Case Study
You Have the Right to Remain Dead
A Marshfield Community Theatre Production
Marketing Strategy • Omni-channel Marketing • Photography
Skills Used:
Integrated Campaign Strategy · Email Copywriting · Promotional Photography
Photo Editing · Video Production · Social Media Marketing · Public Relations
Community Outreach
The challenge
Most community theatre productions use name recognition to generate excitement around ticket sales — audiences know titles like Grease, A Christmas Carol, and Legally Blonde.
You Have the Right to Remain Dead had none of that.
It's a fun, fast-paced murder mystery that almost no one in Marshfield had heard of. My job was to sell the experience, not the title: convince a small-town audience to take a chance on an unknown show from a theatre that was still building its reputation for quality.
My role
Marketing Director & Campaign Lead
I led all marketing and communications for the production — strategy, campaign execution, photography, email copywriting, social media content, and PR outreach.
The Goals
Goal #1:
Have an average of 75 audience members at each of the 4 shows.
Goal #2:
Make $1,000 in total profit to support future MCT productions.
Strategy & Approach
With no built-in audience awareness, I leaned into tone and community. The show is playful and irreverent — so the marketing needed to be too. Rather than leading with plot, I led with personality: behind-the-scenes content, character spotlights, and cast-driven social posts that made the show feel like an event worth being part of.
I also used targeted promotions to remove purchase barriers for key audience segments — BOGO deals for educators, healthcare workers, and first responders, plus a student rush program — knowing that these groups often want to support local arts but need a nudge.
Execution
Photography
I planned and shot a full promotional photo shoot with the cast, then edited all images myself. The goal was to capture the show's tone — a little campy, genuinely fun — and give social media a consistent visual identity throughout the run. Photos served as the primary creative asset across all channels. (Gallery below)
Email Campaigns
Two emails drove the campaign. The first announced ticket sales and set the playful tone — a 36% open rate, a new MCT record at the time. The second highlighted a blog post ("5 Reasons to See You Have the Right to Remain Dead") that gave undecided audience members concrete reasons to commit — 29.6% open rate.
Social Media
I produced a mix of polished promotional video and casual cast content across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. The strategy: polished content builds credibility, off-the-cuff content builds connection. Both matter for converting followers into ticket buyers.
Public Relations
I sent a media alert to local outlets and secured a full editorial feature in the Marshfield Mail — earned coverage, not paid placement. For a community organization with no ad budget, PR like this is invaluable.
Promotions
BOGO deals for educators, healthcare workers, and first responders; student rush pricing at the door. These targeted offers drove ticket sales while deepening MCT's relationships with key community segments.
Results
268
Tickets Sold
$1,628
Net Profit
25,062
Facebook Reach
36%
Top Email Open Rate
The show exceeded its financial goal by 63%, and ticket sales — while just under the per-show average target — represented a strong outcome for an unknown title. The BOGO and student rush programs drove measurable late-week sales and will remain part of MCT's standard toolkit.
What I'd do differently: Start social content earlier in the rehearsal process. Behind-the-scenes content performed well, but we only had a short window to build momentum before opening night.