Campaign Plan

Reese, Zackary T THE RIGHT DIRECTION MARKETING AGENCY | 1300 ELMWOOD AVENUE, BUFFALO N.Y. 14222

Public Relations Campaign (2015) COMEDYSPORTZ BUFFALO

The Right Direction Marketing 1

Table of Contents Our Team ...................................................................................................................................................... 0

Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

Evaluation ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

Label Strategies ............................................................................................................................................. 7

Web Strategies ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Inexpensive Advertising Strategies ............................................................................................................. 15

Label Strategies Timeline and Budget ........................................................................................................ 17

Web Strategies Timeline and Budget.......................................................................................................... 19

Inexpensive Advertising Strategies Timeline and Budget .......................................................................... 21

Appendix I: Secondary Research Citations ................................................................................................. 23

Appendix II: Primary Research/Results ....................................................................................................... 24

Appendix III: Expected Results .................................................................................................................... 27

The Right Direction Marketing

Dear ComedySportz Buffalo,

Thank you for the opportunity to present to you The Right Direction Marketing’s public relations

proposal. For your company: ComedySportz Buffalo. Our staff has assembled a strategy to assist

with marketing your brand to the demographics you have demonstrated through your goals and

values.

Our agency’s approach is incorporating your desire to have more seats filled during the

ComedySportz shows, as well as trying to appeal to the business aspect of your business through

the use of promoting your corporate training services. These goals can be accomplished

wholeheartedly with little investment and through the planning that is demonstrated throughout

this plan.

Please review the enclosed materials and please contact our agency at your leisure and discretion

through Seth Oyer’s personal contact information, or at the email address of our account

executive, Zack Reese at [email protected].

Our Team

Zack Reese

Account Executive

Zack is a junior at Buffalo State College and the account executive at The Right Direction

Marketing Agency. He will be earning his Bachelor’s in a dual major of public

communications and communication studies with a minor in business economics.

Zack is also an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America as well

as a member of the Buffalo State Bengal PR Firm. He is also an active member of the

Buffalo State Economics Club and currently interning as White Lion Studios’ Public

Relations Director.

Yasmine Payton Assistant Account Executive

Yasmine is a senior at Buffalo State and assistant account executive at The Right

Direction Marketing Agency. She will be eating her Bachelor of Arts in Public

Communication. Yasmine interns at the Center for Health and Social Research on

campus where she helps interview residents of Erie County to improve drug and alcohol

programs within schools.

Yasmine is currently the Public Relations chair for Black Active Minds and the founder

of the developing movement of You Are My Sister and the host of "The Light," a series

aired on BSCTV.


Milendra Bass Agency Member

Milendra is a senior at Buffalo State College and one of the agency members of The

Right Direction Marketing Agency. She will be earning her bachelor of arts in Public

Communication and minor in Hospitality Administration come May 2015. She also hopes

to take this degree to help non-profit organizations in the New York City area strategically

conduct their social media market plan.

Milendra is currently the President of Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate, while

being the Vice President of the campus’s uncensored The Lens Magazine and a member of

National Society for Minorities in Hospitality. She designs the SUNY Buffalo State

College Child Care Center website for efficient use by current and future parent

enrollments.

Hadassah Williams Agency Member Hadassah is a senior at Buffalo State College and an agency member at The Right

Direction Marketing Agency. She will be earning her bachelor’s degree in Public

Communication and a minor in Creative Studies.

Hadassah is interning at the Stewardship and Special Events office at Buffalo State. She

is on the committee that is planning and producing Buffalo State’s 2015 RUNWAY

fashion show. She is in charge of coordinating and creating the VIP section for exclusive

guests. Hadassah is the Events and Social Media Coordinator of the Student Philanthropy

Council


Objectives

Our agency developed three objectives in accordance to goals of ComedySportz Buffalo. The

following objectives will be beneficial to not only the company, but the patrons of the company.

Objective 1: Bring in more revenue through the use of CSz’s corporate training services. The

goal is an increase of 50%.

This objective could be met by appealing to local businesses throughout Western New York.

Something like this could also be achieved through advertisements at the end of every show.

CSz’s corporate training services will bring in the money that CSz needs in order to advertise

more and more frequently, thus setting off a domino effect in which CSz not only gets more

business but more patrons.

Objective 2: Increase regular CSz Show attendance by at least 25%.

