Publicity is one of the key drivers to Broadway ticket sales. Good press could equate to big sales. Bad press could be devastating.
Elements from your overall publicity live in Google, get spread through blogs, run on syndication networks and are ultimately read by millions. They are talked about on message boards, chat rooms and make their way into every day ‘word-of-mouth’.
With all of these opportunities and threats for public relations that have been enhanced by the Internet, we decided to check with some of the industry experts to get their take on the market.
We sat down with Chris Boneau of Boneau Bryan Brown public relations to get his thoughts on a few topics.
(theSITUATION): Has the change in the speed of information changed the way publications cover the theatre world?
(CHRIS BONEAU): Everything has changed. "News" is posted instantly. But while we all appreciate how quickly information can make its way out into the world, there has been a complete shift in what we call "news". With blogs and chat sites competing for attention with legitimate news services on the internet, it's often very difficult to traffic information. Opinions and rumors often take up as much space and attention as real news. The real trick for those of us handling the dissemination of theatre news is keeping our priorities straight. (We could spend all our time seeking out and attempting to correct "news" when it's just opinion or gossip.) We HAVE seen enormous changes in the way news can get released--within seconds legit new stories can rocket around the world But, we have to remember that at the same time, that sometimes "news" is really opinion, conversations and sometimes baseless rumors competing for attention in cyberspace. It can be tricky trying to keep up with it all. And you know, we can't!
(tS): Are reviews more or less important for a production that they were ten years ago? My gut says they are more important… but, at the same time, there is a wider selection of reviews that have a bigger impact rather than just one (i.e., NY Times, etc.).
(CB): Reviews will always be a vital part of shaping perception, and theatergoers continue to tell us that reading reviews matter. Word of mouth, however, tops the list when we ask theatergoers why they chose to buy a ticket.. People are much more likely to buy a ticket because someone told them they enjoyed a show. Reviewers still carry a lot of weight, but with the ability to check Google or Yahoo for information, reviews now come from so many sources. It's almost a version of "Consumer Reports."
(tS): Has the change in the distribution of content changed the way you work?
(CB): It's sort of astounding. We can release a new site and it will get world wide distribution. I remember when we announced Denzel Washington coming to Broadway in 'Julius Caesar". the news broke Friday night into Saturday's papers--typically a slow news day. But when I checked the web early Saturday morning, I was just stunned. The news had been picked up overnight by thousands of news agencies all over the world. Of course that just shows the power of a major star like Denzel. But it also means the term "slow news day" no longer has the same meaning.
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