Broadway Producer Ken Davenport is singing my song. I know you know this tune, but based on my experience, it bears reiterating.
He talks about how he often gets pitched ideas for new Broadway shows.
One of my stock questions to anyone pitching me anything is, “Who do you think the audience is for your piece?”
This question not only helps me determine whether the Pitcher and I are on the same page, but it also gives me some insight into the business acumen of the person who wants me to get involved in their project.
The red flag answer to this filtering question of mine?
“This show is for everyone!”
While I appreciate the bullish answer, the fact is . . . no show is for everyone. And the more you try to make it for everyone, the more you water it down and make sure that it’s for no one.
[…]
…Your first marketing exercise when you embark on producing a show or building a career is as follows.
- Identify exactly who your audience is.
- Find that audience and exploit them and only them.
If your audience spreads to “everyone” from there then great, but it’s much easier to market to a niche than it is to the world.
I am sure pretty much everyone has run into a similar pitch or had staff/board members make a statement about a show being for everyone. What is often frustrating is that many people who say this own or work for businesses which are pretty clear on who their customer base is and isn’t.
Even funeral homes which about 98% of us will likely end up patronizing on behalf of deceased loved ones likely each have a demographics to which they appeal more than others.
Davenport’s advice to have a focus that moves from the specific to the general is a pretty good guideline when it comes to marketing decisions.
I suspect people feel that they are conceding a flaw in the product if they admit it isn’t for everyone. Saying a certain group will REALLY like it and everyone else will probably like it to might provide the psychological out needed to identify those it is realistically for.