Marketing Plan - cheyennepatricenelson.com€¦ · Nelson – Marketing Plan 4 Company Review...

ENRICHING. ENTERTAINING. LOCAL.

Marketing Plan

December 2017

By Cheyenne Nelson

Nelson – Marketing Plan

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Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3

Company Review ............................................................................................................................ 4

Company Premise ....................................................................................................................... 4

Mission Statement ....................................................................................................................... 4

SWOT Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 6

Strengths ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Weaknesses ................................................................................................................................. 6

Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 7

Threats ......................................................................................................................................... 7

SMART Company Goals ................................................................................................................ 8

Current Situational Analysis ........................................................................................................... 8

Revised Situational Analysis .......................................................................................................... 9

SMART Marketing Goals, Strategies, and Tactics ....................................................................... 10

Audience Segmentation ................................................................................................................ 13

Audience Identification ............................................................................................................. 13

Parents with Children ages 16 to 17 Years Old ........................................................................ 13

Senior Citizens Ages 65 Years Old and Over ........................................................................... 14

Teenagers Ages 13 to 18 Years Old .......................................................................................... 15

Timeline and Budget ..................................................................................................................... 17

Overall Budget and Suggestions for the Future ........................................................................ 22

Overall Budget ....................................................................................................................... 22

Suggestions for Expanding the Budget in the Future ............................................................ 22

Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................................... 23

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 24

Research ........................................................................................................................................ 26


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Executive Summary

The Nebraska Opera Project (NOP) is a nonprofit organization in Omaha, Nebraska that provides

performance opportunities to high school and college students as well as professionals with ties

to Nebraska. To clarify the organization’s mission, it is recommended that NOP’s mission be

revised to:

“The Nebraska Opera Project exposes opera to people of all ages by creating family-friendly

productions and collaborating with other area organizations to provide performance opportunities

for children, high school students, and college students alongside opera professionals.”

The organization has only been in operation for a little over a year. They have created valuable

networks with the music community and have already collaborated with other arts nonprofit

organizations in Omaha. They are still building an audience for their productions as well as

building revenue to operate successfully. It is important for NOP to build their brand and

establish their presence in the community.

This marketing plan outlines ideal audience segments and marketing goals and strategies for

NOP to find success in their productions and to help the organization grow beyond just being

able to cover their costs. The recommended goals, strategies, and audience segments will help

NOP increase their brand awareness, increase revenue from ticket sales, and also increase

attendance at auditions.


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Company Review

Company Premise

Started in 2016 and located in Omaha, NE, NOP provides performance opportunities to high

school and college students as well as professionals with ties to Nebraska. They have performed

one production, Puccini’s one-act opera Suor Angelica, in September of 2016. They obtained

their 501(c)(3) status in 2017 and now have an established Board of Directors with seven board

members. Kathryn Bisanti is the General Manager of NOP and the President of the board.

Lauren Henderson-Turner is the Artistic Director and Vice-President of the board. NOP

currently has no employees. Although Kathryn and Lauren both have staff titles in the

organization, their positions are purely volunteer at this point. Other board members are also

volunteering their talents to the organization, such as Julie Meyers who is helping with graphic

design. Their current production of Amahl and the Night Visitors has a cast of about 45 members,

including six professional singers. NOP hopes to offer stipends to these singers. They also have

ten volunteers who are helping with the production. They are also collaborating with the Omaha

Conservatory of Music (OCM) on the production to provide musicians and the Omaha Academy

of Ballet to provide dancers.

Mission Statement

NOP is a new nonprofit organization that seems to going through a phase of self-discovery.

Unfortunately, they do not have a clear missions statement on their website. They do, however,

have a statement that is similar to a mission statement:

“The Nebraska Opera Project seeks to offer exciting performance opportunities to high school

and college students as well as emerging and seasoned opera professionals with ties to

Nebraska.”

IT’s easy to determine what the organization does (provide performance opportunities) and

whom they do it for (high school and college students and emerging and seasoned professionals).

However, it is unclear who they are as an organization or why they exist. According to their

2016 IRS 990 forms, NOP lists their mission as “to provide performance opportunities to

students and emerging professionals to allow more access to the public.” This statement is also

vague and is disconnected with what is published on the website.

In taking with Kathryn, the General Manager, I discovered that one of their main goals is to

create an opera environment geared towards families. Omaha has several opportunities to see

opera productions; however, the conditions are not designed for families with children of young

ages. NOP hopes to introduce opera to children, teenagers, and young adults and subsequently

their families in a smaller, less expensive setting. These young performers will be able to work

alongside emerging and seasoned professionals, learning about opera through practice and

mentorship. Including professionals in each production is essential to provide a sense of

leadership for these young performers. They will also be able to experience singing with an

orchestra.


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NOP has also created valuable partnerships with other area organizations such as the Omaha

Conservatory of Music (OCM), and the Omaha Academy of Ballet. Because of these

collaborations, NOP has been able to combine resources with OCM to have a platform for online

ticket purchases for their next production. NOP also hopes to partner with the Omaha

Community Playhouse’s Theatre Technology Apprenticeship Program to help with carpentry,

electrics, costumes, props, and front of house duties in future productions.

In light of this new information, I have proposed a new mission statement to encompass their

ideas of collaboration with other organizations, their family target audience, and the mentorship

between students and professionals:

“The Nebraska Opera Project exposes opera to people of all ages by creating family-friendly

productions and collaborating with other area organizations to provide performance opportunities

for children, high school students, and college students alongside opera professionals.”