In order to accomplish this, advertising to places where parents and families are will be

imperative. Young families are going to be the demographic that will come see the shows

predominately. Advertising through the radio or during the nightly local news would be a way to

reach these people as well as coupons and discounts in the local newspapers and on local news

sites.

Objective 3: Increase the number of college student attendance to The Arena. (Outreach to the

college student demographic.)

This particular objective wasn’t too difficult to come up with considering whom our agency is

composed of and how close to many local colleges The Arena and ComedySportz Buffalo are

located. The CSz headquarters, for example, is located right next to Daeman College. There are

so many ways to reach this public including making visits to local campuses and offering

discount tickets to students.


Evaluation

Some secondary research was conducted in order to see what CSz’s competition is doing

nationally that has helped their respective theaters. From that research came a list of similarities,

and ways to appeal to the predetermined publics as per our agency’s objectives.

Similarities among the researched improv theaters:

● Many of the theaters offer classes – This is something that CSz excels in.

● About half of them are significantly smaller than the other half – CSz IS a smaller theater

group, however, it is one of the only ones in Buffalo and that is exactly what we plan on

capitalizing on. That unique experience that a patron can only get at CSz.

● The social media presence is above average on most of the theaters, this alone is a huge

contributor in getting traffic to the theaters. Social media is the BEST way to advertise

currently. For the most part it’s free (sans TwitterAds or FacebookAds) and it’s what

people view all day, every day. The twitter is updated regularly enough and the hashtags

#CSz and #ComedySportz are good, but there needs to be a more stylized hashtag for this

location of ComedySportz specifically. The Facebook is well updated, but it needs to

have more pictures, videos, and more audience input. It’s in this way that audiences can

truly feel connected. For this type of theater, using video/picture apps such as Vine,

Instagram, possibly Snapchat, and Meerkat/Periscope are musts. – See Web Strategies.

● Many of the theaters bring in well-known people throughout their areas – See Label

Strategies.

● There are an ensemble of performers at each theater – CSz excels in this feat. Give more

of a bio on the “player’s cards” on the website, including what shows they are

specifically a part of.

● Partnerships between companies seems to be a moot point among the theaters, it helps to

partner with someone else no matter how miniscule (Think about partnering with local

schools, bars, restaurants, Helium Comedy Club.) – See Label Strategies.

● For the most part they can all be hired to perform at parties, etc. – CSz does parties and

should advertise this fact more. Parties, much like corporate training can lead to HUGE

ROI.


● A HUGE similarity is that they are all in metropolitan areas – Buffalo (Location

change is an option– See Label Strategies)

● Many of the theaters have more shows later at night and on the weekends – After Hours

(Adding more shows throughout the week instead of just on weekends could make CSz

stand out from their competition.)

Ways to appeal to the publics (Corporations, Young Families, Students):

● Something that CSz does different from many other theaters is the fact that they offer

corporate training. It would be extremely wise to capitalize on this fact. (Money

maker*) – Using the new brochure inserts, and promoting this aspect of the company

through social media and print advertisements is absolutely imperative. CSz Buffalo must

actively advertise their corporate training programs. (ROI) – See Label Strategies

● Offer a sample workshop or demonstration to small businesses and corporations so that

they can get an idea of the skills they can gain essential to the workforce. – Go to local

businesses throughout Buffalo or make phone calls to businesses in order to see if they

would be interested in a demonstration or workshop. - See Label Strategies

● Summer Camps for the kids – See Label Strategies

● Classes for high school age students – See Label Strategies

● From a marketing/promotional perspective: Television Commercials ($)/Radio

Advertising/Newspaper Advertisements/Coupons/Specials (Specials on corporate

training?)

● Use the location the advantage of CSz. (It’s not too busy, parking wouldn’t be too bad,

etc.) – See Label Strategies

● CSz does perform at parties and events (important!)

● Classes for adults workers for the concession stand (Dual money “bringer-in” and

saver)

● Offer free shows/classes of some sort to the students at the local colleges (word of

mouth) approach college students (I.e. Bengal Pause table) – See Inexpensive

Advertising Strategies

● Create an improv session on the introductory stages on the first Sunday of the month for

college students (student must view a show at least a month prior with college ID)


Session will have info on jobs in the field, long term affiliation, how it relates to

corporate, hands on skills, everyday skills, etc.

