New Festival Direct Marketing: From Zero to Packed Events

How to use direct response marketing to pack out any event.

I took a brand-new storytelling festival from the seed of an idea to a full theatrical production and packed events in under seven weeks.

Here's how.

Objective: Launch, produce and market the brand-new Altrincham Storytelling Festival, centred around a flagship theatre production, alongside a programme of storytelling workshops and creative events over two days.

Results: A full house for the theatre production, over 100 registrations across the festival, and additional spaces opened for individual events due to demand.

READ 5 OTHER POWERFUL DIRECT RESPONSE CASE STUDIES HERE

This all took place with no established audience. No previous festival. A total ad spend of just £507. Just seven weeks to launch and only 4 weeks to promote. This became a case study in direct response marketing and conversion.



When I decided to organise the festival through Alan Forrest Smith literary Foundation, I knew I could not take my eyes off direct response marketing. After all, who wants to perform in front of empty seats? I also knew the challenges of having no previous audience and working with a shoestring budget.

But I also understood what most businesses miss so easily, I did not need to reach everyone. I just needed around 100 committed people to make it a success.

Here's what I did.

First, I needed to produce the festival that meant…

Organising everything from the creative vision to the parking tickets… 

On the production side

While building the festival, I was simultaneously:

  • Producing the flagship theatre performance by Alan.

  • Casting and managing a professional cast.

  • Finalising the artistic vision.

  • Organising rehearsals.

  • Building artistic collaborations.

  • Bringing together workshop educators.

  • Working with volunteers and community organisations.

  • Securing the venue.

  • Managing the countless practical details, from technical requirements to parking and coffee.

At the same time, I was back to my first love in business - direct response marketing

There was no luxury of waiting until the festival was finished.

Every day I was also:

  • Defining and refining the target audience.

  • Writing and testing sales pages.

  • Optimising the website for conversions.

  • Creating individual event sales pages.

  • Writing and testing online advertising.

  • Designing banners and promotional graphics.

  • Writing press releases.

  • Building promotional partnerships.

  • Newsletter marketing.

  • Marketing to my database.

  • Sharing stories across social media.

  • Saturating the local area with direct response flyers.

  • Monitoring ticket sales, or rather path to conversion daily.

  • Testing, refining and testing again DAILY.

It was the most intense seven weeks, taking the festival from production to a full house, but the results ptooved to be worth every minute.

In the age of AI, I was probably one of the few still reaching for the classic direct response books, with Alan's books on copywriting and positioning never far from my desk.

The principles of direct response and copywriting haven't changed. Understand your audience. Make a clear promise. Give people a reason to respond.

If you're looking to market your business, book or creative project with a direct response approach that generates results, there are several ways I can help through Orange Beetle.

Visit the Orange Beetle online shop for premium copywriting, positioning and direct response marketing products. I've highlighted a selection below.

If you're looking to position yourself as an expert, I can ghostwrite your business book.

If your manuscript is ready, I can publish your business book or memoir through Master And Man Books.

If you'd like to strengthen your marketing strategy, refine your positioning or increase enquiries, book a consultation and let's talk.

Tamara Forrest-Smith

Orange Beetle

I also work from these places:

Tamara Forrest-Smith