From this new mission statement, you can tell:

Who they are as an organization – an organization that creates opera by collaborating with other

area organizations.

Why they exist – to create a family-friendly opera experience.

What they do – provide performance opportunities alongside opera professionals.

And whom they serve – children, high school students, and college students.


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SWOT Analysis

Strengths

NOP has strong ties to the community. NOP is creating a performance environment for

students of the area to work alongside professionals who also have ties to the area and have

already established their presence in the music community.

They are targeting a new audience demographic. Families are an under-utilized audience for

opera in the area.

They are very good at networking and combining resources. They have already created

partnerships with other organizations and have combined resources for musicians, dancers,

advertising, and ticket sales.

Their tickets have a low price point. Last year, admission was free. However, that plan didn’t

necessarily attract an audience and didn’t bring in any revenue. This year, the price of tickets will

be ten dollars for adults and five dollars for children.

Weaknesses

They are inexperienced. Only being established for a year, NOP is still learning how to run

their nonprofit organization.

They have a small revenue source. Last year, the organization relied solely on private

donations.

They need to improve their digital marketing. Their website is clean and easy to navigate.

However, it is not updated regularly. They also do not post frequently on social media platforms

until right before a production.

They have a small staff. NOP only has two non-paid staff members who are busy with other

jobs and their families.

The Artistic Director lives in another state. Lauren Henderson-Turner used to live in Omaha

but recently moved to Houston, TX. She helps NOP connect with local signers for their

productions and works on the website. With today’s technology, having a staff member live out

of state is possible – the Artistic Director and Conductor for Eugene Opera in Eugene, OR live in

Florida, for example. Since NOP currently only does one productions each year, there wouldn’t

need to be too much back-and-forth traveling for Lauren. However, distance still has the

potential to create problems.


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Opportunities

Omaha is a non-competitive community. Several other organizations in the Omaha area are

willing to create a partnership with NOP.

They have a collaboration with OCM. They have combined resources to be able to purchase

tickets online, promote the production through advertising, and provide orchestra musicians and

venue for their productions.

They have a collaboration with the Omaha Academy of Ballet. The Omaha Academy of

Ballet is providing dancers for their upcoming production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

They hope to collaborate with the Omaha Community Playhouse. The Omaha Community

Playhouse has a Theatre Technology Apprenticeship Program. By partnering with them, they can

provide technical services for NOP productions.

They have the possibility to collaborate with Opera Omaha. The General Director of Opera

Omaha, Roger Weitz, said in an Omaha World Herald article that he foresees opportunities for

their organizations to collaborate.

Threats

They do not have a permanent performance or rehearsal space. Last year’s production of

Suor Angelica was at Marion High School. This year’s performance is at OCM’s Concert Hall.

With a changing venue space, performers and technicians will have to learn how to use the space

if it changes again. This lack of consistency could be difficult for young performers.

Attendance at auditions has been low. For both of their productions, NOP has had to go out

and find people to fills roles that couldn’t be filled with people who auditioned. This is because

audition numbers have been low, and no men have auditioned for roles.

Their many collaborations could lead to a lack of leadership. Partnering with organizations

helps with NOP’s lack of resources and revenue, but they need to take leadership of their own

productions. Having ticket sales on the OCM website may confuse audiences as to who is

actually putting on the production.

Their production could be affected by the season and weather. Their next production is

December 15th through the 17th, meaning that it will have to compete with other holiday

activities and possibly snow.


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SMART Company Goals

• Increase brand awareness in 2018 by utilizing marketing strategies.

• Implement a ticketing software on the website, such as Eventbrite or Yapsody, for use

during the 2019 production.

• Apply for at least one grant starting in 2018.

• Increase donations from corporate sponsors by securing at least two businesses who

donate a total of $1000 for the 2018 production.

Current Situational Analysis

Product The Nebraska Opera Project's (NOP) core product is a shorter opera production experience for

young performers and their families. This year their specific product is a production of Gian

Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, which will take place on December 15th and 17th.

This opera is a one-act opera that lasts about 45 minutes. In conjunction with this production,

NOP is holding an event led by Maestro Hal France on December 9th in which he will discuss

Amahl and the Night Visitors and its impact as the first televised opera. This event is free and

appropriate for all ages.

Pricing For last year's production of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, admission was free. Tickets for this year's

production of Amahl and the Night Visitors will be $10.00 for adults and $5 for children. There

will be no scaling of ticket prices based on seat location. NOP is partnering with the OCM by

using their website as a platform for online ticket sales.

Promotion NOP is partnering with OCM to combine their promotion efforts. OCM has purchased

advertising space at Film Streams, a local nonprofit movie theater company. These ads will play

before movie showings. They also plan on using other traditional marketing methods such as

press releases, posters around the community, and word-of-mouth. NOP has a website and

Facebook page.

Place NOP currently does not have their own rehearsal or performance space. Last year for their

production of Suor Angelica, they performed at Marion High School. This year they are

rehearsing at the OCM's Concert Hall, 7023 Cass St. Omaha, NE. Their performance of Amahl

and the Night Visitors will also be at the OCM Concert Hall. The Concert Hall can have up to

500 seats. It has fixed seating for 200 people with built in retractable seating for an additional

300 people. The room has blank white walls, and the stage is open with no curtains. Ticket sales

take place online through the OCM website.