● Offer discounted tickets to appeal to a larger audience (i.e 50% off on certain days, Buy

one get one deals, etc.)

● Visit elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools. Perform a show or give

lessons. At the end, give students coupons to give to their parents. This would lead to a

word of mouth transmission from the school to the parents to their friends and so on. –

See Label Strategies

● Offer social media internship for college credit or for interested students from the Theater

department. – This way CSz can enjoy the perks of free to minimal cost labor from a

trained student, while also maintaining their social media accounts. - See Web Strategies

● Contact local day care centers to inquire about doing a show for the kids. This would lead

to a word of mouth transmission from the school to the parents to their friends and so on.

- See Label Strategies

● Use Vine as a promotional tool – See Web Strategies

As an agency, we used a plethora of primary research in order to best attain our objectives. We

employed the use of a focus group and survey to reach this end. Our survey and focus group

were administered together in order to truly grasp what CSz would need to do to reach the

college student demographic specifically.

Focus Group Research Theme: To understand how to better represent ComedySportz

Buffalo and get more business flowing into the theater.

The focus group was conducted in an effort to better appeal to the most applicable of the key

publics: college students. The group allowed us to verify what could work, and what definitely

wouldn’t work in regards to the ultimate goal of increasing attendance.

The focus group consisted of three males and two females, in order to discover if the marketing

plan of CSz was relevant to the campus community at SUNY Buffalo State.

Survey: The Survey was administered among the focus group.

Problem: The problem that we as an agency had to address was the fact that our client wanted a

tremendous increase in their return on investment. (ROI) There was also the secondary problem

of getting more traffic into the theater.


Opportunity Statement: Our aim is to not only bring more people in to partake in the shows

offered at ComedySportz Buffalo, but also to help CSz, as a company, bring in more revenue and

receive a total ROI. We plan to do this using a variety of well-planned and thought out actions.

Target Audiences: 1.) Corporate America

2.) Young Families

3.) College Students

Goal: To get a deeper understanding of what the public knows/doesn’t know about CSz and

what we can do to make CSz more marketable in comparison to what they do know.


Label Strategies

Our main objective is to make sure the company’s brand is known throughout Buffalo, New

York.

Tactic 1: Girl Scouts

Within the campus organizations at SUNY Buffalo State we have a campus chapter of Girl Scout

Cookies. Following the course of action below will lead to not only a great partnership, but also

a return on investment:

Email the chapter of Girl Scout cookies at [email protected]

Include in the email about a way to discuss the involvement of ComedySportz and Girl

Scouts

Set a meeting with a representative to discuss what potential events are going to be held

At the meeting we describe the breakdown of the Princess Ball in mid-April of the spring

semester

The Princess Ball is a theme celebration for the Girl Scouts in the western New York

community

The theme concept depends on seasonal discussion take place during that year.

Come up with ComedySportz hosting an improv about princesses and princes within this

theme.

For further questioning or planning, please direct your attention to Ewurabena Ashun

until the end of the spring 2015 semester. Furthermore, new representatives will be

elected for the following academic year.

Tactic 2: Summer Camp

The simple fact that CSz does have a summer camp program and does summer classes, is

something that should be capitalized on. Advertising these specific events when kids are out of

school, as something to occupy their time would benefit CSz and undoubtedly lead to ROI.

Tactic 3: College Students

Have representative of CSz table at peak hours when students are in the student union

For example: Send representative to table during Buffalo State’s Bengal Pause to get to know

students and inform them on who ComedySportz is and what they are about

mailto:[email protected]


Collaborate with a student organization and come speak at one of the programs and print fliers to

hand out in the union and place in the dorm halls (Buffalo State and other schools)

Do shows for free for local colleges in order to get the CSz Buffalo name out there. Administer

to audience discounted tickets to another show so that the audience can bring a friend and spread

notoriety through word of mouth. This transmission of notoriety is just as effective as social

media.

Tactic 4: Location (Long-shot)

Change the location of where the improv shows are held

Benefits: Location more accessible, possibly pick a location that only requires one bus for those

who do not have cars, long travels discourage visits

Have an ad to help find the location in a main area

Place ads near schools near bus stops

If not a change in location, perhaps a change in the accessibility of The Arena (signage,

making the location of the stage a lot easier to access.)

