Does Broadway Show Street Marketing Work?

Everyday I notice a dozen or so people walking along in Broadway's theater district with billboard like signage on the front and back of them with flyer's in their hands promoting Broadway Shows. Being a ticket seller for Broadway for a long time now, I make it my business to watch the "goings on" in the theater district.

After 32 years of selling Broadway tickets at Applause Ticket Agency (license #71AP1001028), I often wonder if this type of street marketing works. What I witness is that most of the tourists and 9 to 5'er's walking around seem to ignore these folks promoting the shows. Don't we have enough advertising when we turn on our televisions and radios?

Still, one of my colleagues, Todd- seems to think that the folks wearing the signage stand out better than the folks that simply hold show flyer's in front of people's faces. He feels that the signage resembles a billboard and if people are interested in a particular show, they can simply take a flyer. Then possibly go to the theater and purchase tickets. He may have a point when you think about it.

I spend lots of my time marketing my company Applause and every Broadway Show that ever plays in New York City. It is a difficult job sometimes as there seem to be more people and companies selling tickets than ever. I often wonder why many of the shows don't simply approach Applause and some of the other legit ticket sellers in New York City and ask us to sell their shows with some special marketing like e-broadcasts to our database of ticket buyers or sponsor mailings to our travel agency clients.

I guess this type of marketing is helping the shows, otherwise they wouldn't spend the money doing so, right? Still a bright business marketing expert by the name of Seth Godin probably would question whether this type of marketing is simply interruption marketing or whether it makes sense.

What do you think?

Sincerely,
Rich Gladstone
Applause Ticket Agency
311 West 43rd Street, suite 601
NY,NY 10036

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