Flex Passes at the Center of a Theater Marketing Model

Flex pass sales and philanthropy go hand-in-hand

Flex passes enable patrons to purchase tickets upfront for multiple events across the season, and to redeem them immediately or later in the year. They're free to select a date and time right away, or to make that selection only when they've firmed up other plans and can be confident they’re free to attend.  Jeanna sees that flexibility as key to building loyalty among newer patrons. For them, subscriptions are most often associated with on-demand TV, and for theaters to succeed they need to emphasize the additional benefits of their subscription models.

“It’s that ultimate flexibility, and trying to force a reappraisal by younger people who say, ‘No, I hear subscriptions, it’s not what I’m into,’ to stop and say, ‘Wait a second, let me think about that, could I do that, what benefits could I get.’ And also trying to push the altruistic benefits of people saying, ‘Well I really like this organization, so if I join as  a subscriber then it’s a vote of confidence in them and I want to support them.’”

As a nonprofit theater, Cincy Shakes relies on donations as well as ticket sales to support its program. By understanding the patron pipeline, Jeanna can be sure to prompt the right upsells and donations at the right time in each customer’s journey.

“They come to a show, we ask them to come to a second show, then how about a season pass subscription to try out a couple more things and get more involved in our community.”

That community involvement often begins with a donation, using targeted prompts in the Spektrix purchase pathway. Because flex pass holders can both buy and redeem their passes online, and emails can be personalized with special messaging for subscribers, there are multiple opportunities to help patrons understand the organization and their role within it. 

“Sometimes subscribers feel they’re big supporters because they’re a subscriber, and they are, but the cost of the ticket is only part of it. Some of the language that we use helps them understand that while we’re very grateful for their ticket purchase, it only covers so much of our costs to operate as an organization, and would they consider adding a donation or being a donor.”

Those efforts to design relevant, customized prompts for every stage of the customer journey have paid off. Many of Cincy Shakes’ subscribers are also regular donors, making low-level gifts as they redeem their vouchers or adding a more substantial sum on top of their annual subscription. Whatever pattern of giving they choose, Spektrix enables a frictionless checkout and automated tools to tag, segment, and thank patrons as they move from first-timers through to regulars.