It’s quite easy to drive right past The Arena, it needs signs that point directly to the

building

There should also be signs leading down to the stage that are more apparent and straight-

forward

The doors to the concession area leading to the stage need to also be well lit because for

patrons trying to attend shows it’s pretty hard to see or find

Tactic 5: Logo Marketing

Logo marketing is the act of getting a company’s brand “out there.” This means doing anything

that will make an imprint on a possible consumer’s mind and make them correlate the CSz logo

with CSz. The three primary audiences can be reached specifically through logo marketing by:

College Students:

CSz could bring t-shirts with the logo to college campuses and distribute them. A great example

of a scenario where this would pay off is at a SUNY Buffalo State football game, CSz could get

authorization to throw three to four t-shirts into the crowd with two free tickets wrapped in

them. This will lead to word of mouth transmission. The same can be said for merchandise such

as stickers, etc.


Corporations:

Richard, who is in charge of the corporate training programs will go to local businesses and give

to them the new brochures (See Tactic 8 below) detailing all the corporate training efforts that

CSz does. This would be pretty inexpensive and a great way to get the brand and information

“out there” for potential patrons.

Young Families:

CSz could talk to local schools, daycares, organizations, and distribute merchandise/brochures

with the logo. These things can and should be sent home with students of the classes offered

through CSz or children at the summer camp. The children will relay the information and logo

back to their parents who will relay it to their friends and family and so on and so forth.

With all of that being said, the logo of the Buffalo with the gag glasses does represent Buffalo,

however it doesn’t represent the sports aspect of the shows. Maybe putting a jersey on the

Buffalo and adding some sports balls would help make it more memorable, or scrapping it in

favor of a new design completely. In other words, the logo needs work. The other two are

generic and more closely related to the corporation on the national level, so the CSz Buffalo

specific logo is the most important of all three, as far as logo marketing is concerned.

Tactic 6: Cameos

Many of the theaters bring in well-known people throughout their areas. It may be well within

ComedySportz Buffalo strategizing to think about employing the use of a well-known improv

comedian, such as somebody from SNL. Obviously, booking a celebrity is pricey and this

should only be done once business starts flowing into CSz a little more freely.

Tactic 7: Partnerships for Corporate Training

Partnerships between companies seems to be a moot point among the theaters, it helps to partner

with someone else no matter how miniscule. All it could take for joint financial success is a

phone call. Think about partnering with:

Local Schools


Local Bars

Local Restaurants

Helium Comedy Club

New and Emerging Restaurants such as the Buffalo Supper Club

Local Organizations (PTA’s YMCA’s, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.)

Local Movie Theaters

Local Shops

Tactic 8: Brochure/Advertising Corporate Training

Something that CSz does different from many other theaters is the fact that they offer corporate

training. It would be extremely wise to capitalize on this fact. (Money maker*) – Using the

new brochure inserts, and promoting this aspect of the company through social media and print

advertisements is absolutely imperative. CSz Buffalo must actively advertise their corporate

training programs. (ROI) Our agency is willing to create inserts detailing the corporate

training in a more professional light to be placed within the current brochures or create a

new brochure from scratch at your discretion. We believe that the reason CSz’s corporate

training efforts are so difficult to come by is because when people see the brochure or the

website, which is heavy in the improv portion of the company, they wouldn’t want to be given

lessons on professionalism from that particular comedic demographic.


Web Strategies

ComedySportz Buffalo needs a total social media revamp. To that end, a social media intern may

be a viable option to the company.

Tactic 1: Vine

Benefits: The video is as long as the attention span of those in Generation Y and to reach

college students they must be reached through their phones and the social media that they

use

Vine is a video app in which users upload 6-second videos to be viewed, liked and re-

vined (like retweeting).

(Use a 6-second Vine video to advertise not only the theater/corporate training but other

social media accounts.)

Tactic 2: Meerkat/Periscope

Periscope and Meerkat are live steaming video apps in which users stream whatever they are

doing – something like this could be good for events. These should be updated with new videos

every three days at the very least.

LINK TO ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Use URL links in bio, post about others

(Use live streaming to advertise not only the theater/corporate training but other social media

accounts.)

