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Spotlight Magazine
With The Marlowe Theatre closed for many months, this publication was a vital tool to re-energise their Friends and build a new loyalty.
When it closed in 2009 (prior to demolition and complete rebuild), The Marlowe Theatre had a Friends scheme of more than 10,000 – the largest in the country. Inevitably, with no building (and no discounts) that total had fallen dramatically but there was a loyal following to be coaxed back and a new generation to be reached.
A magazine like this represents a huge investment of time and money for the theatre staff, it has a serious job to do in building loyalty and a sense of community amongst its existing audience and the many readers who aren't already members. Ultimately, that investment has to be repaid through increased ticket sales and ongoing membership subscriptions.
Our starting point was to think about the potential new audience. Of course we wanted to convey the values of the new theatre to the existing Friends but it was crucial to us that the magazine had a broader appeal. Our approach was to create a publication that would stand alone to be picked up, flicked through and read by anyone who sees it on a friend’s coffee table.
Marlowe Spotlight Cover
Ocky MurrayWe chose a ‘handbag’ size format, aligning it with other publications and making it cost effective to print and distribute.
Marlowe Spotlight Spread 2
The magazine's content is a mixture of industry insights, interviews with staff and stars, and backstage features about the shows.
Lengthy articles are mixed with shorter pieces to create a sense of pace. In-depth articles are supplemented with quotes, key facts and pull-quotes, allowing readers to dip in and out.
