180K FESTIVAL PROGRAM GUIDES
218K + UNIQUE WEBSITE VISITORS 44K + LIKES 46K + FOLLOWERS 8K + FOLLOWERS 34K + ENEWS DATABASE with 26 % open rate
Marketing Strategy
PATTI SMITH ’ S HORSES // PHOTO David Harris
1.2mil + Advertising Value $ 30mil Publicity Value ( ▲40 % on 2014 )
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Digital Communications Our eNews remains one of the most effective ways of driving traffic through to our website , surpassing paid advertising . Over 660,000 emails were sent during the 2015 campaign period ( including two early program announcements ), accounting for nearly 25 % of all website traffic . Our eNews subscribers climbed to 34,000 and the overall open rate remains steady at 27 %, surpassing industry benchmarks 1 .
PUBLICATIONS
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Program Guide The cornerstone of the Festival ’ s promotions is the 124-page Program Guide . 180,000 copies were printed and distributed throughout Victoria , key cultural locations interstate , directly mailed to 20,000 metro Melbourne ticket buyers and an flipbook version distributed online .
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Foxtel Festival Hub folded highlights booklet Complementing the Program Guide was a dedicated fold-out poster on the Foxtel Festival Hub , highlighted all events at the venue and its supporters . 25,000 copies were distributed through Avant Card ’ s comprehensive cultural , education and café network and at key Festival venues including Arts Centre Melbourne , Melbourne Recital Centre and Southbank Theatre .
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MailChimp Research — Email Marketing Benchmarks
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House Programs 13 dedicated house programs providing background information on the productions were produced and distributed at Festival venues and made available online .
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Melbourne Festival : 30 Years To celebrate our milestone year , a commemorative program was produced and sold at Festival venues and online . Written by respected writer Miriam Cosic , Melbourne Festival : 30 Years traces a path from the very beginning , through 11 Artistic Directors , major shifts in the world , the arts , and modern Melbourne .
ADVERTISING
A $ 1.2mil + advertising campaign was executed across print , online , radio , cinema and outdoor . The largest areas of campaign spend were on outdoor and online opportunities .
Highlights included :
• Leadership media partnership with The Age , providing coverage across their print and digital inventory
• Leadership media partnership with APN Outdoor
• Media partnership with Beat Magazine , covering their print and digital inventory
• Cinema advertising across the Palace and Nova Cinema networks
• Major advertising buy with Channel Nine
• Dedicated investment in data-driven advertising utilising CRM data
• Appointment of a new digital advertising agency , encompassing Facebook , Google Search and Search Engine Optimisation marketing
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
Key sites occupied by the Festival included :
• A Melbourne Festival-branded tram from August through October
• Young & Jackson ’ s digital billboard on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets
• One month wrap of the Melbourne Visitors Centre in Fed Square
• Tullamarine Freeway billboard
• AdShel transit advertising in key ticket buying suburbs in metro Melbourne
• 24 foot tram billboards , plus two City Circle Tram billboards
• Super banners / flags along major streets with the CBD and surrounds
• Melbourne Airport flags and digital advertising at baggage carousels and arrival halls
• Advertising on board the Yarra Trams network
• Regular daily screenings of promotional videos on the Fed Square Big Screen
PUBLICITY
The marketing strategy is underpinned by a vigorous publicity campaign , generating over 2,000 pieces of editorial across newspapers , magazines , radio , TV and digital — representing a $ 30 million editorial value .
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