Tactic 3: Instagram

There needs to be at least one post a day of a show or of the theater or events going on in the

theater. When the following list hits 3000 people, there should be 2-3 posts a day. (Videos

included)

Needs professionally done pictures with good lighting

Should be linked to FB and updated daily. Especially with daily deals, and specials

The Instagram should be used to its fullest effect

LINK TO ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Use URL links, post about

others)

Tactic 4: Facebook

Posts should be daily, with 2-3 posts at the least. One early in the morning (people have been

proven to view social media accounts predominately during the early morning and the late

night) detailing daily/weekly specials, etc. Another should be posted in the evening highlighting

the late hours of CSz. Any posts in between should be photos, videos, and news articles about the

ComedySportz Buffalo.

“Like” other local theaters and businesses (make connections! – network)

Add a bio and more info into the about section


Any event (even a weekly one) must be filled in the Facebook events

Add professional pictures, like the ones on the website


others)

Tactic 5: YouTube

At least one promo video every two months, highlighting new deals, specials, shows, events, and

featuring glory shots of the shows.


others)

Tactic 6: Twitter

Needs attention, there should be consistent posts. Posts should be daily, with 2-3 posts at the

least. One early in the morning (people have been proven to view social media accounts

predominately during the early morning and the late night) detailing daily/weekly specials,

etc. Another should be posted in the evening highlighting the late hours of CSz. Any posts in

between should be photos, videos, and news articles about the ComedySportz Buffalo.

Offer discounts for follows (i.e. “follow us and retweet this for a chance to win a free show for

two” or “retweet this tweet for a 20% off coupon”

Tweet back to patrons when they mention you. It looks good and people love that


others)

Tactic 7: Social Media Intern

The perks of having a social media intern is that as far as expenses are concerned, there wouldn’t

be too many as the internship could be an unpaid one. Most internships are unpaid. Another perk

of this is that the intern would be trained on how to effectively use social media and would be

able to use the strategies above. The intern could be paid with college credit.

Description

ComedySportz Buffalo, Buffalo’s own family-friendly interactive improve experience, is

looking for an intern with strong knowledge and understanding of the digital media landscape,

including various social media websites.

ComedySportz Buffalo is preparing a re-launch of its social media presence and this position

will play an integral role in its success. The intern hired for this position will need strong critical

thinking skills, good judgment and it wouldn’t hurt if you like to laugh.


Responsibilities

Manage ComedySportz Buffalo social media accounts, including:

o Facebook

o Twitter

o Instagram

o YouTube

o Vine

o LinkedIn

o and others (Meerkat/Periscope)

Monitor, post and reply on social networks

Website and social media optimization preferred

Keyword analysis preferred

Requirements

Must have demonstrable professional or study-based knowledge of the strategic use of

such media to achieve measurable objectives

Students applying for this internship should be Strategic Communication, Marketing or

Business

Majors

Strategic Communication, Marketing, Business

For your knowledge, the internship process for the student is as follows:

1. Student finds internship.

2. Student applies to internship.

3. Student is interviewed by ComedySportz Buffalo

4. Student is offered internship.

5. Student accepts internship

6. Each department at SUNY Buffalo State has different prerequisites:

a. Communication Department

i. Must have completed COM 301 and COM 308(W) with a grade of C or

better


ii. Student contacts Nan Tramont to process paperwork for college credit

hours:

Coordinator, Community Relations

(716) 878-6015

Bishop Hall 211

[email protected]

Tactic 8: Social Media Contests

Something that people have always jumped at is the prospect of something being “free,” or

awarded to them. Don’t miss out on this vulnerability. Especially with the ease that is using

social media for this purpose. Social media contests can be used on any platform. (I.e. Likes on

Facebook, retweets/follow on Twitter, likes/follows on Instagram, etc.) - See above Web

Strategies

When to post: Posting should be done daily, multiple times during the day. See above.

mailto:[email protected]


Inexpensive Advertising Strategies

Tactic 1: Campus Visits

Simply visiting college campuses and giving information sessions on CSz and improv in the

Student Union or the Library would be a great start to appealing to the college student

demographic. See Below for other suggestions when visiting campuses.

Tactic 2: Campus Organizations at Local Colleges (“Tabling,” ex. Bengal Pause)

Have representative of CSz table at peak hours when students are in the student union

(For example: Send representative to table during Buffalo State’s Bengal Pause to get to know students

and inform them on who ComedySportz is and what they are about)

Collaborate with a student organization and come speak at one of the programs and print

flyers to hand out in the union and place in the dorm halls (Buffalo State and other schools)

Collaborate with SUNY Buffalo State’s improv group FNL and do a joint show on the BSC

campus. Bring merchandise to distribute! Go to other improv groups/comedy clubs around

Buffalo and do the same

Tactic 3: Offer free class workshops

Offering a free class and advertising for that event through the use of social media is beneficial to CSz.

