I am in the middle of compiling the programme for our next production, just to give you a little background concerning our programme:

Its A5 in size, glossy and NOT colour at present
We have a distribution level of around 600 programmes for the week

The current charging structure per show is as follows:

Full Page - ?50
Half Page - ?25
Quarter Page - ?15

I proposed the amend the prices as follows:

Full Page - ?50
Half Page - ?30
Quarter Page - ?20

I have been informed that some of our member's who are also advertisers are digusted by the hike in the cost of the half page advert.

I think the rise is justified as the programme has moved from what was effectively a photocopy to glossy design and professional print. I am also hoping to include colour photographs in the programme.

Does anyone have details of what they charge.......................?

What do you think of the prices..................?

I personally think they are extremely cheap but it would be nice to know what everyone else thinks!

Hi, there. I can't really comment on the price of your ads, but I think that it makes more sense to have the larger ads be of a better value (as shown in your proposed price schedule.) Everyone does this! Otherwise, where is the incentive for your client (the advertiser) to purchase a larger ad? (Sounds like somebody needs to grow up...) Well, let's see...is 10 English pounds about the same as 20 American dollars or 20 Euros? (I am getting an education in international exchange rates here.) If that is at all close, then I would say that your advertisers are getting a bargain. Eva B.

These prices are the same as we charge in the programmes for our annual village fete. Given that the advertisers will be reaching a targeted local audience they are getting a real bargain, especially compared with the cost of advertising in a local paper, where they are not guaranteed to reach the right people.

Even for the smallest, one-man-and-his-dog-working-out-of-his-front-room type of business, ?20 is peanuts and to get a quarter page ad for that represents the best value for money he's likely to get anywhere.

They should be biting your hand off!

For an A5 glossy, either in black and white or with a full colour cover, we charge ?150 for the outer back cover if in B&W, or ?200 if in colour. Other than that:

Full page inside front cover ?120
Full page ?100
Half page ?60
Quarter page ?35

We also do a special rate for groups perfoming in our theatre in the same season, of ?15 for an ad of up to a quarter of a page, to be fitted in where we can.

At these rates, we normally cover all printing costs, so every programme we then sell is pure profit. Estimate one programme per 3 seats sold - provided you use good front of house staff! We've kept the cost of a glossy programme down to ?1 for the past 5 years, although a lot of people charge ?2 now. I've also found that A5 is the most popular.

We have absolutely no trouble with these charges - just go to large companies (garages/accountancy firms/solicitors) with a mock-up so they can actually pick the spot they want. And they'll always do their own layout. If they only give you the info (such as a High Street shop might) then charge them ?20 for doing the artwork too.

Honestly, the more professional you are about it, the more people expect to pay!

We charge ?50 for a full page and ?25 for a half page.

I think your advertisers are being extremely unfair complaining about the price "hike"

If they think they can get a better deal elsewhere they are kidding themselves. <_<

Incidentally, Simon, don't tell the potential advertisers that it's distrubion of 600. Work out your maximum number of seats to be sold, then say that it's for a potential total audience of xyz.

Which is true, of course. Potentially you could sell out and potentially they could each buy a ticket.

Never under-sell yourselves.

Simon
We were asking those prices (?50, ?30, ?20) when we did the A5 programmes for our panto's and that was about three years ago!
They are very fair and its a shame people are complaining over ?5.

Of course you could say that its okay if they dont want it as you have many businesses wanting to advertise. I bet they will pay anyway! (I just love reverse Psychology)

J x

Simon,

We also increased our prices from ?50 full / ?25 half page to ?50 / ?30 last show for A5 size programme. One regular advertiser for the last few years turned us down, but I don't know if it was price-related or not. We stopped doing quarter page a couple of years back, as we only seemed to ever get one ad of that size. Half page always seems to be our most popular.

Claire
The Cuddington Players

Hi there

I work on the show programme for a society I belong to in Milton Keynes, www.mkaos.co.uk.
We are fortunate to have the services of a member who as a designer by profession is a dab hand and putting the artwork and layout togther. Since we provide the completed programme on Mac format disc to the Printer and since our Printers are run by an ex member and patron who is great at giving us a deal we do get our programmes and publicty materials printed for a ridiculously low price. The programme is professional bound and printed with high res photos and graphics

We therefore can afford to go very glossy and produce significantly large programmes and still charge a relatively low price for ads and prof sales.

Typically we print for a May Musical (6 performances in a 200 seater theatre)
8,000 A5 flyers (2 colours + black)
500 A4 posters (2 colours + black)
600 24 page programmes (2 colours + black cover and 1 col + black inner)
@ total cost of ?900!!!

For our xmas pantos (10 performances in same theatre but more seats as orchestra pit is filled 260)
10,000 A5 flyers (Full colour)
500 A4 posters (Full colour)
900 32 page A5 programmes (1/2 pages in 1 col + black 1/ 2 pages in ful colour)
@ total cost of ?1000!!!

We chage a pound for programmes - really we shoudl chrage more as they are a pretty substantial size, superb quality and the panto ones inclde 8 pages of kids activities and fun things

We have built up a fairly good range of local advertisiers so that we often rotate then them each show so we are not pesteriung the same ones each time. Some will drop out and we source new ones.

We charge
Full colour
1/4 page ?40
1/2 page ?65
full page ?100

Standard
1/4 page ?30
1/2 page ?50
full page ?80

These have been the same for as long as anyone can remember - and rtepresnet good value. we could increase it but we are lucky that we don't really need to!

WE also in the last few shows have sold a banner advert at the base of our poster / flyer to one advertiser for as much as we can get ?400 - ?500 which can really boost the income.

For our last show, Babes in the Wood, an xmas panto, through the flyer sponsership, programme ads and a ticket wallet which we sold advertising one we made just under ? 1800 from advertising (and then sold 700 programmes in show week for another ?700)

At present the programme team is basically myself collating the material and the sourceing adverts and the member who sets it all up and uses his creative genius to make it look nice!

If anyone wpould like to see some copies of what we have done recently for ideas etc please drop me a line publicity@mkaos.co.uk

Steve

Good to hear all the input from everyone!

Thanks for your comments!