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Revised Situational Analysis

Customer Value NOP provides an environment for children, teens, and college students to learn about and

practice opera. It is valuable for children and teenagers especially since opera is not taught to

them in schools. NOP gives them the opportunity to be exposed to opera at an earlier age. It also

creates an environment for people to experience opera in a family-friendly setting. This is

valuable because families should be able to see opera productions together and feel comfortable

enough to bring their small children along. This year’s Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the

story of the Three Kings following the star to Bethlehem, who on their way meet a young boy

named Amahl. It is a Christmas story appropriate for the holiday season and NOP’s December

performances. The production offers a unique way for families to experience the season,

providing the only opera production during that month.

Customer Cost There is no cost for children, teenagers, and college students to participate and perform in the

production. There is a cost of time and gas for parents as they drop-off and pick-up their children

who are performing from rehearsals. Rehearsals are from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm with chorus

rehearsing from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and principals from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. This means that

children and teens who are performing in the chorus of the production must give up time in their

evenings or sacrifice other extracurricular activities. There is a cost of time and gas for those

who attend the performances.

Communication NOP has done very well working mostly with word-of-mouth communication. They have built a

relationship with the music community as well as other nonprofit organizations that have helped

with this. For the second production, they have already secured ten volunteers. NOP is also

building relationships between their young performers and their professional performers. This

mentorship provides lines of communication between the cast to help facilitate learning.

Facebook is also being used for communication with the community. However, some

improvements could be made to connect socially with their audience including posting more

regularly and in ways to engage their audience. NOP’s website is clean and easy to navigate, but

it is not updated frequently. The website was not updated to include information about ticket

sales until November with their production performing in December.

Convenience The OCM Concert Hall is part of a new main building that was completed in April of 2016. It is

centrally located in Omaha, NE with a large parking lot. It is only a few blocks from the

University of Nebraska at Omaha, where some of the college performers in the NOP production

come from. It is also neighbors with the Omaha Community Playhouse. If NOP continues to use

the OCM’s Concert Hall space, it will be very convenient to partner with the Omaha Community

Playhouse and use them for help on the technical side of the production. It is also beneficial that

the orchestra and performers can rehearse in the same space that the production will take place.

This makes sure there is enough time for everyone to adjust to the space, it’s acoustics, and it’s

lighting. The Concert Hall is located near the intersection of 72nd and Dodge. This area has been


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going through improvements including new businesses and restaurants. However, the increase of

revitalization in the area is being halted by Crossroads Mall, a mall that has been in disrepair for

years. Crossroads has been slowly abandoned with only a few odd stores still left inside.

SMART Marketing Goals, Strategies, and Tactics

SMART Goal #1: Increase brand awareness in 2018 through marketing and

communication methods.

Strategy 1: Create a newsletter and mailing list.

• Tactic 1: Use information from 2017 ticket sales to create an email list.

• Tactic 2: Send out a survey to the list to gage interest.

• Tactic 3: Promote the new newsletter on social media and on the website.

• Tactic 4: Use the newsletter to send out information about auditions, productions, and

donations.

Strategy 2: Strengthen social media presence.

• Tactic 1: Use and track Facebook metrics.

• Tactic 2: Schedule regular posts.

• Tactic 3: Create accounts for Instagram and Snapchat.

Strategy 3: Create a section for parents on the website.

• Tactic 1: Survey parents of recent younger cast members to see what information they

would like to know in the future.

• Tactic 2: Survey parents who attended a NOP performance to see what they liked and

what they would like to see.

• Tactic 3: Use this information to create the section for parents.


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Strategy 4: Have the media cover a story about the company or productions.

• Tactic 1: Research which media outlets are used by targeted audiences.

• Tactic 2: Write a compelling press release.

• Tactic 3: Send the press release to media outlets, such as the Omaha World Herald and

radio stations Star 104.5 and 99.9 KGOR.

SMART Goal #2: Take in $2,500 in revenue from ticket sales for the 2018 production.

(Based on a 200-seat theater for three performances with an estimated 50% capacity each night

and 70% of ticket sales to adults and 30% ticket sales to children.)

Strategy 1: Create a structured timeline for tickets to officially go on sale.

• Tactic 1: A suggestion for the ticket sale date would be at least two months before the

performance.

• Tactic 2: Establish date to update the website to include links to the OCM website to

direct people to the online ticket platform.

• Tactic 3: Have the link to tickets at the top of the website so it’s the first thing people see

when they visit it.

• Tactic 4: Schedule social media posts for as soon as tickets go on sale.

Strategy 2: Target parents with children ages 6 to 17 years old as a segmented audience.

• Tactic 1: Research why this audience would want to attend NOP productions.

• Tactic 2: Develop a message and communications mix for parents.

• Tactic 3: Create marketing materials geared toward parents.

• Tactic 4: Distribute these materials as soon as tickets go on sale.

Strategy 3: Target senior citizens ages 65 years old and over as a segmented audience.

• Tactic 1: Research why this audience would want to attend NOP productions.

• Tactic 2: Develop a message and communications mix for senior citizens.

• Tactic 3: Create marketing materials geared toward senior citizens.

• Tactic 4: Distribute these materials as soon as tickets go on sale.


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SMART Goal #3: Have 25 scheduled auditions for the 2018 production.

Strategy 1: Develop season theme for 2018.

