Hi guys,
We have another brain to add to the collective. My sister Jen, a recent PR & Communications graduate from Sheffield Hallam was so impressed with the concept and potential of this project that she has volunteered her skills and enthusiasm to help us get some exposure and buzz surrounding it!
We've been chatting about it and Jen has come up with a brief action plan, listing a few aims that we want to achieve and some ideas on how to do it.
This may be of particular interest to Ben, especially the online stuff. But, as we're a tiny team we're all involved in everything so your comments are much appreciated!
We can flesh it out together and hopefully set some loose dates for when we want to do stuff and get contacting potentially interested parties!
Here's her initial thoughts...
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Digital Theatre Project
We last spoke on the 27th July, at that
time I proposed that a good way to generate some interest around this would be
to start looking into different platforms that may cover the project and offer;
promotion, enticing people to come along. Or interest, to simply talk about it
and gain some recognition. Or finally, gain some kind of sponsorship. I have
drafted up a plan of how to approach the process of gaining the 3 elements
above.
I understand that the production will be shown in
October, 3 months is the perfect time scale for something of this size,
however, nothing wants to be written, distributed or even hinted at until there
is an idea of the script, actors, venue etc! The plan is in the order of
relevance (roughly, it will be a matter of opinion) and should be a suitable
work load for one person over a time scale of 1-3 month.
Aim
1.
To gain the interest of local print media (the
incentive to report on the project will largely be down to the use of school
pupils, and that we are giving pupils an excellent insight to a desirable
industry.) If pupils do not end up being used, another angle can be taken.
2.
To create a buzz surrounding the event
online.
3.
To gain online coverage through industry
specific sites such as wired.com
4.
Find sponsorships in local Digital media/PR
agencies.
5.
Entice usual theatre goers to try something new.
Objective
1.
In order to complete Aim 1, a press release must be created and distributed to local
print media. To ensure the greatest coverage possible, a press release obtaining
information and invitation should be created (date needs to be confirmed before
doing any of this!) then a news release after the event holding all the
information of success, thanks and information of next year’s LDF, thus
allowing papers to create a final article on the festival.
2.
In order to complete Aim 2, a public blog or website needs to be created that spells out
simply what the digital theatre is/why/who/where/what. This information will be
the back bone of anything else online. (I
understand the characters may have their own twitter feeds? This is a good
idea, but it will be time consuming and if a small scale event, it may not have
the desired impact.) The use of a hashtag on the first online publication
of the event is vital in getting people talking and engaging with each other
prior/throughout the event. Key to social media buzz often lies with bloggers,
getting bloggers interested in LDF and the digital theatre will ensure that the
“right” kind of people are talking about it, but it also offers scope for
others to pick up on it too. The best way to reach tech/digital/media?/film?
Bloggers is directly! Email, tweet etc to strike conversation and offer more
info.
3.
Aim 3
is best approached by using similar techniques as 1 and 2. It is arguably the
most difficult aim as LDF and the Digital Theatre is a small project. Sending
emails/tweeting the website or editor/journo of website is the best bet of
having a suitable website write about it.
4.
Leeds has an astounding amount of fantastic
digital comms/media/PR agencies that I’m sure would be interested in the
what/where/how of the Digital Theatre and LDF as a whole. Emailing and phoning
digital agencies with the aim of gaining sponsorship (financial, resource
letting, joining the team?) could result benefitting both sides. Often smaller
agencies are looking to join their local community in events like this as it
allows them to create some industry and Leeds worthy news for their own
services such as news letters or blogs.
5.
Aim 5 is
a case of good old fashioned print media, however this is where we could do
with financing from Aim 3! The use
of print leaflets placed in promotional hot spots within local theatres,
suitable bars and the news areas in libraries etc is key to getting the
ordinary person experiencing something they’d never heard of before. This
element could make a nice story for Aim
1, meaning that an alternative press release could be sent to different
print (or the same, if original press release is unsuccessful) as a way of
promoting what will showcased at x venue on x date and how it will be something
theatre goers will not have heard of before but will enjoy.
Audience
Primary
LDF usual? - Industry experts, graduates trying to
break into the industry, local Leeds people, new business start ups as a form
of networking, press, bloggers. Mostly reachable through online PR techniques.
Secondary
Ordinary people, none industry specific, families,
school trips? Generally offline.
Media
Offline
Yorkshire evening post
This is Ikley
Morley Observer
Metro
Online
Wired.com
Specific bloggers – amount TBF.
Guardian.co.uk
Mediums
Offline – leaflets, press coverage, press release
and news release.
Online – email, blog, twitter, website.
Timescale
ASAP – October?
3 months.
