Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: How do YOU handle bad press?

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Paramitch
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Topic: How do YOU handle bad press?
Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:06pm

Hi you guys!

I just thought I'd send over a quick wave, and invite folks (NOOO pressure -- feel free to ignore me) to an opportunity to take part in an interactive user feedback article I've got going over at About.com Performing Arts.

The question is on how you handle bad reviews or negative press, and your responses would actually become an instant part of the published piece, located at http://performingarts.about.com/u/ua/PR_and_Marketing/bad-review-ua.htm or accessible from my column's front page, at http://performingarts.about.com.

I'd love feedback, good or bad, as always, so fire away!

Angela

Angela Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Performing Arts Guide, About.com
http://performingarts.about.com
performingarts.guide@about.com
Twitter PerfArtsGuide

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SM_Ted
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Posted: 1/20/11 at 11:59pm

Reviews are nothing more than meaningless criticism followed by even more meaningless praise.

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Paramitch
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Posted: 1/21/11 at 12:21am

That's a good point, and I agree to an extent. However, I don't think they're meaningless, as there are tangibles involved as well:

1. Good reviews can really help a show's visibility, ticket sales, and audience response; and

2. The bad ones can be hard for some people to shake off, especially if they're younger, newer to the business, or really needed the good press. I've known some theatres in smaller towns where a single negative or dismissive review might cover most of their potential audience demographic, and that can definitely be a blow for even the most optimistic.

Ultimately, though, I think that the most important thing is that people are proud of the work, feel like they staged what they envisioned, and that audiences are responding positively. That's the best outcome of all, to me.

Angela

Angela Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Performing Arts Guide, About.com
http://performingarts.about.com
performingarts.guide@about.com
Twitter PerfArtsGuide

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JoeMc
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Joined: 3/13/06
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Posted: 1/21/11 at 5:25am

Comeatre here don't get 'Press', be that good, bad or indifferent from the main stream media.

They may receive the odd promotional mention in a regional rag & with sometimes even a photo.

As for getting a review this is rare in most regards with the standard of review, comenstrate with the value of the advertisement the ameatre take out for the show. In most instances he only value of these reviews are taken to be less than that of dunny paper.

However on our local theatre association website theatre australia we have a ?review' dogagory section, that any contributor can post a review of the show. The general standard of reviews are excellent honest & well structured. While those that are inept rubbish or vindictive review postings, are normally voted down by the majority of forum members & the content is masked from view.

I always advise cast & crew not to take issue with the website reviewers & allow it to wash past. Thus not enter into any bitchfest postings & let them fade away.

Edited by JoeMc - 1/21/11 at 5:35am

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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jayzehr
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Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:23pm

I feel like I'd be glad for any media reviews positive or negative. I don't know about everyone else but our (small city) local print media seems to be "contracting." We lost our monthly arts tabloid a couple of years ago and the local paper along with its entertainment section are noticeably smaller. We're still getting at least some kind of article or blurb before the shows but it's never anything negative. There used to be someone writing reviews who would very occasionally write an honest review but that's long gone.

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Majicwrench
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Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:54pm

Any publicity is good publicity...

We never get any bad publicity, just because nobody every writes about us, except us!! Our local papers LOVE to print article and pics that we send to them, articles about our troupe and upcoming shows.

If we did get bad press, I would be a bit insulted, then just shrug it off. Can't please everyone. More important to me would be the gang having a good time, and putting out, what they thought, was a good product.

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Paramitch
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Posted: 1/21/11 at 4:01pm

JoeMc, that's really interesting -- it sounds like a practical way to keep the content balanced, though.

jayzehr, I sympathize -- I worked in theatre in a very very small town in California around 2000, and handled the PR and marketing, and it was a definite challenge.

However -- just in case it helps -- a few suggestions. Do you guys keep a press list and send out formal press releases?

If the local arts rag closed and the local entertainment listings are all you have, do you keep an eye out for bloggers or other arts-sympathetic folks to add to your press list?

Also, have you tried widening your press circle to neighboring towns/cities?

For instance, I lived in Sonora, California awhile back (very very small), but I also sent out our press releases to reviewers as far away as 2-3 hours. And it actually worked -- we had critics coming out from Sacramento and even occasionally from San Francisco, and reviews in the papers and weeklies of neighboring towns. The great thing was that not only did we get a wider net of press coverage this way, but we were attracting more people from farther away. It made a tremendous difference to our audience development efforts.