• Tactic 1: Choose an opera that includes roles for all ages.

• Tactic 2: Announce production choice and audition dates on the website a month in

advance.

• Tactic 3: Promote auditions on social media.

Strategy 2: Promote audition dates through traditional media.

• Tactic 1: Write a press release about auditions.

• Tactic 2: Send the press release to the Omaha World Herald.

• Tactic 3: Send the press release to surrounding city newspapers such as the Papillion

Times and the Bellevue Leader.

Strategy 3: Use network of music friends to promote auditions.

• Tactic 1: Connect with voice teachers such as those at SNJ Studios.

• Tactic 2: Connect with professors at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton

University.

• Tactic 3: Ask them to tell their students about auditions and to post marketing materials.

Strategy 4: Target teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old to audition for production roles.

• Tactic 1: Connect with area schools’ music educators in person and through email.

• Tactic 2: Distribute marketing materials about auditions to music educators.

• Tactic 3: Create and distribute marketing materials about auditions geared toward

teenagers.


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Audience Segmentation

Audience Identification

In the 2015 U.S. Online Census, Omaha is listed as a predominately white area (73.1 percent)

with a growing Hispanic (13.1 percent) and African American population (13.7 percent). It is a

metropolitan area with a population of 408,958, not including the surrounding cities of Papillion,

La Vista, and Bellevue. The area has middle to higher income with a median household income

of $59,369 compared to the state’s median income of $52,997. Omaha has a cost of living

composite at 88, under the national average index of 100. Three recommended target audiences

for the Nebraska Opera Project are parents with children ages 6 to 17, teenagers ages 13 to 18

years old, and senior citizens ages 65 years old and over.

Parents with Children ages 16 to 17 Years Old

Audience Profile

Family households with children in Omaha, NE have an average income of $84,487 according to

the United States Census Bureau report for 2015. Of families, 35.8 percent of parents are

between the ages of 35 and 64. Families that only have children ages 6 to 17 make up 15.3

percent of all households. A majority of parents have a high school diploma and possibly some

college education. 9.1 percent of people ages 35 to 44 have a Bachelor’s degree or higher

compared to people ages 45 to 64 at 19.1 percent.

Families are important to the organization because it is most likely their children that are

performing in the NOP productions. They want to be able to come support their children, but in

an atmosphere where possible younger siblings can come and enjoy the performance as well.

They are always looking for activities for their children that are enriching and entertaining. They

also have a little more income to spend for such occasions. The majority of parents are working

parents. Their jobs might conflict with the production’s rehearsal schedule or performance dates,

creating a barrier.

Desired Action: Increase attendance by all members of families including parents and their

children.

Develop in parents the idea to encourage their children to participate in future productions.

Communication Mix

Parents are concerned with raising their family. They want to see their children succeed in

everything they do. They want their children to graduate from high school and go off to college.

Most importantly, they want to give their children opportunities that they might not have had

growing up. In order for them to provide for their family, parents have to work. They make the

financial decisions for the family. They want their children to participate in valuable learning

experiences that are at little or no cost to them and that fits in with their work schedule. NOP

wants parents to encourage their children to participate in productions. NOP wants parents to feel

comfortable bringing all family members, including young children, to these performances as

well.


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Message for families: Our operas are an event the whole family can enjoy. Experience opera

together with the Nebraska Opera Project. Purchase tickets for our next production, Amahl and

the Night Visitors, by visiting www.omahacm.org.

Message for parents with children performing in productions: Give your children the chance

to shine by encouraging them to audition with the Nebraska Opera Project! Be a part of the

production yourself by supporting your young performers. For more information, visit our

parent’s page at www.nebraskaoperaproject.org/parents. (This is an example URL of a website

that could be created for this message.)

Since 35.8 percent of parents are between the ages of 35 and 64, most of this group identifies as

Generation X. They are comfortable with technology and the internet and like to communicate

through email. They like social media apps like Facebook and Pinterest. They watch local news

stations in the morning while getting ready for work and view it as a credible source. They read

the newspaper about once a week and subscribe to the Sunday edition of the Omaha World

Herald. Parents spend most of their time at work. When they aren’t at work, they are at their

children’s school events, taking their children to after school activities and clubs, or they’re at

home spending time with their family.

Channels: Use Facebook, word of mouth, and send press releases to the Omaha World Herald,

radio station Star 104.5, and news stations like KMTV.

Activities: Appear on a segment of the local TV program, The Morning Blend, and share links

of the video segment on Facebook.

Materials: Create a page on the website with information designed specifically for parents.

Create an e-newsletter. Air an ad on Star 104.5.

Senior Citizens Ages 65 Years Old and Over

Audience Profile

People ages 65 and over make up 15.5 percent of the Omaha population, and the average age of

retirement is 65 years old. People 65 years and over had an average income of $47,354 and an

average Social Security income of $20,008 in 2015. According to an article published in the

Omaha World Herald on September 17, 2017, the number of Omaha metro households with at

least one person 65 or older has increased 37 percent in the last decade. In Omaha, nearly one in

four households includes someone 65 or older. As more grandparents begin to live with their

children, they help out around the house and babysit when needed. Of this population, 87 percent

have graduated from high school, 25.8 percent have a Bachelor’s degree of higher. Since they are

retired, senior citizens have more time available do to leisurely activities. They are connected to

the community through their church congregations and attend services almost every Sunday.

