Silja Niemi Justus Rothlaender Eve Sipilä Tiina-Kaisa Vilkki HELSINKI FRINGE THEATRE COMPANY

1.Helsinki Fringe 2.Audience 3.Current marketing strategies 4.Future mission and concept 5.Strategies 6.References

1. WHAT IS HELSINKI FRINGE THEATRE? Helsinki Fringe is an international, English-speaking Theatre Group Founded in 2010 A bridge between Finnish- and Swedish-speaking theatres English as third language

1.1 “FRINGE – THEATRE” An alternative form of theatre Accessible for everyone Unusual, irregular performances At unconventional places: Pubs, Cellars, Living-rooms, Warehouses…. A reaction against a cultural mainstream Different theatre in different places

1.1 BEING “FRINGE” IN HELSINKI – A MISSION : To produce British and American plays in their original language on a professional level Access to English-speaking theatre culture Collaboration between International and Finnish theatre professionals To establish an alternative, small-scale theatre in Helsinki

1.2 ON STAGE: PREVIOUS PLAYS The Dumb Waiter (2010) Closer (2011)

1.2 ON STAGE: CURRENT PLAY After Miss Julie (2013)

1.3 BEHIND THE MISSION? Kris Gummerus Artistic Director of Helsinki Fringe and Actor Sebastian Weckmann and Karl Norrbom (‘Luckan’) Producers of Helsinki Fringe Connection to ‘Luckan’ and Finnish- Swedish community Different Finnish, Swedish or British Actors Audience

2.1 AUDIENCE Target audience: urban, young people Key audience groups 1.Urban people from 20 to 40 years old, who are interested in culture but who are not not regular theatre-goers 2.English-speaking audience from all age groups

2.2 CURRENT AUDIENCE Observations made based on our own experiences: Not much audience in their newest play After Miss Julie Mainly friends, family of the actors etc. Finnish-Swedish people International people Other English-speaking theatre groups  Target audience not been reached well yet

3. CURRENT MARKETING STRATEGIES Marketing budget around 1000 € Advertising in HBL and Helsinki Times Advertising and ticket sales in Luckan Online presence: Facebook, website, Twitter Posters and flyers in hostels, cafés and (tourist) info centers, i.e. Luckan and Arbis Previously reviews and interviews in Vasabladet, Borgåbladet and Helsinki Times and YLE  No proper marketing strategy

WHERE TO AIM AT? FUTURE?

4.1 MISSION AND BRAND IMAGE Focus on the idea of fringe theatre with an international approach Mission to provide accessible, laid-back theatre to reach the urban young audience Objective still in providing professional theatre; producing quality plays and offering demanding roles for skilled actors  Accessible and special yet high-quality theatre bringing new way for urban people to enjoy theatre

4.2 CONCEPT The concept needs reformation to get successful Developer (Cardon et al. 2009) is needed Financing has to be planned – investors, crowd-funding or co-operation with companies to raise capital; social capital Customer community has to be created and established Value can be co-created by involving the audience (Prahalad and Ramaswamy 2004)

5.1 STRATEGY Long-term strategy needed Goal: to establish a successful fringe theatre in Helsinki Committed person to manage theatre group Open communication between production and artists Audience management strategy Lower prices  more accessible Attractive plays Targeted and efficient marketing strategy

5.2 MARKETING STRATEGY Use of social media (e.g. Facebook) Lively, interesting, more informal/personal messages on a more active basis e.g. back-stage pictures, diary from rehearsals Flyers and posters in selected places Street/pub theatre More PR Blogs, articles in magazines (e.g. Nyt-liite) Word-of-mouth

6. REFERENCES Cardon et al. (2009) in Arts in Consumer Culture course slides Gummerus, Kris (2013) Interview on 8th February 2013, Helsinki Haysom, Ian (1996): "Plot Twist: That Upstart Fringe Theatre is Now Prospering: Fifty Years After some Rejected Edinburgh Artists Dreamed Up the Concept, Fringe Theatre has Spread Worldwide -- so there." The Vancouver Sun: Sep Web. 14 Feb Prahalad, C.K. and Ramaswamy, Venkat (2004a) 'Co-creating unique value with customers', Strategy & Leadership 32 (3): 4-9 Prahalad, C.K. and Ramaswamy, Venkat (2004b) 'Co-creation Experiences: The Next Practice in Value Creation ', Journal of Interactive Marketing 18 (3): 5-14 Weckmann, Sebastian (2013) interview on 13th February 2013, Helsinki "Western theatre." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., Web. 14 Feb Web. 14 Feb Video: After Miss Julie: Web. 14 Feb Web. 14 Feb Web. 14 Feb