February 7, 2009

Self Serve Marketing

Welly Watch       posted 16 Dec 2008, 08:01 PM

Can someone please explain why Bats feels the need to promote their Self Serve initiative thus:

“… six diverse writers, who have been paired up with Wellington directors to push their development buttons and get these works going places, all with a drink in hand, of course!”

and

“Self Serve is also a great chance to see actors with a beer in their hands, giving everything to great new scripts …”

What is this obsession with actors having a drink in their hands? Was it part of the brief to writers, to only submit scripts that are conducive to beer-sodden readings? If not, what the hell has the “a drink/a beer in the hand” got to do with anything?

Don’t tell me it’s someone’s good idea of a clever marketing ploy. Are there really people out there who might not have been interested in attending a reading but suddenly promised booze-toting actors go, oh yes, I’ve got to get along to that!!!

Yeah right, as the beer ad goes.

Paul Rothwell     posted 17 Dec 2008, 07:25 PM  

The audience can drink some beers too, if they want. It will be more relaxed, like a gig rather than a church service. Everyone should come, you’ll love it.

Robin Kerr           posted 7 Feb 2009, 05:55 PM

Lets be realistic Welly Watch. Though it would be great if theatre’s could sustain themselves on just funding and ticket sales that is just not the case. I know that many theatres can double there income through a bar and are reliant on them as a source of income. Ideally it would be great if that was not the case and I see the point you are trying to make about associated theatre with alcohol but part of what the poster is trying to encourage is a night at the theatre which includes a friendly environment in a bar where patrons are welcome to have a casual discussion about what they have seen. In that I support them.