This audience is important to NOP because they want all parts of families to be included in

attendance, even grandparents. Grandparents want to support their grandchildren by watching

them in NOP productions. Senior citizens may also have concerns about driving at night and

might choose to not attend performances that begin at 7:00 pm.

http://www.omahacm.org/

http://www.nebraskaoperaproject.org/parents


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Desired Action: Increase attendance of senior citizens and grandparents of children performing

in NOP productions.

Communications Mix

Senior citizens are concerned with living comfortably in their years of retirement. They have a

lot more free-time that they want to spend with family and enjoying themselves. After a busy life

working, senior citizens might feel like that they have too much free-time and look for ways to

fill it. They are also concerned with taking care of themselves so that they are healthy and can

live longer. Grandparents want to be around for their family and want to continue to be involved

in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives. They like creating and maintaining traditions that

their families can look fondly back on. NOP wants to engage senior citizens because they realize

that grandparents are important and need to be included when talking about family. They want

their opera experience to include multiple generations, starting with grandparents.

Message: Make the Nebraska Opera Project a part of your family traditions, and leave a legacy

for your family to continue for generations to come. Purchase tickets for our next production,

Amahl and the Night Visitors, by visiting www.omahacm.org.

Senior citizens get most of their information from their social groups including church

congregations and senior citizen centers. Senior citizens read the newspaper every day and

subscribe to the daily edition of the Omaha World Herald. They listen to radio stations such as

99.9 KGOR. More senior citizens are comfortable with computers and the internet, but the

majority do not use social media. Since most senior citizens are retired, they spend a lot of their

time at home or traveling. Some senior citizens have part-time jobs at places like Wal-Mart to

supplement income or just to have something to do.

Channels: Create connections with local church congregations. Send press releases to the

Omaha World Herald and radio stations like 99.9 KGOR.

Activities: Have a story ran in the Living Section of the Omaha World Herald. If productions

have religious themes (such as Suor Angelica and Amahl and the Night Visitors) host events at

local churches to discuss the story and its themes.

Materials: Place posters at local churches. Air an ad on 99.9 KGOR.

Teenagers Ages 13 to 18 Years Old

Audience Profile

Of teenagers that are enrolled in school, 94 percent go to public school. 59.3 percent of teenagers

come from married-couple family households while 37.5 percent come from single-parent

households. Over half of teenagers in Omaha have jobs. Teenagers are important to NOP

because they are some of the performers that are needed for productions. NOP needs more

teenagers who have some experience performing and reading music but still have much to learn

about opera. They are seen as leaders to children younger than them and act as role models.

Teenagers should see participating in NOP productions as a valuable learning experience that

isn’t offered in their school’s curriculum or extracurricular activities. However, teenagers’ main



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priorities are school, homework, and extracurricular activities which might take precedence over

performing with NOP. Time could be seen as a barrier to them. Teenagers who have jobs are

concerned with making money more than learning and experiencing opera. To them, both time

and cost could be barriers.

Desired Action: Increase participation by teenagers in future NOP productions.

Communications Mix

Teenagers’ main priority is school. After they graduate high school, most students will go on to

college. In order to get into college, students need good grades and a resume with impressive

extra-curricular activities. Participating and volunteering for community organizations as well as

school organizations adds value to teenagers’ college applications. Teenagers specifically

interested in music have limited options to learn about and participate in music groups through

school. NOP wants teenagers to participate in their annual productions to be able to experience

and learn about opera in ways that schools can’t provide. Most importantly, teenagers want to

have fun and make friends. Teenagers won’t waste their time on activities that they think are

boring.

Message: Do you enjoy music, band, and choir in school but want to experience more? Learn

about opera in a fun and friendly environment by singing with the Nebraska Opera Project.

Schedule your audition today by emailing [email protected]!

Teenagers get most of their information from and communicate through social media. They love

apps like Snapchat and Instagram that contain highly visual posts with short messages. They

value reviews from their peers, like those that post video blogs on Youtube about certain

products. Teenagers spend most of their time at school, but when they aren’t there, they are at

home studying or participating in school sanctioned extra-curricular activities such as softball,

football, and show choir. When they have free time, teenagers like to hang out with friends at the

mall, Starbucks, and Scooters.

Channels: Use Snapchat and Instagram as well as Youtube. Connect with local schools and their

music educators to pass along information about NOP productions and auditions to their

students.

Activities: Have a couple teenagers currently in the production act as Teen Ambassadors who

will take over the Snapchat and Instagram accounts and post about rehearsals.

Materials: Place audition notice posters at local high schools, Westroads Mall, Oakview Mall,

Starbucks, and Scooters. Create short video blogs to upload to Youtube.

mailto:[email protected]


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Timeline and Budget

This next section reinforces the suggestions from the goals, strategies, and tactics and integrates

them with the channels, activities, and materials from the communications mix to provide

context. A timeline and cost are added to each strategy to explain how the final budget was

created.

SMART Goal: Increase brand awareness in 2018 through marketing and communication

methods.

Strategy 1 Create a newsletter and mailing list

Tactics • Use information from 2017 ticket sales to create an email list.

• Send out a survey to the list to gage interest.

• Promote the newsletter on social media and on the website.

• Use the newsletter to send out information about auditions,

productions, and donations.

