Entertainment venues are back as a money-generating industry for your market. In 2022, most were able to rebound from the pandemic and host great events that consumers were ready to attend. Demand for these was high and should continue into 2023. As you approach local spots, what do you need to know about entertainment venue advertising in the year ahead? Let’s find out.
Entertainment Venue Trends
The most positive trend to start the conversation is that 73% of Americans are ready to return to live events, and 65% are willing to travel more than 120 miles to attend them. One of the world’s biggest concert promotors, Live Nation, had record earnings in 2021, with a steady pipeline of concerts and advertising commitments driving growth.
In addition to single events (e.g., concerts, comedy acts, etc.), immersive events are a new player in the entertainment ecosystem. A great example is the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, which visited many U.S. cities, some becoming permanent. With considerable growth in this segment, entertainment venue advertising for 2023 has significant potential.
We’ve compiled some tips and insights for developing your approach with these advertisers.
Museums and Venues with Longer or Permanent Events Need Your Help
Many of the entertainment events that a venue hosts are one-time events or could cover a weekend. The advertising behind them is short and time-based. However, they aren’t the only events in town. Permanent immersive experiences are now a growing part of the industry. They are often in association with museums, art districts or interactive spaces. These businesses need your help to sell tickets and increase revenue.
Advertising for these venues will be different and can include cross-channel campaigns that run long term to attract new visitors in the region and beyond. If your advertisers know where a large portion of visitors come from, you can geotarget them with digital, social media ads and OTT/CTV.
Creating Anticipation for Future Events with Geofencing
While audiences are enjoying an event or show, venues have an opportunity to get them excited about future dates. If the campaign uses geofencing around the venues before, during and after, visitors with enabled devices could receive display ads about upcoming shows. It can be a perfect time to get them to purchase tickets, as most guests are enjoying a fun night out.
Video Drives Venue Attraction
Today’s concertgoers want to have a peek at what the experience will be like. No other tactic does this better than video. Giving future guests a backstage tour from previous shows and a preview of the facility could drive more people to check it out. With more traffic going to their website, venues can convert those viewers into customers. They could use the video on broadcast TV, OTT/CTV, display and social media. It’s an asset that’s reusable, making it more cost-effective.
Experimenting with New Social Media Ad Tactics
Depending on the audience for the event, you’ll want to recommend different channels for advertisers. It’s an excellent time to experiment if they haven’t tried them before. For example, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram offer more access to Gen Z and millennials than others. It’s where people will be looking to find things to do.
If the event skews older, Facebook may be the better alternative. Talk to your advertisers about whom they want to target so you can recommend the best social media advertising strategies.
Linking Events with Causes
Local entertainment venue advertising can also benefit from collaborations between it and nonprofits. Many times, music and other acts headline events to raise money and collect donations. Nonprofits and the venue can work together on an advertising campaign to reach the most people using a combination of linear and digital tactics, including radio spots, social media, OTT/CTV and display.
Promoting the Perks
There is a range of ticket types for most events, from standard admission to early sales to VIP packages. The more visibility around the “perk” tickets, the better the chance to sell those. The targeting for these ticket types will look a little different. The company’s current information on buyers will be helpful. They can directly target people with email marketing and mobile messaging.
The persona makeup can also help them target digital advertising around demographics, previous interactions and geography. More defined segmenting here should deliver strong results.
Make Entertainment Venue Advertising a Priority for 2023
Residents and travelers will be looking for things to do if you’re in a market with a lively music and arts scene. The more visible you can make advertisers in the space, the more likely they are to sell out. Use these tips and what you know about the market to offer valuable advertising recommendations that align with the customer’s goals.
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