I'm thinking of calling the next Austin Improv advertising meeting on Febuary 21st at 6:00 before the jam.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Other days/times?
I'm proposing it well in advance so let me know if there are any conflicts. I'll go with the time that works best for the most people.
Also, no one has volunteered to help any on campus. But I have asked Kareem to bring a number of the flyers he made for the Rose Bowl to Sundays' meeting. People can take them and give them out anywhere, campus included. Anything you can do to help...helps.
Next Advertising Meeting...Feb21st?
Anything about the AIC itself.
Moderators: arclight, happywaffle
Next Advertising Meeting...Feb21st?
Last edited by Wesley on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Evilpandabear Offline
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is there any way i can pick up some flyers? there's a convention in town this weekend that i'll be at, & i'll be sure to hand out some while i'm there.
Last edited by Evilpandabear on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- kbadr Offline
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I'll drop some off at your doorstep tonight. How many do you need?
Last edited by kbadr on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
You work your life away and what do they give?
You're only killing yourself to live
I'll be there for the first half an hour. I have to teach at 7pm at the State.
I'm not sure if this topic has been or will be covered, but I'm not convinced that having improvisers posting or handing out flyers is the best use of our resources. Cost/Benefit ratio stuff. Posters can raise visibility but often don't put butts in seats. And volunteers get burnt out on it (as you can see) because it usually involves driving and/or walking around alone.
I think it's more efficient to do Motorblade
http://www.motorblade.com/postering.htm
Which is what I think most theatre companies and big music venues in town do.
When we have such awesomely talented and motivated people, I think they can do marketing that is more fun and has more impact.
My two cents.
I'm not sure if this topic has been or will be covered, but I'm not convinced that having improvisers posting or handing out flyers is the best use of our resources. Cost/Benefit ratio stuff. Posters can raise visibility but often don't put butts in seats. And volunteers get burnt out on it (as you can see) because it usually involves driving and/or walking around alone.
I think it's more efficient to do Motorblade
http://www.motorblade.com/postering.htm
Which is what I think most theatre companies and big music venues in town do.
When we have such awesomely talented and motivated people, I think they can do marketing that is more fun and has more impact.
My two cents.
Last edited by smerlin on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
We should definitely look into it, but I wouldn't give up on flyering just yet.
It sounds like these guys drop off your stuff in binders and slap it up on boards (which, since we don't know the location of all the boards in town--as has come up several times in out meetings--could be an invaluable service. Thanks for the suggestion because I didn't know anything like this existed. Have you had personal experience using them? Are they trustworthy and timely?)
But hopefully handing out flyers gives us a chance to make a personal connection.
The last few 1st Thursdays we had Roy out making up songs on the uke to the joy of passerbys and flyerers being cheerful and telling jokes as people passed. Hopefully, we can expand our efforts to include some sort of performance space at these venues so that we can have a "central" location to congregate as a group but still have that personal interaction with people. And we normally walk around in groups of 2 or 3 people and meet up afterwards to eat or get a drink. The best turn-out passed out more than 600 flyers in less than half an hour and then hung out at Amy's. Hopefully hanging out with funny people and eating ice cream for half an hour once or twice a month isn't too big a burn out for people.
If anything, this should be a fun, bonding exercise, not a lonely chore that people get burnt out on. Besides, we are improvisers and comedians. We, of all people, should be able to make this fun for both ourselves and people getting flyers. Maybe people who haven't come out have an incorrect perception of what is being asked of them? Hmmm...
On a cynical note, though, I haven't seen too many people get burnt out because I haven't seen too many people show up to begin with. People have to show up before they can get burnt out. Often it is the same few faces, over and over (the ones that should be burnt out and cynical). As for motivation, the Rose Bowl celebration fiasco demonstrated the exact opposite, with only one person turning out, despite numerous promises to be there from others beforehand. Oh, people were motivated in the meeting. People were motivated on the boards. But when the moment came, that motivation flitted away on the fickle winds of 'something better to do.'
On the practical front, who's going to pay for the Motorblade service?
So far all flyer printing and other such things have been done at the personal expense of committee members. We should talk with the larger committee about AIC funds and what will be dedicated to advertising. I'll add this to the agenda or bring it up Sunday.
I think the most efficient thing to do is both, and more. We just need to find out a way to trigger and focus this community's motivation. In the meantime, I fully agree with you that we should check these guys out.