Targeted Audience Parents with children ages 6 to 17

Materials Newsletter

Timeline Begin surveys in January 2018. Send out the first welcome/thank you

newsletter in February 2018.

Cost No cost if emailed.

If mailed, total cost of materials and postage for an expected 50

newsletters would be around $66.

Strategy 2 Strengthen social media presence in 2018.

Tactics • Use and track Facebook metrics.

• Schedule regular posts.

• Create accounts for Instagram and Snapchat.

Targeted Audiences Parents with children ages 6 to 7 years old (Facebook)

Teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old (Instagram and Snapchat)

Communication

Channels

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat

Activities Have a couple teenagers currently in the production act as Teen

Ambassadors who will take over the Snapchat and Instagram accounts

and post about rehearsals.

Timeline Begin in January 2019. If choosing to boost Facebook posts, boost

posts about auditions and production performances two weeks prior to

those established dates.

Cost No cost, unless NOP pays to boost Facebook posts which are $1 a day

that the post is boosted, up to 14 days per post.

Strategy 3 Create a section for parents on the website.

Tactics • Survey parents of recent younger cast members to see what

information they would like to know in the future.

• Survey parents who attended a NOP performance to see what

they liked and what they would like to see.

• Use this information to build the section for parents.


18

Targeted Audience Parents with children ages 6 to 17 with children who are performing in

NOP productions.

Communication

Channels

The website

Materials A page on the website designed specifically for parents and surveys.

Timeline Begin research in January 2018. The parents page should be on the

website by the time audition dates are posted (this date has not been

determined yet).

Cost No cost – can use free survey builders such as Google Forms or Survey

Monkey.

Strategy 4 Have the media cover a story about the company or productions.

Tactics • Research which media outlets are used by targeted audiences.

• Write a newsworthy press release.

• Send the press release to media outlets, such as the Omaha

World Herald and radio stations Star 104.5 and 99.9 KGOR.

Targeted Audiences Parents with children ages 6 to 17 years old

Senior citizens ages 65 years old and over

Channels Newspapers - The Omaha World Herald

Radio stations – Star 104.5 and 99.9 KGOR

Timeline Two months before the 2018 production performance dates.

(Performance dates not determined yet).

Cost No cost

SMART Goal: Take in 2,500 in revenue from ticket sales for the 2018 production. (Based on a

200-seat theater for three performances with an estimated 50% capacity each night and 70%

of ticket sales to adults and 30% ticket sales to children)

Strategy 1 Create a structured timeline for tickets to officially go on sale.

Tactics • Establish a date for tickets to go on sale. A suggestion would be

at least two months before the next production.

• Establish date to update the website to include links to OCM

website to direct people to the online ticket platform.

• Have the link to tickets at the top of website so it’s the first

thing people see when they visit it.


Senior citizens ages 65 years old and over

Communication

Channels

The website

Timeline Create the timeline three months before the next production. Have

tickets go on sale two months before the production (date not

determined yet).

Cost No cost – personnel are volunteers

Strategy 2 Target parents with children ages 6 to 7 years old as a segmented

audience.


19

Tactics • Research why this audience would want to attend NOP

productions.

• Develop a message and communications mix for parents.

• Create marketing materials geared toward parents.

• Distribute these materials as soon as tickets go on sale.

Targeted Audience Parents with children ages 6 to 17 years old

Communication

Channels

Facebook, word of mouth, press releases sent to the Omaha World

Herald, the radio station Star 104.5, and news stations like KMTV

Activities Appear on a segment of the local TV program, The Morning Blend,

and share links of the video segment on Facebook.

Materials Create a page on the website with information designed specifically for

parents. Create a newsletter/e-newsletter.

Not feasible at this time but as a possible suggestion for the future – air

an ad on Star 104.5.

Timeline Begin research in January 2018 and apply findings for the next

production.

Cost Printing posters – 8.5 by 11-inch posters at 69 cents per color copy. 15

copies would equal $10.35.

Not feasible at this time but a possible suggestion for the future (this

will be included in a separate budget):

Radio ad – $33 for a 30 second spot on STAR 104.5. Three ads would

equal $99.

Strategy 3 Target senior citizens ages 65 years old and over as a segmented

audience.

Tactics • Research why this audience would want to attend NOP

productions.

• Develop a message and communications mix for senior

citizens.

• Create marketing materials geared toward senior citizens.

• Distribute these materials as soon as tickets go on sale.

Targeted Audience Senior citizens ages 65 years old and over

Communication

Channels

Create connections with local church congregations. Send press

releases to the Omaha World Herald and radio stations like 99.9

KGOR.

Activities Have a story ran in the Living Section of the Omaha World Herald. If

productions have religious themes (such as Suor Angelica and Amahl

and the Night Visitors) host events at local churches to discuss the story

and its themes.

Materials

Place posters at local churches.

Not feasible at this time but as a possible suggestion for the future – air

an ad on 99.9 KGOR

Timeline Begin research in January 2018 and apply findings for the next

production.


20



Not feasible at this time but a possible suggestion for the future (this

will be included in a separate budget):

Radio ad – $33 for a 30 second spot on 99.9 KGOR. Three ads would

equal $99.

SMART Goal: Have 25 scheduled auditions for the 2018 production.

Strategy 1 Develop a season theme

Tactics • Choose an opera that includes roles for all ages.

• Announce production choice and audition dates on the website

a month in advance.

• Promote auditions on social media.


Teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old

Communication

Channels

Facebook and Instagram

Timeline Have opera chosen seven months prior to the performance dates that

are decided on, that way auditions dates can be posted six months prior

to the performance. (Specific dates have not been determined yet.)

Cost No cost, unless NOP chooses to boost the Facebook post – about $14.

Strategy 2 Promote audition dates through traditional media.

Tactics • Write a press release about auditions.

• Send the press release to the Omaha World Herald.

• Send the press release to surrounding city newspapers such as

the Papillion Times and the Bellevue Leader.

Targeted Audiences Parents with children ages 6 to 17 years old.

Communication

Channels

The Omaha World Herald, the Papillion Times, and the Bellevue

Leader.

Materials If these newspapers do not run a story, consider purchasing ads.

Timeline Send out press release one month before the established audition date.

(Audition dates have not been determined yet.)

Cost No cost (if newspapers respond to the press release and run a story in

their paper).

If no is story is run, ad cost is:

The Omaha World Herald – an average of $85 for a column inch of

black and white advertising space (for the daily edition).

The Papillion Times – an average of $16 for a column inch of black

and white advertising space.

The Bellevue Leader – an average of $10 for a column inch of black

and white advertising space.

(Newspaper ads are not feasible at this time but are a possible

suggestion for the future and included in a separate budget.)


21

Strategy 3 Use network of music friends to promote auditions.

Tactics • Connect with voice teachers such as those at SNJ Studios.

• Connect with professors at the University of Nebraska at

Omaha and Creighton University.

• Ask them to tell their students about auditions and to post

marketing materials.

Targeted Audiences Teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old

Students attending universities and colleges in Omaha

Communication

Channels

Word of mouth through network of music friends

Materials Posters distributed to voice teachers and college professors.

Timeline Connect with and distribute materials to network of music friends one

month before the established audition date.


copies would equal $13.80

Strategy 4 Target teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old to audition for production

roles.

Tactics • Connect with area schools’ music educators in person and

through email.

• Distribute marketing materials about auditions to music

educators.

• Create and distribute marketing materials about auditions

geared toward teenagers.

Targeted Audience Teenagers ages 13 to 18 years old

Communication

Channels

Connect with local schools and their music educators to pass along

information about NOP productions and auditions to their students.

Use Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube.

Materials Place audition posters at local high schools, Westroads Mall, Oakview

Mall, Starbucks, and Scooters. Create short video blogs and upload

them to Youtube.

Timeline Make connections to local high schools’ music educators and distribute

materials one month before the established audition date.




22

Overall Budget and Suggestions for the Future

NOP currently has a marketing budget of zero dollars. All marketing promotions and advertising

for their production of Amahl and the Night Visitors has been paid for OCM. The materials used

in this plan are designed to be at little or no cost to the NOP. However, there are suggestions of

prices for once they have the funds to create their own marketing budget.

Overall Budget

Print and mail newsletters (with 50 names

expected on the first mailing list)

Letters – color copy, one-sided page at 69

cents times 50 copies = $34.50

Envelopes (50) - $7.00

Postage for 50 mailings - $24.50

Total: $66

Boost Facebook posts Boost two posts, one about auditions and one

about the performances. $1 a day for up to 14

days times 2 posts = $28

Printing costs for posters listing audition

dates

8.5x11 posters printed in color:

69 cents a page times 20 copies = $13.80

Printing costs for posters about the

production performances

(30 posters total – 15 distributed to parents

and 15 to senior citizens)

8.5x11 posters printed in color:

69 cents a page times 30 copies = $20.70

TOTAL $ 128.50

Suggestions for Expanding the Budget in the Future

Radio ads for STAR 104.5 and 99.9 KGOR Average $33 for a 30 second ad:

$33 times 3 ads times 2 radio stations = $198

Ad for auditions placed in the Omaha

World Herald (for the daily edition)

Average $85 per column inch of black and

white print in the daily edition:

8 column inches times $85 = $680

Ad for auditions placed in the Papillion

Times


white print:


Ad for auditions placed in the Bellevue

Leader


white print:


TOTAL FOR SUGGESTIONS IF

BUDGET IS EXPANDED:

$1,086


23

Conclusion and Recommendations

To experience greater success in the community, NOP needs to establish their brand and their

presence in Omaha. They need to build their audience base and be intentional with how they

communicate with them. By utilizing the marketing strategies and messages for each target

audience, NOP can focus their funds and efforts on clear communication and make sure that

these messages are being seen by the audience they are intended for.

Each audience segment is unique and brings growth opportunities for NOP. Since their

production of Amahl and the Night Visitors is wrapping up at the end of this year, NOP has time

to begin their research and develop their own communications and message mix with the

guidance of this plan’s suggestions. Because NOP has a limited budget for marketing, these ideas

were created with cost friendly suggestions in mind.

The first recommendation is for NOP to revise their mission statement to incorporate their ideas

of mentorship, family-friendly productions, and partnerships with other organizations. Then they

should prominently display the mission on their website. They could also create vision and

values statement during this process, but it is not necessarily needed.

Next on their list should be to target teenagers so they can be prepared for and increase their next

production’s auditions. They have an excellent network in the music community but need to

extend their reach to music educators. By connecting with local high schools, NOP can distribute

their message and materials to band and choir teachers who can pass the information along to

their students.