This would teach people more about improv, which as mentioned earlier is a foreign concept to a lot of

the consumer market. It would also give people some incentive to travel out to The Arena and see what

else CSz has to offer.

Tactic 4: Perform at local events

This would offer the same result as Tactic 3. See Above

Tactic 5: Make flyers

This wouldn’t be too pricey depending on how many flyers CSz decides to print off. These

flyers should be printed in color and posted in many different places for the WNY public at

large to see. They should be posted at other theaters, on college campuses, in coffee shops, at

grocery stores, in restaurants, tattoo shops, and basically everywhere with a lot of foot

traffic in WNY. The people delegated to posting these could be the minor-league players,

interns, or volunteers. Ticket prices, upcoming shows and events are a necessity for these flyers.

Tactic 6: Print off coupons

Coupons are always a good way to get people anywhere. Offering 20% coupons online for

example, would draw in a decent amount of people. Putting an expiration date on these is a

requirement. In posting them on CSz’s online facets, the business can avoid its past failure of

offering coupons in print outlets such as Artvoice, which would in turn save the business

money that has the potential to be lost.


Tactic 7: Hold more special events

More special events, like the Improvathon is a MUST. These events also need to be heavily

advertised through social media. Maybe plan an event where it’s a double feature and the

consumer gets two shows for the price of one or “bring a date night.” This could also lead to

some pretty funny and genuine interactions between the players and the audience depending on

the event.


Label Strategies Timeline and Budget

Budget: $10,000

Tactic 1: Girl Scouts

Timeline: The eight listed steps should take no longer than 1 week to complete, given CSz and

the Girl Scouts communicate efficiently. – See Label Tactic 1

Cost: The cost to run a show. (Minimal)

Tactic 2: Summer Camp

Timeline: Session 1: July 6-10 / Session 2: July 20-24

Cost: Possible cost of snacks/refreshments (people love food!) and the cost of the three

tickets given away to each child.

Tactic 3: College Students

Timeline: Twice a month at each of the local institutions. (Dates to be determined.)

Cost: The cost of merchandise to be given away, (t-shirts, stickers, etc.) the cost of doing a

show, the cost of any tickets given away/ discounted tickets, and the cost of flyers.

Tactic 4: Location (Long-shot)

Timeline: Years from now, should be done after CSz triples their regular foot traffic.

Cost: More than the budget. This is something to be taken into consideration once CSz has

a bigger budget to work with.

Tactic 5: Logo Marketing

Timeline: This should be done at a variety of other businesses every day. Or every other day at

the least. Getting the brand out there quickly is imperative.

Cost: The cost of printing off brochures/flyers (.15 cents apiece at most). The cost of

making t-shirts, and the price of any tickets/discounts given away. (CHEAP)

Tactic 6: Cameos

Timeline: Years from now, should be done after CSz triples their regular foot traffic.


Cost: $3,000 - $200,000 based on the personnel (Out of the question currently)

Tactic 7: Partnerships for Corporate Training


the least. Getting those partnerships quickly is imperative.

Cost: The cost of joint activities, the pursuing of the partnerships however, is free.

Tactic 8: Brochure/Advertising Corporate Training

Timeline: Immediately, and brochures should be distributed at least every two days to different

businesses.

Cost: The cost of brochure printing/ making new brochures (Cheap) – See Tactic 5 Above


Web Strategies Timeline and Budget

Budget: $10,000

Tactic 1: Vine

Timeline depicted in Web Strategies 1

Cost: Free

Tactic 2: Meerkat/Periscope


Cost: Free

Tactic 3: Instagram


Cost: Free

Tactic 4: Facebook


Cost: The cost of posting is free, however in order to reach a broader audience Facebook Ads

should be bought. With Facebook Ads Facebook advertises and makes sure a broader audience

accessing the web see ComedySportz Buffalo. It helps to drive online ticket sales, increase local

sales, and raise brand awareness. You can adjust how much you pay in order to reach your

audience. The more you pay, the more people see you.