It sounds like these guys drop off your stuff in binders and slap it up on boards (which, since we don't know the location of all the boards in town--as has come up several times in out meetings--could be an invaluable service. Thanks for the suggestion because I didn't know anything like this existed. Have you had personal experience using them? Are they trustworthy and timely?)
But hopefully handing out flyers gives us a chance to make a personal connection.
The last few 1st Thursdays we had Roy out making up songs on the uke to the joy of passerbys and flyerers being cheerful and telling jokes as people passed. Hopefully, we can expand our efforts to include some sort of performance space at these venues so that we can have a "central" location to congregate as a group but still have that personal interaction with people. And we normally walk around in groups of 2 or 3 people and meet up afterwards to eat or get a drink. The best turn-out passed out more than 600 flyers in less than half an hour and then hung out at Amy's. Hopefully hanging out with funny people and eating ice cream for half an hour once or twice a month isn't too big a burn out for people.
If anything, this should be a fun, bonding exercise, not a lonely chore that people get burnt out on. Besides, we are improvisers and comedians. We, of all people, should be able to make this fun for both ourselves and people getting flyers. Maybe people who haven't come out have an incorrect perception of what is being asked of them? Hmmm...
On a cynical note, though, I haven't seen too many people get burnt out because I haven't seen too many people show up to begin with. People have to show up before they can get burnt out. Often it is the same few faces, over and over (the ones that should be burnt out and cynical). As for motivation, the Rose Bowl celebration fiasco demonstrated the exact opposite, with only one person turning out, despite numerous promises to be there from others beforehand. Oh, people were motivated in the meeting. People were motivated on the boards. But when the moment came, that motivation flitted away on the fickle winds of 'something better to do.'
On the practical front, who's going to pay for the Motorblade service?
So far all flyer printing and other such things have been done at the personal expense of committee members. We should talk with the larger committee about AIC funds and what will be dedicated to advertising. I'll add this to the agenda or bring it up Sunday.
I think the most efficient thing to do is both, and more. We just need to find out a way to trigger and focus this community's motivation. In the meantime, I fully agree with you that we should check these guys out.
Last edited by Wesley on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
i'd like to set aside time in the sunday meeting to talk about more traditional advertising and what we can afford.
as i mentioned in another thread, traditional banner and print advertising are just the costs of entry to appearing professional. investing in them (as well as consistent messaging in postering) are key.
erika
as i mentioned in another thread, traditional banner and print advertising are just the costs of entry to appearing professional. investing in them (as well as consistent messaging in postering) are key.
erika
Last edited by erikamay on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Heroes used to use Motorblade in the old days. I think they are reliable and know all the secret spots. Plus, they cover all over town, not just central. I saw their flyers at the Thundercloud on Parmer just the other day.
I think having street performance/hanging out time combined with flyering is a great idea. I think marketing events should be fun for the participants, a social opportunity, and use our awesome improv skills. I was sad I missed the First Thursday thing, it sounded like fun and really effective.
It makes sense that you would ask why I would be burnt out on flyering if I've never done it for AIC. But I have been in about 6 improv troupes in Austin over the last 10 years and have done my share of flyering. So I come to you pre-burnt.
It sucked that no one showed up for the Rose Bowl flyering, but it might also be good information--for what you can and cannot excpect a volunteer labor source to do.
I think the money question is a great one. Who pays for this stuff? How does the money work? What is our advertising budget? I think it's extremely generous that some people have been paying for AIC advertising out of their own pocket. But I don't think it's a good idea in the long term. It's not sustainable and can lead to resentment.
I think it's better to spend a couple hundred AIC bucks on 500-1000 professionally designed and printed post cards/posters that are general enough to be used all year long, with space for troupes to put stickers or write in about an individual show or run.
I agree with Erika about some more traditional advertising. The Heroes used to have a weekly ad for shows and classes in the Chron for about $150 a week. I'm not sure if that's in our price range right now, but that's what we used to do.
I think having street performance/hanging out time combined with flyering is a great idea. I think marketing events should be fun for the participants, a social opportunity, and use our awesome improv skills. I was sad I missed the First Thursday thing, it sounded like fun and really effective.
It makes sense that you would ask why I would be burnt out on flyering if I've never done it for AIC. But I have been in about 6 improv troupes in Austin over the last 10 years and have done my share of flyering. So I come to you pre-burnt.
