Building Buzz On Broadway: How Unique Theatre Marketing Resonates

Having taken a blow during the pandemic, the theatre community is bouncing back. The industry suffered a huge loss during the pandemic.

In 2020, Broadway theatres shut down causing many shows to struggle. However, during the 2024-2025 season, Broadway shows brought in 1.89 billion dollars. One way that the industry has been able to return to its former glory is through creative marketing.

Many productions are creating unique marketing campaigns to attract theatre goers. In this blog, we’ll look at some of the ways that shows have been able to bring in audiences through marketing campaigns. 

Immersive marketing, taking notes from Masquerade

Broadway’s longest-running show is back - with a twist. The Phantom of the Opera has returned, this time with a new name - and their promotional strategy is a masterclass in experiential marketing. The revival began its launch with unique immersive events to appeal to fans, or as they’re known in the theatre community, “phans."

Leading up to opening night, the show posted addresses and passcodes on their social platforms. When guests arrived at these locations, they were greeted by newsstands with masked workers. Guests were awarded prizes, including masks, letters from the Phantom, and even exclusive tours of the theater.

This was an exciting and innovative way to build hype before the cast was even announced! With immersive experiences becoming more popular, pop-ups are a smart move in theatre marketing.

Souvenirs as audience incentive

Exclusive merchandise is nothing new - and this is especially true in theatre marketing. One sweet example comes from the show, “Waitress,” which ran from April of 2016 to January of 2020. “Waitress” tells the story of a woman who bakes pies in a small town diner.

To bring guests into the world of the show, they sold mini pie jars made by a bakery based in NYC. The pies could only be bought in the lobby of the show, and there were often limited edition or seasonal flavors.

Other fun pieces of merch include a replica of Mary Poppins’ umbrella and a Handbook for the Recently Deceased from Beetlejuice. Merchandise is a great way to excite consumers and create exclusivity. It’s important to consider how selling unique items can enhance theatre marketing strategies. 

From stage stars to (small) screen

Star power is a big bonus on Broadway. In recent years, we’ve seen actors known for their work on stage finding huge fan bases online. One way shows are able to promote their cast is through media hubs like Playbill, Broadway.com, or even by creating TikTok pages for their show. Take, for example, the TikTok account of the play “Oh, Mary!”

This account has over 32,000 followers, and their videos consistently receive more than 10,000 views, with many receiving more than 200,000. Not only is an exciting social presence a great way to promote the show, but it also shows that your production understands current trends.

We also see shows making smart marketing movies by bringing big names from online to the stage. For example, Charli d’Amelio made her Broadway debut in "& Juliet" in October of 2024. This was a smart move to appeal to younger audiences, as Charli became famous on TikTok and has a younger fan base. 

Casting as a competition

A creative way that shows have been building buzz in recent years is with casting competitions. The first time Broadway hosted a competition game show it was called “Grease: You’re the One That I Want!” This show was an “American Idol” style competition to find the stars of a new production of Grease.

This model was such a successful form of theatre marketing that the Broadway production of Legally Blonde copied it, with “The Search for Elle Woods.” Casting competitions are a great way to build excitement around a show.

Giving audiences the chance to engage with a production before opening night makes them more likely to buy tickets. More recently, we’ve seen the show, Chicago, hold a “Search for Roxie” via YouTube submissions.

Just this year, the new Dolly Parton musical did a “Search for Dolly” on Instagram and TikTok. This goes to show how popular these casting competitions have become with theatre marketing teams.

Broadway brand collabs

Brand collaborations aren’t just limited to movies and TV shows. Broadway shows have been expanding their brand partnerships and, in turn, expanding their audience.

The number of collaborations currently released for Wicked is almost impossible to count. Right now, the show has deals with Starbucks, Crocs, Monopoly, Vera Bradley, and more. This makes sense considering the release of Wicked’s movie adaptation. However, there are more Broadway shows exploring the power of brand collabs.

One popular way shows have been collaborating is with elevated jewelry brands. Broadway tickets are not cheap, and partnering with high end retailers is a way of maintaining their luxury reputation. For example, the Phantom of the Opera released a line of jewelry with Alex Woo to “capture the timeless story and unforgettable score of Broadway’s longest-running production.” Another show partnering with a jewelry company is The Outsiders. The Outsiders released a special line of jewelry with Catbird, inspired by the iconic quote “stay golden, Ponyboy.” Other brand collaborations seek to highlight the importance of social justice in the theatre community.

For their 10th anniversary, Hamilton worked with Lingua Franca to release a line of shirts. 10% of the proceeds from this line went to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Another example comes from Some Like it Hot who emphasized the message of LBGT rights in a recent collab.

Teaming up with Social Goods, Some Like it Hot released a line where proceeds went to benefit the Trevor Project. 

Creative theatre marketing strategies are extremely valuable, as they play a huge role in the industry's revival and ongoing success.

The approaches we’ve explored - from immersive experiences to exciting brand collaborations - show us how smart marketing can grab attention and bring in audience members. As we look to the future, it’s clear that marketing will continue to be essential to the theatre community, allowing it to not only thrive but to inspire, entertain, and create lasting memories for years to come.

✍️ Written by Veronica Gilligan