Welcome to WRITING MATTERS, celebrating the value of good
writing in the business world.
*****************************************
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 10 – JUNE 2008
*****************************************
The Allenford Center for the Performing Arts was a recently
refurbished theater in the community of Allenford. Long in disrepair, a generous endowment from a local resident
gave new life to the once-proud facility.
After a two-year restoration, the Center had reopened three months ago
to great fanfare and celebration.
Meredith Stevens was the Center’s Public Relations Director
and supervised an enthusiastic support staff.
The theater featured mostly plays and musicals, with the occasional pop
or jazz artist stopping by. Although
the calendar was booked for the first several weeks after the reopening, the
novelty of the restoration was already wearing off. Keenly aware of this, Meredith knew it was imperative to keep the
Center in the forefront of the community and its residents.
With Meredith's staff mostly administrative in nature, she
had relied on an ad agency to handle the bulk of the PR work leading up to the
Center's reopening. Although the agency
did a decent job, Meredith felt the Center didn't get its money's worth and
needed to go in a different direction.
Part of the problem was the ad agency hailed from an
adjacent metropolitan area with few ties to Allenford; consequently, its “big
city” style didn’t come across well in the promotional materials. For the Center to thrive beyond its
reopening, Meredith felt a local perspective was necessary. She wanted to embrace the history of the old
theater and position it as a first class performing arts center for years to
come.
To achieve her goals, Meredith wanted local creative talent
– nothing flashy, nothing fancy, no big agency headaches. She looked to hire a writer and graphic
designer to handle projects on an ongoing basis. Meredith envisioned several promotional items, including a
booklet highlighting the history of the center, a quarterly newsletter
featuring coming attractions and reviews of recent performances, and a Web site
incorporating the same elements in a classy, sophisticated design.
Meredith spoke with some of the Center's leading benefactors
regarding writer/designer referrals.
One gentleman recommended a local writer he had used to help promote his
business. Although the writer no longer
lived in Allenford, he had grown up there and maintained close ties to the
area.
The next week, Meredith met with Charles, a freelance
copywriter with experience in writing Web copy and other marketing
collateral. He had been in business for
himself for only a short time, but had previous corporate writing experience
and a solid portfolio. Meredith was
impressed not only with his writing skills, but also his marketing
expertise. He offered a fresh perspective
regarding her ideas and made several good suggestions of his own. Meredith soon realized Charles would be much
more than a writer; he would also be a valued consultant.
Meredith asked Charles about graphic designers and he
recommended someone he had worked with in the past. He also knew a reliable printer who could assist with all facets
of that area. Meredith was thrilled
with what Charles had to offer – experience, insight, and even a network of
professionals to make her life easier.
As soon as all parties were available, work began on the
first project. Meredith wanted to start
with the theater history booklet, which would be made available on-site at the
Center and also through the new Web site.
Charles interviewed staff members and some longtime Allenford residents
to learn more about the theater's rich history. After putting together a first draft, Meredith was pleased with
his work and had very few changes.
Rebecca, the graphic designer, came up with a simple yet classy look and
feel, and the project progressed nicely.
As the theater history booklet took shape, Meredith, Charles
and Rebecca began brainstorming about the newsletter. In addition to a print copy, Charles suggested it also be
distributed online to season subscribers and anyone who joined the Center’s
mailing list. The entire process ran
smoothly because Charles and Rebecca worked so well together, and Meredith
couldn’t be happier.
Within a few weeks, the theater history booklet and premiere
issue of the quarterly newsletter were completed. The history booklet was displayed prominently in the lobby and
became a big hit among patrons. It
featured an engaging narrative and elegant design, along with several archival
photographs of the theater throughout the years. The first newsletter touted the publication of the history
booklet and previewed the performance calendar for the coming months. Next on Meredith's list was the Web site,
which Charles and Rebecca looked forward to working on as well. The site would feature an online version of
the newsletter, as well as other common elements culled from the history
booklet.
In a short period of time, Meredith had added several key
elements to the Center's public relations repertoire, establishing a print and
soon-to-be online presence that didn't exist previously. Furthermore, she had established a great
working relationship with a talented writer and graphic designer, both of whom
she planned on using for years to come.
*****************************************
The next issue of Writing Matters will be out July 1st .
Have a great month!
John Paul Tancredi, Copywriter/Consultant
Spectrum Copywriting Services
Subscribe to WRITING MATTERS at: www.spectrumcopywriting.com/ezine.html
© 2008 Spectrum Copywriting Services. All Rights Reserved.