Bus Brainstorming

Today I write from the 8 a.m. Bolt Bus heading back to Boston after a great weekend in New York. I saw three incredible plays this weekend, yet it’s my mode of transportation that gets my marketing gears going.

There are a handful of cheap travel options between Boston and New York. Travelers can choose from the speedy Acela train to express flights to my preferred method, the super-cheap-reliable-enough coach bus. Easy enough, cheap enough, and sometimes quick depending on the (hateful) traffic. The service is a commodity and bus companies have to be competitive to grab customers. Greyhound has name recognition, the Chinatown busses have the lowest flat rate and don’t land in the middle of Herald Square or Midtown. You can choose the feature most important to you and sit back in pseudo comfort. I prefer the MegaBus or Bolt Bus for cleanliness, wifi, outlets and – here’s the big one – price scaling. You can “bolt for a buck” if you get tickets online in advance, and the service fee is a pittance. These companies know their customers’ demographics. They know we want cheap options at last minutes notice. I used to walk up to the bus and stand by for a seat, because I appreciate the time flexibility of the hourly busses – a big reason I would never fly to the big apple – and I didn’t have a preference for which company I rode with beyond that criteria.

BUT Bolt Bus has won me over with a terrific model arts organizations should follow: if I buy online in advance I get the cheapest ticket in the first boarding group, and after 4 round trips I get one ride free. Sound familiar? Small organizations often don’t have the inventory or programming to create a subscription worth selling beyond family members and roommates, but what about creating a nonexclusive rewards program for your audience? Bolt Bus sells tickets for less than $25, but the opportunity to get a freebie has locked in my loyalty. They provide comfort, flexibility, a few fancy features and they’re strategic in keeping me brand loyal, all for less than the price of a dinner date. Until someone finds a route that beats the traffic, I’m sticking with Bolting to and from Boston.

Still Swimming!

Hello friends!

Thought I’d take an end-of-day opportunity to say hello, I’m still here, still marketing and musing and seeing an impossible amount of theatre in beautiful Boston.

Thanks for sticking with me while I lag behind in posting. I still very much intend to continue my inquiry into all things Arts Marketing, but finding the time to collect my thoughts and get them posted poses quite the challenge.

Meanwhile, content posters, I’ve got my eye on you! I’m reading your e-blasts, checking out your online content and following your tweets 140 characters at a time.

But: in case I missed you — what are you up to? What arts admin challenges are you tackling? What marketing questions should I seek to solve in upcoming (I promise!) posts?  Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you. I’d love to take the writer of my favorite comment to coffee to brainstorm and muse together.  So, go to!

-Robyn