Hand Scotland
Email: karen.deacon@outofhandscotland.co.uk
Out of Hand are also responsible for booking all outdoor display space over the course of
the festival.
For more information, costs, locations and to book space, visit outofhandscotland.co.uk
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Pleasance tips for flyering your show...
•
Flyer people that fit your audience demographic, don’t waste print on just anyone.
•
Pick a selection of other shows with similar audiences to exit-flyer. (But do it respectfully!)
•
Steer clear of the Royal Mile, unless you’ve booked a timeslot on one of the Fringe Society performance stages. (See www.edfringe.com/participants/street-events)
•
Be able to sell your show in one concise sentence. (But be prepared to elaborate if asked.)
•
If someone’s not interested, leave them alone!
•
Never flyer the same group of people more than once. If you’ve done all you can in one area, move on to another.
•
If you’ve got costumes or branded t-shirts, wear them. It’s good to have a recognisable presence.
•
Don’t just slip a flyer onto a table in front of someone and walk away. (But don’t interrupt a private conversation either!)
•
Don’t shout! Broadcasting messages loudly across the street won’t make you any friends. The personal touch goes a long way.
•
Make links with other companies and help plug each other’s shows.
•
Don’t put posters or flyers anywhere that isn’t a designated display area. (You’ll be fined by the council for littering.)
•
Introduce yourself to our volunteers. They’re the best ambassadors for your show as people ask for their recommendations all the time.
•
Always be polite! Good manners and a friendly attitude go a long way.
•
Plan your routes around the town in order to avoid wasting time. Make a schedule and stick to it!
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On Site Displays
The on-site displays around the Courtyard and the Dome are managed by the Pleasance
street team and all posters are evenly distributed so that each show receives equal
exposure. If you are having trouble locating your posters, our Street Team Coordinator will
be able to provide you with a breakdown of specific locations.
In order to be included in these displays, we’ll need our allocation of your print by Friday
31st July. Rest assured, all companies are treated equally. For that reason you are not
permitted to put up additional posters or move or cover any existing ones.
Once reviews are published, we encourage you to print stars and quotes to fix across your
posters and staple to the backs of your flyers.
The boards outside the individual venues, listing all shows in that venue by title, are
called venue boards. The large boards in the middle of the Courtyard and in front of
the entrance to the Dome, listing all shows across the programme by time, are called
departure boards. Both of these sets of boards will feature your show title only, as it
appears in the brochure. No additional information may be added.
The boards along the front of the Courtyard, listing all shows by venue, are called street
boards. There is space here next to your show title for you to add press quotes, stars and
additional information as you see fit.
The sold-out boards, line-up boards and press boards are managed by the Pleasance
and updated daily. If you think your show should be featured on any of these boards, but
isn’t, please speak to a member of staff.
If your show has a changing line-up, please email this information with 24 hours notice to
lineups@pleasance.co.uk.
Marketing Images
Your marketing image will be used by us to produce any necessary marketing materials,
including additional website listings, venue signage and print material. Please supply your
marketing image before Monday 1st June.
The image must be uncropped, without text, at least 300 dpi, CYMK colour and saved as a
JPG. The file name should follow this format: Show Name - Marketing Image
Design Files: Photoshop .PSD or Indesign .INDD file (if available)
Press Images: JPG – Minimum 300dpi – CMKY profile
You can edit your images online for free at www.gimp.org
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Website
Every show is allocated a dedicated page on the Pleasance website, which will be set live
as soon as the tickets go on sale.
We will furnish your page with the initial image and copy that you supply, but after that
it’s your responsibility to maintain and update your own page using the log-in details
provided by the Box Office. Think of your page as a shop window for your show; the way it
looks is important.
You will need to supply a 682w x 304h pixel landscape or 332w x 449h pixel portrait
image for your show page.
Once logged in, you’ll see that you’re able to add tabs to the page to include videos,
photos, interviews and reviews. We recommend you utilise these functions by making
your page as dynamic as you can. This is ultimately where you’ll be directing traffic every
time you promote your show, so the aim is to convert as many website visitors into paying
customers as possible!
A huge number of event websites offer free listings, so make the most of this by ensuring
your show information is uploaded to as many of them as possible. It can be time
consuming, but ultimately worth it for the additional exposure.
If you need to be reminded of your log-in details, email boxoffice@pleasance.co.uk.
Pleasance Times
We send regular email newsletters throughout the London preview season, the run-up to
the festival and the festival itself. There is a chance your show might be featured, but due
to high demand there is no guarantee.
We do not arrange email newsletter PS swaps during the festival period.
During the festival, we also produce an in-house printed newspaper every other day,
which is freely available for pick-up around the Courtyard and the Dome. It is essentially a
tool for upselling Pleasance shows with exclusive offers, interviews and behind-the-scenes
content that can’t be found on the back of a flyer.
If you have an interesting idea for an article then by all means pitch it to our editors. All
content is then replicated online through the Pleasance Tumblr account.
Useful Contact
Pleasance Times
Email: times@pleasance.co.uk
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Social Media
Our social media accounts are all run in house by various members of the Pleasance team
and it’s important that we maintain a consistent tone of voice at all times.
As such, we don’t swap social media posts with other venues or organisations and as
a rule we try to avoid simply broadcasting on-sale messages to our followers and fans;
engaging content is far more likely to get you noticed.
During the festival we have a strict policy against sharing reviews through our social
media accounts and we’ll retweet you only if we think your content is interesting, funny or
particularly relevant to our fans.
Ultimately, please don’t rely too heavily on your followers or ours to sell out your show!
Social media is a great tool for enhancing awareness, but it’s always good to keep in mind
a few basic rules of best practice:
•
Share exclusive content and offers to make your followers feel special.
•
Include pictures and videos whenever possible.
