From Curtain Up to Curtain Call: Rethinking the Theatre Marketing Journey

Today’s audiences are navigating a fragmented media landscape where thousands of brands compete for attention across multiple channels and moments. For theatre and arts organisations, this challenge is heightened. Trust, meaning and emotional connection are not nice-to-haves. They are fundamental to driving ticket sales and long-term engagement.

Research consistently shows that the average consumer now requires more than 10 meaningful touchpoints before taking action. For arts and culture audiences, this number is often closer to 15 or more, as familiarity and confidence must be built before committing to an experience that is both emotional and experiential. This means theatre marketing can no longer rely on single-channel activity or short-term bursts of exposure.

Over the last year, we have seen a significant shift across paid social platforms. Meta, in particular, has leaned heavily into broad machine-learning optimisation, while sunsetting many traditional demographic and interest-based targeting options. This has made it increasingly difficult to reach niche audiences with precision through a single platform alone.

As a result, the case for diversifying beyond the tried and tested has never been stronger. Theatre brands need to explore a wider ecosystem of publishers, platforms and formats that favour layered, context-based targeting. A diversified media mix allows brands to reach audiences in relevant environments, with the right message, at the right moment, rather than relying on algorithms to do all the heavy lifting.

As media has diversified, so too has the audience journey. What we are seeing now are less linear funnels and more looping, layered pathways, where audiences move back and forth between touchpoints before taking action.

A journey might begin with a Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) placement that captures attention through striking key art during a morning commute. That initial moment of awareness is then reinforced later through social or contextual placements that add depth, narrative and social proof.

With the use of geo-targeting and sequential messaging, audiences who are most likely to have seen the DOOH placement can be re-engaged with tailored creative that builds intent. When engagement signals appear, incentive-led and urgency-driven messaging can then help move audiences closer to conversion.

Each touchpoint plays a specific role, and together they create momentum.

For theatre and arts brands, the journey does not end at conversion. In fact, it is often where the most valuable work begins.

Encouraging audiences to fall in love with a show is what fuels advocacy. Post-visit engagement, shareable content, organic social storytelling and community-driven messaging all help transform attendees into ambassadors who recommend shows to friends and family.

Word of mouth remains one of the most influential drivers of attendance in the arts sector. Upfront advertising activity plays a critical role in building the emotional foundation that makes this advocacy possible, while organic and owned channels help sustain it over time. The result is an ongoing loop of loyalty, recommendation and cultural relevance, rather than a one-off transaction.

In a landscape where one-off impressions are quickly forgotten and algorithmic targeting is less precise, theatre brands must shift their thinking. Success now comes from treating each audience member as having their own journey and relationship with a brand.
By designing diversified, layered media strategies that reflect how people actually discover, consider, experience and share culture, marketers can build deeper connections, stronger communities and lasting impact for the shows they represent.