The Art of Papering: A Producer's Guide to Filling Seats and Building Audiences
The Papering Paradox
As theatre producers, we are continually navigating the balance between art and commerce. While ticket sales remain the primary revenue stream for any production, the industry’s best-kept secret is perhaps the strategic use of "papering" — the practice of offering free tickets to fill houses. But this is not merely about masking empty seats; it's about calculated audience development, branding, and long-term viability. So let’s unpack the complexities and opportunities that papering offers.
The Double-Edged Sword of Free Tickets
On the surface, offering free tickets might seem like an act of desperation. However, when done strategically, it serves multiple purposes. Firstly, a full house can generate an electric atmosphere, leading to more robust reactions, standing ovations, and, consequently, word-of-mouth marketing. On the flip side, a papered audience can be fickle; they've made no financial commitment and can easily bail, sometimes leaving you with a half-empty venue.
Who Gets the Golden Ticket?
The key to successful papering is audience targeting. Are they aligned with the subject matter of the show? Are they influencers in their communities? The goal is to fill the house with people who can further your show's reach. It's not just about bums on seats; it's about whose bums are on those seats. Agencies like Central Tickets have become adept at this, shifting nearly 98% of their quotas for West End shows in 90 minutes and gathering invaluable audience data for future strategies.
The Real Cost
A show with weekly operational costs of £250,000. Every free ticket has a lost revenue value attached to it, often ranging from £27.92 to £43.01, based on a variety of factors. So, papering isn’t free; it's an investment. The returns? A potentially self-sustaining cycle of increased ticket sales, as those initially free attendees return as full-paying customers or drive new audiences through word-of-mouth.
From the Audience's View
For regular theatre-goers, papering offers a chance to see shows they might otherwise miss. It introduces them to new genres and styles, enriching their theatre experience and turning them into advocates for the arts.
The Risk of Overexposure
However, caution is advised. Over-reliance on papering can lead to the "papering show" stigma, where prospective audiences hold off buying tickets, expecting free ones to come their way. Therefore, it is imperative that the distribution of complimentary tickets is done discreetly, without undermining the perceived value of the show.
The Future: Data-Driven Papering
With advancements in analytics, the future of papering is likely to be more data-driven. Detailed audience data can help us understand who to target with free tickets and when to do it most effectively. This will make papering not just an act of filling seats, but a strategic maneuver to build a long-lasting audience.
In Conclusion
Papering is not merely a quick-fix solution to empty seats. It's a nuanced strategy that requires a deep understanding of your audience and your production's financial needs. Done right, it can turn a struggling show into a must-see event, and a casual attendee into a lifelong theatre lover. So, the next time you consider papering, think not just about the seats you're filling for one night, but about the audiences you're building for a lifetime.