•
Tag @ThePleasance when mentioning the venue; it’ll help keep you on our radar.
•
Always keep your cover photos and profile pictures up to date.
• Shorten your links before sharing. (See www.bitly.com/shorten)
•
Don’t simply repost the same ticket link over and over again. Try to be more imaginative!
•
Leave journalists alone; go through the proper channels with a well-written release if you want to be reviewed.
•
Try not to send the same tweet more than once; the personal touch goes a long way.
•
Don’t include multiple hashtags; think of a good one and stick with it.
• Never engage publicly with negative criticisms! Direct all complaints to a private email address before attempting to resolve any issues.
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Tickets, Offers & Papering
For the first three days on the festival (Wednesday 5th - Friday 7th August) all tickets will
be set at preview prices.
You are also welcome to paper your houses with complimentary tickets on the 5th and
6th August in order to boost audience numbers. All papering tickets must be requested
by email from Reception at least 24 hours in advance of the show being papered. Your
papering allocation will usually be 10% of your overall venue capacity. However, if you
want to up this allocation please speak to Reception, who will authorise your request with
the programming team.
Please be discreet when papering your show and do not do it inside the Courtyard or the
Dome. We don’t advise papering after the initial preview performances.
During the opening weekend of the festival (Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August), all
tickets revert to their standard weekend prices.
Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th August are the official EdFringe 2-for-1 ticket days, where
all tickets across all venues are available as two for the price of one.
Wednesday 12th August is likely to be the point at which you see your sales dip, so be
sure to have a strategy in place to counteract this drop-off.
In an attempt to encourage early weekday sales, traditionally a quiet time for fringe
audiences, The Pleasance offers slightly cheaper tickets for all shows on Mondays
and Tuesdays (aside from the EdFringe 2-for-1 days). Make sure you use this to your
advantage!
If you would like to run a ticket offer, you will need to email the details to Reception
at least 24 hours before the show. They will then authorise your request with our
programming team and make the necessary arrangements with the Box Office.
Please ensure that you tell us:
•
•
•
•
•
What is the offer?
What would you like the promotional code to be?
Which dates will this offer be valid for?
What is the daily allocation of tickets available?
When will this offer expire?
Things for you to consider:
• • • What is the aim of running your offer?
Where will this offer be promoted?
What time scale are you working to when promoting it?
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Be strategic with your offers, as too many different discounts flying about could be
detrimental to your overall sales!
If you would like to sell tickets through the Half Price Hut then please email Reception,
again with 24 hours notice.
We do not sell tickets through external agents or discount sites during the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe.
The Box Office will also be able to set you up with daily sales reports so that you can keep
track of all tickets sold.
Useful Contacts
Reception
Email: reception@pleasance.co.uk
Box Office
Email: boxoffice:pleasance.co.uk
Press
The Pleasance Press Office is based upstairs at the Dome.
We don’t actively promote any of our shows to the press; rather we promote the venue
and our programme as a whole.
We expect each company to allocate a press representative for their show. If you don’t
have anyone within your company who is able to fulfil this role then please speak to us
about hiring an agency.
Our Press Office is open between 10am - 7pm every day of the festival, so be sure to stop
by and make yourself known to the team. They’re responsible for processing all press
ticket requests for your show and collating all reviews once they have run.
Useful Contact
Press Office
Email: press@pleasance.co.uk
Help
If you have any questions then please feel free to get in touch.
Or should you wish to sit down in person and go through your marketing campaign plans
in more detail, just email stuart@pleasance.co.uk.
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Media Partnership Advertising Packages
The List
The List has published guides to the Edinburgh Festival for over 25 years, with award
winning critics and writers previewing, reviewing and highlighting the best shows.
Package 1 - £500 (Rate card: £700)
1 x eighth page advert in print (free weekly edition)
1 x festival e-newsletter
25,000 leaderboard impressions
Package 2 - £750 (Rate card: £1,145)
1 x quarter page advert in print (free weekly edition)
1 x festival e-newsletter
1 x online offer
20,000 MPU impressions
Package 3 - £1,000 (Rate card: £1,645)
1 x quarter page advert in print (free weekly edition)
1 x quarter page advert in print (Edinburgh Festival Guide)
1 x festival e-newsletter
1 x online offer
30,000 leaderboard impressions
The Skinny
The largest entertainment and listings magazine in Scotland; a year-round monthly freesheet, trusted and respected by locals for quality, consistent cultural recommendations.
1/8 page
Rate Card: £325
Pleasance Company Rate: £260
1/4 page
Rate Card: £545
Pleasance Company Rate: £436
1/2 page
Rate Card: £895
Pleasance Company Rate: £716
Full page
Rate Card: £1,395
Pleasance Company Rate: £1,116
Website Leaderboard: £8 CPM (per 1,000 impressions)
MPU: £10 CPM (per 1,000 impressions)
E-newsletter Box
Rate Card: £200
Pleasance Company Rate: £170
E-newsletter Banner
Rate Card: £440
Pleasance Company Rate: £374
Fest Magazine
The largest festival magazine and The Skinny’s sister publication, covering the Edinburgh
Festival every year since 2002. Broad appeal, targeting the affluent cultural tourist.
Full run 1/8 pages (x6)
Rate Card: £1,100
Bespoke rate for anyone advertising with The Skinny: £325
SAVING £775
Full run 1/4 pages (x6)
Rate Card: £1,975
Bespoke rate for anyone advertising with The Skinny: £1,000
SAVING £975
Full run 1/2 pages (x6)
Rate Card: £3,050
Pleasance Company Rate: £2,135
SAVING £865
Website Leaderboard or MPU
Rate Card: £15 CPM (per 1,000 impressions)
Prices non-inclusive of VAT
For more advertising options, bespoke packages and quotes, please just ask.