Since press is of the utmost importance to you, I'd also suggest that you make sure that it is as easy as possible for the press to cover you quickly and easily. Make sure you have a press section, and that you have posted your logo and exterior/interior shots of your theatre, along with appropriate photo attributions and captions. Post a few of the best pictures from your productions as you go along, and leave them up, again along with photog info and captions. List your news from newest to oldest, and make sure you're listing an immediate press contact with name, phone number, and e-mail address (protected from spam bots).

Just in case this helps. If it doesn't, totally feel free to ignore me, but they're all things I find people don't always do, and they can make a huge difference to your press.

Majic, I think that's the best attitude you can have -- if you love what you created, that's all that really matters. And kudos to you guys for being so proactive with your press, too.

Cheers!

Edited by Paramitch - 1/21/11 at 4:04pm

Angela Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Performing Arts Guide, About.com
http://performingarts.about.com
performingarts.guide@about.com
Twitter PerfArtsGuide

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VisionE
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Posted: 5/05/11 at 2:02pm

I agree that nearly any publicity is good even if it is not always favorable.

But usually community papers want to give you good publicity and usually will like to include good write ups and pictures. In fact some have even insert our press release essentially unchanged into the paper.

http://www.ectheatre.org/
http://www.spotlightmusicals.com/

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vickifrank
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Joined: 9/21/07
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Posted: 5/05/11 at 4:05pm

Your comments about making it easy for reviewers are spot-on.

I worked with a company years ago that used to have a dinner theatre the first show, invitation and season ticket holder only. They served free wine that night . It was a dry county--so the liquor had to be free, but that also made the night VERY popular and the audience VERY happy. So inviting the reviewers (free tickets to them) to such a happy fun event tilted the odds in the theatre's favor of a good review.

My daughter worked publicity for an opera company out west. That company also worked up several human interest story lines for a behind the scenes peek at the performers. Since the story line was so easy for the writers, frequently the positive slant on the article carried through for the real article. A review alongside such an article would look a bit more favorable no-matter what the review actually said.

Similarly, simple steps like politely inviting reviewers,greeting reviewers, setting up close parking for the reviewer, thanking reviewers, posting positive reviews visibly can reinforce a bond with the reviewer. Although this is especially important in small town reviews some politeness and courtesy can sway even hard-hearted folks.

_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

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Author	Message
Paramitch Player Joined: 10/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Topic: How do YOU handle bad press? Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:06pm
	Hi you guys! I just thought I'd send over a quick wave, and invite folks (NOOO pressure -- feel free to ignore me) to an opportunity to take part in an interactive user feedback article I've got going over at About.com Performing Arts. The question is on how you handle bad reviews or negative press, and your responses would actually become an instant part of the published piece, located at http://performingarts.about.com/u/ua/PR_and_Marketing/bad-review-ua.htm or accessible from my column's front page, at http://performingarts.about.com. I'd love feedback, good or bad, as always, so fire away! Angela
	Angela Mitchell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performing Arts Guide, About.com http://performingarts.about.com performingarts.guide@about.com Twitter PerfArtsGuide

	IP Logged

SM_Ted Player Joined: 7/31/10 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Posted: 1/20/11 at 11:59pm
	Reviews are nothing more than meaningless criticism followed by even more meaningless praise.
	IP Logged

Paramitch Player Joined: 10/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Posted: 1/21/11 at 12:21am
	That's a good point, and I agree to an extent. However, I don't think they're meaningless, as there are tangibles involved as well: 1. Good reviews can really help a show's visibility, ticket sales, and audience response; and 2. The bad ones can be hard for some people to shake off, especially if they're younger, newer to the business, or really needed the good press. I've known some theatres in smaller towns where a single negative or dismissive review might cover most of their potential audience demographic, and that can definitely be a blow for even the most optimistic. Ultimately, though, I think that the most important thing is that people are proud of the work, feel like they staged what they envisioned, and that audiences are responding positively. That's the best outcome of all, to me. Angela
	Angela Mitchell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performing Arts Guide, About.com http://performingarts.about.com performingarts.guide@about.com Twitter PerfArtsGuide
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 1/21/11 at 5:25am
	Comeatre here don't get 'Press', be that good, bad or indifferent from the main stream media. They may receive the odd promotional mention in a regional rag & with sometimes even a photo. As for getting a review this is rare in most regards with the standard of review, comenstrate with the value of the advertisement the ameatre take out for the show. In most instances he only value of these reviews are taken to be less than that of dunny paper. However on our local theatre association website theatre australia we have a ?review' dogagory section, that any contributor can post a review of the show. The general standard of reviews are excellent honest & well structured. While those that are inept rubbish or vindictive review postings, are normally voted down by the majority of forum members & the content is masked from view. I always advise cast & crew not to take issue with the website reviewers & allow it to wash past. Thus not enter into any bitchfest postings & let them fade away. Edited by JoeMc - 1/21/11 at 5:35am
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:23pm
	I feel like I'd be glad for any media reviews positive or negative. I don't know about everyone else but our (small city) local print media seems to be "contracting." We lost our monthly arts tabloid a couple of years ago and the local paper along with its entertainment section are noticeably smaller. We're still getting at least some kind of article or blurb before the shows but it's never anything negative. There used to be someone writing reviews who would very occasionally write an honest review but that's long gone.
	IP Logged

Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:54pm
	Any publicity is good publicity... We never get any bad publicity, just because nobody every writes about us, except us!! Our local papers LOVE to print article and pics that we send to them, articles about our troupe and upcoming shows. If we did get bad press, I would be a bit insulted, then just shrug it off. Can't please everyone. More important to me would be the gang having a good time, and putting out, what they thought, was a good product.
	IP Logged

Paramitch Player Joined: 10/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Posted: 1/21/11 at 4:01pm
	JoeMc, that's really interesting -- it sounds like a practical way to keep the content balanced, though. jayzehr, I sympathize -- I worked in theatre in a very very small town in California around 2000, and handled the PR and marketing, and it was a definite challenge. However -- just in case it helps -- a few suggestions. Do you guys keep a press list and send out formal press releases? If the local arts rag closed and the local entertainment listings are all you have, do you keep an eye out for bloggers or other arts-sympathetic folks to add to your press list? Also, have you tried widening your press circle to neighboring towns/cities? For instance, I lived in Sonora, California awhile back (very very small), but I also sent out our press releases to reviewers as far away as 2-3 hours. And it actually worked -- we had critics coming out from Sacramento and even occasionally from San Francisco, and reviews in the papers and weeklies of neighboring towns. The great thing was that not only did we get a wider net of press coverage this way, but we were attracting more people from farther away. It made a tremendous difference to our audience development efforts. Since press is of the utmost importance to you, I'd also suggest that you make sure that it is as easy as possible for the press to cover you quickly and easily. Make sure you have a press section, and that you have posted your logo and exterior/interior shots of your theatre, along with appropriate photo attributions and captions. Post a few of the best pictures from your productions as you go along, and leave them up, again along with photog info and captions. List your news from newest to oldest, and make sure you're listing an immediate press contact with name, phone number, and e-mail address (protected from spam bots). Just in case this helps. If it doesn't, totally feel free to ignore me, but they're all things I find people don't always do, and they can make a huge difference to your press. Majic, I think that's the best attitude you can have -- if you love what you created, that's all that really matters. And kudos to you guys for being so proactive with your press, too. Cheers! Edited by Paramitch - 1/21/11 at 4:04pm
	Angela Mitchell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performing Arts Guide, About.com http://performingarts.about.com performingarts.guide@about.com Twitter PerfArtsGuide
	IP Logged

VisionE Walk-On Joined: 12/19/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Posted: 5/05/11 at 2:02pm
	I agree that nearly any publicity is good even if it is not always favorable. But usually community papers want to give you good publicity and usually will like to include good write ups and pictures. In fact some have even insert our press release essentially unchanged into the paper.
	http://www.ectheatre.org/ http://www.spotlightmusicals.com/
	IP Logged

vickifrank Celebrity Joined: 9/21/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 332	Posted: 5/05/11 at 4:05pm
	Your comments about making it easy for reviewers are spot-on. I worked with a company years ago that used to have a dinner theatre the first show, invitation and season ticket holder only. They served free wine that night . It was a dry county--so the liquor had to be free, but that also made the night VERY popular and the audience VERY happy. So inviting the reviewers (free tickets to them) to such a happy fun event tilted the odds in the theatre's favor of a good review. My daughter worked publicity for an opera company out west. That company also worked up several human interest story lines for a behind the scenes peek at the performers. Since the story line was so easy for the writers, frequently the positive slant on the article carried through for the real article. A review alongside such an article would look a bit more favorable no-matter what the review actually said. Similarly, simple steps like politely inviting reviewers,greeting reviewers, setting up close parking for the reviewer, thanking reviewers, posting positive reviews visibly can reinforce a bond with the reviewer. Although this is especially important in small town reviews some politeness and courtesy can sway even hard-hearted folks.
	_____________ http://www.studio-productions-inc.com 1-800-359-2964 The theater scrim people
	IP Logged