Tactic 5: YouTube


Cost: Free to post, however in order to reach a broader audience YouTube Ads should be

bought. With YouTube Ads YouTube advertises and makes sure a broader audience accessing

the web see ComedySportz Buffalo. It helps to gather more views to the videos CSz posts. You

can adjust how much you pay in order to reach your audience. The more you pay, the more

people see you. (With enough views, CSz will make a profit.) (It’s run through Google.)

Tactic 6: Twitter


Cost: The cost of posting is free, however in order to reach a broader audience Twitter Ads

should be bought. With Twitter Ads Twitter advertises and makes sure a broader audience

accessing the web see ComedySportz Buffalo. It helps to drive online ticket sales, increase local

sales, and raise brand awareness. You can adjust how much you pay in order to reach your

audience. The more you pay, the more people see you.


Tactic 7: Social Media Intern


Cost: Free

Tactic 8: Social Media Contests


Cost: The price of one ticket (or more, depending on the contest), or the price equivalent to

the percentage off being given away.


Inexpensive Advertising Strategies Timeline and Budget

Budget: $10,000

Tactic 1: Campus Visits

Timeline: Should be done 1-2 times a month.

Cost: Free to visit,

Tactic 2: Campus Organizations at Local Colleges

Timeline: Should be done 1-2 times a month.

Cost: Free to visit, would only cost merchandise given

Tactic 3: Offer Free Class Workshops

Timeline: Free classes should be offered twice a month alternating with special events at The

Arena.

Cost: Free, would only cost time of teachers of class

Tactic 4: Perform at Local Events

Timeline: This should be done for all the major events of the area such as the Canal Fest, Italian

Fest, Erie County Fair, etc.

Cost: The cost of running a show.

Tactic 5: Make Flyers


the least. Getting the brand out there quickly is imperative.

Cost: Extremely cheap (.5 cents a flyer).

Tactic 6: Print off Coupons

Timeline: Coupons should be distributed every two weeks.

Cost: The cost of printing and the price of the discount denoted by the coupon.


Tactic 7: Hold More Special Events

Timeline: Events should be held frequently with at least 1-2 every month.

Cost: The cost of running an event. (Minimal)


Appendix I: Secondary Research Citations

ACME comedy. (2015). Retrieved from ACME Comedy.com: http://www.acmecomedy.com/

Bad Dog Theatre Company. (2015). Retrieved from Bad Dog Comedy Theatre:

http://baddogtheatre.com/

BATS Improv. (2015). Retrieved from BATS IMPROV Real. Funny. Theatre.: http://www.improv.org/

Boom Chicago. (2015). Retrieved from Boom Chicago: http://www.boomchicago.nl/

Brave New Workshop. (2015). Retrieved from Brave New Workshop:

https://www.bravenewworkshop.com/

ComedySportz. (2015). Retrieved from CSz Worldwide: http://www.cszworldwide.com/

Magnet Theater. (2015). Retrieved from Magnet Theater: http://www.magnettheater.com/index.php

National Comedy Theatre. (2015). Retrieved from NCT National Comedy Theatre:

http://nationalcomedy.com/

People's Improv Theater. (2015). Retrieved from People's Improv Theater: http://thepit-nyc.com/

Philly Improv Theater. (2015). Retrieved from Phit Philly Improv Theater:

http://phillyimprovtheater.com/

SAK Comedy Lab. (2015). Retrieved from SAK Comedy Lab:

https://www.sakcomedylab.com/sakuniversity.php

The Annoyance Theatre. (2015). Retrieved from The Annoyance Theatre & Bar:

https://theannoyance.com/

The Comedy Store. (2015). Retrieved from The Comedy Store: http://thecomedystore.com/

The Groundlings. (2015). Retrieved from The Groundlings Theatre & School:

http://www.groundlings.com/

The iO Theater. (2015). Retrieved from The iO Theater: Chicago's Best Improv Comedy:

http://ioimprov.com/chicago/

The Loose Moose Theatre Company. (2015). Retrieved from The Loose Moose Theatre Company:

http://www.loosemoose.com/

The Playground Theater. (2015). Retrieved from The Playground Theater:

http://www.theplaygroundtheater.com/

The Second City. (2015). Retrieved from The Second City: http://www.secondcity.com/

UCB Theatre. (2015). Retrieved from Upright Citizens Brigade: https://www.ucbtheatre.com/


Appendix II: Primary Research/Results

II.A ComedySportz Buffalo Survey

1.) How old are you? (18-20) (21-23) (24-26) (26+)

2.) Are you male or female? MALE or FEMALE

3.) Do you use social media? YES or NO

4.) What social media networks do you use? (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

_________________________________________________________________

5.) Have you ever been to an improv show? YES or NO

6.) Have you ever heard of improv? YES or NO

7.) Name an improv show that you are familiar with. _________________________________

8.) How often do you go out to see a show? (Movie, music, etc.)