To create and maintain a relationship with their audience, it is recommended that NOP creates a

newsletter. They should use information from their 2017 ticket sales to develop a list of potential

people to receive this letter and send out surveys to gage their interest. The newsletter can be

emailed to cut costs associated with printing, mailing materials, and postage.

Parents are an important target audience because they should encourage their children to perform

in NOP productions. When it comes to what their children are participating in, parents like to be

in the know. It is recommended that NOP creates a page on their website geared toward these

parents with information about how auditions take place, how rehearsals are run, and how their

children will benefit from performing with NOP.

Now that NOP has changed their price model from free admission to ten dollars for adults and

five dollars for children, they have the ability to begin building revenue. NOP should target

senior citizens and parents with children to increase attendance at their productions and increase

revenue in return. They need to build relationships with these audiences so that they continue to

come to NOP productions. Once their base audience is established, NOP will have the

opportunity to target different audiences and grow their attendance in the future.


24

Appendix

For Immediate Release: Contact: Kathryn Bisanti, General Manager

November 11, 2017 [email protected] * 515-210-4397

Nebraska Opera Project Presents Amahl and the Night Visitors for Three Nights Only

OMAHA – The Nebraska Opera Project will present three performances of Amahl and the Night

Visitors, a one-act opera composed by Gian Carlo Menotti, Dec. 15, 16 and 17 in collaboration

with Omaha Conservatory of Music and the Omaha Academy of Ballet. The performance is

directed by Miriam Gutiérrez and conducted by Kenneth Meints. Tickets are on sale at

www.omahacm.org.

Inspired by the tale of the Three Wise Men, Amahl and the Night Visitors is the story of a young

boy and his mother living outside Jerusalem in a time when the plight of orphans and widows

were largely ignored. Amahl is a good boy who tries to ease his mother’s fears of losing their

home and begging for food. Everything changes when four strange men come to their door late

one night, bringing with them hope and a special holiday tradition. Originally written for

television in 1951 by Gian Carlo Menotti, this one-act opera has become a holiday tradition.

Working together with the Omaha Conservatory of Music and the Omaha Academy Ballet, the

Nebraska Opera Project presents this production with a cast of professional singers as well as

college students, teenagers and children ages 10 and up. The title role of Amahl is played by both

Clair Donohoe and Elizabeth Kelly.

“I was part of Nebraska Opera Project’s Suor Angelic’ last year, and I knew right away I wanted

to audition again,” said Donohoe. “I’m really excited to be playing the lead this year. I feel like

I’m learning so much from everyone.”

The role of the mother will also be shared between Michelle Monroe and local Omaha singer,

Mary Carrick. Other cast members include Cody Jorgensen, Matt Willkom and Jesse Wholman

as the three kings.

“Our main goal is to create a family-friendly performance. We’re excited to present it because it

features a young singer in the title role. We want kids to see other kids performing and want to

do it too,” said Kathryn Bisanti, General Manager of Nebraska Opera Project.” Amahl and the

Night Visitors is a great story to tell because so many people are already familiar with the story

of the Three Wise Men.”

Celebrate the season with this charming opera that is appropriate for all ages!

###

mailto:[email protected]


25

Amahl and the Night Visitors is presented by Nebraska Opera Project with Omaha

Conservatory of Music and the Omaha Academy Ballet

Tickets can be purchased at www.omahacm.org.

Adults - $10

Children - $5

Performance Dates:

Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

Sunday. Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.

All performances will take place at the Omaha Conservatory of Music’s Concert Hall.

7023 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68132

Performance run time: 50 minutes

Corporate Sponsors:

Bobby’s Dancewear

Old Market Candy Shop

Tannenbaum

Dolci Ice Cream & Deserts

Marcus of Omaha Fine Photography

(This was an example of a press release. This can serve as a template for future press releases.)



26

Research

Cordes, H. (2017, September 17). In Omaha as elsewhere, the elderly population will keep

booming, increasing demand for services. Retrieved November 04, 2017, from

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/in-omaha-as-elsewhere-the-elderly-population-will-

keep-booming/article_49cabfae-ed26-5f0d-93c7-f34c315acff7.html

Freeman, B. (2016, October 03). Mom of 4 with vocal degree heads opera project that gives local

talent a chance to shine. Retrieved October 03, 2017, from

http://www.omaha.com/living/mom-of-with-vocal-degree-heads-opera-project-that-

gives/article_85e1a7b5-beec-5dba-a3e9-d48eb6a71d58.html

Nebraska Opera Project. (2017). Retrieved October 03, 2017, from

http://nebraskaoperaproject.org/

Omaha Conservatory of Music. (2017). Menotti’s AMAHL and the NIGHT VISITORS.

Retrieved November 10, 2017, from http://www.omahacm.org/programs-events/menottis-

amahl-and-the-night-visitors

Omaha Conservatory of Music Opens a New Home in Repurposed Space. (2017, May 19).

Retrieved November 10, 2017, from https://www.hdrinc.com/insights/omaha-conservatory-

music-opens-new-home-repurposed-space

US Census Bureau. (2015). ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates. Retrieved October 22,

2017, from

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF

US Census Bureau. (2015). Educational Attainment. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from


US Census Bureau. (2015). Income in the Past 12 Months. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from


US Census Bureau. (2015). Children Characteristics. Retrieved October 03, 2017, from


US Census Bureau. (2015). Characteristics of Teenagers 15 to 19 Years Old. Retrieved October

22, 2017, from


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