It sucked that no one showed up for the Rose Bowl flyering, but it might also be good information--for what you can and cannot excpect a volunteer labor source to do.
I think the money question is a great one. Who pays for this stuff? How does the money work? What is our advertising budget? I think it's extremely generous that some people have been paying for AIC advertising out of their own pocket. But I don't think it's a good idea in the long term. It's not sustainable and can lead to resentment.
I think it's better to spend a couple hundred AIC bucks on 500-1000 professionally designed and printed post cards/posters that are general enough to be used all year long, with space for troupes to put stickers or write in about an individual show or run.
I agree with Erika about some more traditional advertising. The Heroes used to have a weekly ad for shows and classes in the Chron for about $150 a week. I'm not sure if that's in our price range right now, but that's what we used to do.
Last edited by smerlin on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- arclight Offline
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I'm not very good with flyering; I hate when people try to give me crap on the street, be they tattoo artists or jesus freaks so I'm reticent to be that guy. It makes me really uncomfortable and I don't enjoy it, so I don't volunteer for it. At least nobody is expecting me to do it and I'm not letting anyone down.
These sorts of events fall apart unless they have a champion, someone who takes responsibility for getting people and material together, keeping everyone notified, and seeing the project through to the end. Beware of projects where everyone is really enthusiastic but nobody steps up to say "I will make sure this gets done." Yes ... let's! is a good improv exercise but it rarely leads to a satisfying narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
I don't want to discourage people from flyering but I think that we'll have a hard time finding volunteers if we don't have someone in charge of making each event happen.
Also, I think Roy and the uke are more of a draw (show, don't tell.) I'd stand and listen and probably be more likely to take a flyer or see a show than if I saw a gaggle of strangers handing out leaflets. Crap -- must avoid jesus freak tattoo artists!
I think doing a monthly Motorblade run with the current schedule would be a great way to touch more than just our local haunts. And I'd love it if we could print color postcards 2-4 times a year for special events or the start of a new schedule or season. Something like these http://www.nobodyssweetheart.com/design/ , though we may not need to go as far as NYC to get that kind of quality within our budget.
Whatever we do is going to cost money so we need a means of deciding the best way to spend our limited cash. We also need a way of measuring what works and what doesn't so we can put the money where it does the most damage, er, good.
These sorts of events fall apart unless they have a champion, someone who takes responsibility for getting people and material together, keeping everyone notified, and seeing the project through to the end. Beware of projects where everyone is really enthusiastic but nobody steps up to say "I will make sure this gets done." Yes ... let's! is a good improv exercise but it rarely leads to a satisfying narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
I don't want to discourage people from flyering but I think that we'll have a hard time finding volunteers if we don't have someone in charge of making each event happen.
Also, I think Roy and the uke are more of a draw (show, don't tell.) I'd stand and listen and probably be more likely to take a flyer or see a show than if I saw a gaggle of strangers handing out leaflets. Crap -- must avoid jesus freak tattoo artists!
I think doing a monthly Motorblade run with the current schedule would be a great way to touch more than just our local haunts. And I'd love it if we could print color postcards 2-4 times a year for special events or the start of a new schedule or season. Something like these http://www.nobodyssweetheart.com/design/ , though we may not need to go as far as NYC to get that kind of quality within our budget.
Whatever we do is going to cost money so we need a means of deciding the best way to spend our limited cash. We also need a way of measuring what works and what doesn't so we can put the money where it does the most damage, er, good.
Last edited by arclight on May 12th, 2013, 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm not going to be around on the 21st. ColdTowne is off to NC and then to Mardi Gras. However, I want to mention that I'm free for any and all graphic design and layout crap people don't want to do.
I'm not the greatest designer, but I make a mean flier and have tons of time on my hands. So, AIC and troupes, email me what you want and a reasonable deadline (say seven days) and I'll be happy to tackle it.
Huzzah!
I'm not the greatest designer, but I make a mean flier and have tons of time on my hands. So, AIC and troupes, email me what you want and a reasonable deadline (say seven days) and I'll be happy to tackle it.
Huzzah!
--Jastroch
"Racewater dishtrack. Finese red dirt warfs. Media my volumn swiftly" - Arrogant.
"Racewater dishtrack. Finese red dirt warfs. Media my volumn swiftly" - Arrogant.