(Once a week) (Once a month) (Every few months) (Once a year)

9.) Do you know any local shows that involve/include improv? YES or NO

10.) How do you usually hear about events such as entertainment shows?

___________________________________________________________


II.B. Results:

All of our respondents were of the college student demographic

About half were male and half female

They all use social media to some degree (Most of them sticking to the big three

of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)

Two of six had been to an improv show, (FNL on the SUNY Buffalo State

campus) the others didn’t realize they knew what improv actually was until it was

explained in the focus group

II.C. Focus Group

Logistics for the Focus Group:

Location: Buffalo State College, 4th floor common room of the Student Apartment Complex

(STAC)

Time: 3/4/15 3:00 p.m.

Incentive: Doughnuts

Questions asked during the Focus Group:

1.) How beneficial is improv to communication development? (very important,

important, neither, somewhat important, not important)

2.) What days of the week would you go to a show like ComedySportz Buffalo?

3.) Would you benefit from corporate training?

4.) Have you ever seen SNL or Wild N’ Out?


5.) Have you ever heard of ComedySportz Buffalo?

6.) Have you ever heard of The Arena?

7.) How many of you drive or have a form of transportation?

II.D. Results:

Locals didn’t seem to know about CSz

They all responded well to the Wild N’ Out example

The Arena held no significance to any of the participants

Many only go to places near campus as they are non-commuters and transportation is an

obstacle for them

Once it was explained to them, participants agreed that improv could be a viable

communication tool


Appendix III: Expected Results

The Right Direction Marketing Agency has expected results for CSz after they implement our

recommendations and use our carefully thought out and strategic plan.

We believe that ROI will increase with the use of the above 25 tactics. The beauty of the tactics

above is that they are not ridiculously expensive.

The first step is to get the brand allocated efficiently. It was made clear by the results of our

survey and focus group that a lot of the public at large doesn’t even know what ComedySportz

Buffalo is, about the same amount of people even know what improv is.

After the tactics are used cohesively, we expect CSz to have at the very least an increase in 50%

of their attendance. The fact of the matter is, and we cannot reiterate this enough, social media is

the key to success. The company is at an opportune time in social media advancement as well.

Never has there ever been so many viable sources of social media. Maintaining all of them is a

job and that is exactly why we feel a social media intern is also a necessity. The intern will

already have the necessary training and will more likely than not, be well affiliated with the

various social media outlets. Of all the tactics listed above the Web Strategies are the ones that

should be followed the closest and with the most diligence. People pay attention to social media,

corporations pay attention to social media. This is a combo deal, ComedySportz shows and

corporate training will undoubtedly benefit from the use of the Web Strategies.

The logo marketing discussed above is also a perfect way to appeal to multiple demographics

and burn an image into the consumer’s minds. Done correctly, and with a new logo, we expect

the consumer market to begin to correlate CSz with its logo without being told what the logo is

for. Just as Helium Comedy Club is well-known, we expect CSz to receive the same treatment in

due time.

The creation of a newer brochure will lead to an increase in corporate training programs being

signed up for by various businesses and corporations. Currently, the brochure isn’t terribly

visually attractive. It doesn’t address any sports aspect and the logo is too big and doesn’t

resonate with the theater. It would help to give a short definition within the brochure of what

improv is, the history of CSz and a list of who CSz has worked with using corporate training and

what they train participants on. Simply put, it needs to be more professional. We expect that

by distributing brochures via the flyer method described in Label Tactic 8, ROI is inevitable and

people will flow into the theater.

In closing, by adopting everything within the contents of this plan, we at The Right Direction

Marketing Agency expect CSz Buffalo to reach a new level of success and receive a huge return

on investment as well as brining in new fans of improv for years to come.

For further questions contact of our account executive, Zack Reese at [email protected].


© 2015

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Campaign Plan