Blue Man Group
Boosting Summer Ticket Sales
Objective
It was the summer of 2008, and Blue Man Group needed to stand out from the competition. In its second decade, the show faced fierce competition from seasonal attractions like the Red Sox baseball, free summer events like Shakespeare on the Common, limited-run theater productions, outdoor concerts, venues and cruises. And given the economic downturn, patrons wanted memorable experiences and weren’t eager to open their wallets unless they saw true value.
Solution
Yellin/McCarron developed a unique presence marketing campaign designed to reach summer visitors to Boston - tourists, daytrippers, and 'staycationers' - as well as local audiences. We identified Fenway Park - home of the Boston Red Sox - as a key area because of the huge numbers of baseball fans there on game days. Because in-park signage is so expensive, our advertising reached fans heading to and from the games. Street teams distributed "K-Cards" with a text-to-win message; and other placements included digital out-of-home, several high-visibility billboards in and around Kenmore Square, and a branded pedicab program. Several Red Sox-themed radio promotions supported our OOH efforts, and Blue Man images adorned tourist trolleys, taxi tops, street furniture, and subway posters across the city.
Results
Throughout Boston, visitors and locals commented that "Blue Man seemed to be everywhere." Summer sales projections were exceeded, and the client saw an increase in both individual and group ticket sales over a 6-week period in July and August. Sales remained steady into the fall, and overall the ROI for this program was 600%.
