This post is the second in our blog series on music marketing.
In the first post of this series, we gave bands some tips on how to use stickers and decals to market themselves. This time around, we take a look at how venues do the same.
As we talked about last time, people love to proudly display stickers of their favorite bands. The same goes for venues.
One venue that has developed a proud fan base is Chattanooga's Track29. Since its launch in September of 2011, thousands of local and regional music lovers have crowded into the venue to see huge acts like Jack White, The Flaming Lips, and The Avett Brothers.
And they've left nearly as excited about the club itself as the acts they've seen there. They've also left with stickers. Lots of them.
"(Music venue stickers) have helped get our name and brand out there," says Monica Maples, general manager of Track 29. "Our initial stickers sparked curiosity of what we are."
Maples says that while they do not have a set sticker strategy or a specific target number of music venue stickers that they distribute in a year, they order them "by the thousands." She says stickers have played a significant role in promoting the club.
"We just try to send them out to the world," she says. "We give them out in the box office with ticket sales, distribute them at off-site events and music festivals, and give them to artists to tag their gear cases. We also give them out to our staff and sell them in our merchandise area at the venue."
The venue uses two different stickers (designed by Michael Mahaffey) featuring the venue's logo and URL. Maples says she regularly hears from folks who've seen the stickers on various vehicles and surfaces across the country.
"It’s a really good feeling to be traveling out of town and to spot one on someone’s car who we do not know," says Maples.
She says she's seen them stuck on Port-o-lets at Bonnaroo, and one of her favorite sightings was when the venue's security lead spotted a decal while working at the Electric Forest Festival in Michigan.
"He looked up and spotted the T29 sticker high up on the ferris wheel," she laughs.
Stickers have also boosted the promotion efforts of another local venue.
The Warehouse is a Christian music venue and teen center, which bills itself as "an alternative hangout and place to be for the younger folks." When a tragic incident out of their control forced the Warehouse to move out of its downtown Chattanooga location, they launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to help offset their relocation costs.
After relocating to Cleveland, they were looking for help to maintain the buzz about their unique venue. GoDecals.net was proud to partner with the Warehouse and help support their cause. We donated two large door decals to help spice up their new location, as well as 100 "giveaway" stickers. The Warehouse is distributing these stickers to the fans in order to further spread the word of what the venue is doing in the greater Chattanooga area.
STICKER TIPS AND TRICKS
Many of the sticker marketing tips that apply to bands work for venues, as well. You may also want to try:
- Adding stickers to one side of your beverage coasters
- Giving out free tickets to drivers of vehicles you spot with your stickers on them
- Printing your concert calendar on the back of your stickers
- Giving out free T-shirts and/or tickets to anyone who will hand out stickers for your venue around town
How do you use stickers or decals to market your venue? Share your tips in the comments below.
Does your venue need stickers quicker? Order now and get them fast!
