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Flymo Regular user 151 Posts |
I'm currently operating as a small business in children's entertainment who offers several different characters. I'm very close to changing the whole structure to promote just a single character. This would include ditching the company name, changing the website address (obviously redirecting browsers from the old site to the new) as well as some changes to promo material ect. Although it will be slightly costly and time consuming I feel that this will simplify my service for both myself and potential clients. It may also help me to develop a stronger routine while performing as just a single character and promote his reputation better.
So, perhaps I have already convinced myself of this, but before taking the plunge, how do you market yourself? Do you advertise as your characters name? Your name? A company name? Speak. |
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
I think it depends on who you’re marketing to.
Mom and dad’s who are looking for someone to entertain at their child’s birthday party prefer to deal with a person, not some mega company with 10 page contract to sign. For corporate parties a company name would be more appropriate. For birthday parties I simply use Ken the Magician, for schools and corporate work I use my company name, Dovetail Presentations. I never did buy into this concept that you should make yourself look like some big conglomerate entertainment business. People want what’s real. I’m a one man business and a one man show, but I’m good one and one you can trust.
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
sleightly Elite user New Hampshire 500 Posts |
I've been operating under my business name for 20 years... The business name serves well for marketing different services, but clients know that they are dealing primarily with the owner and main performer. People have come to respect the services I provide and often come looking for additional entertainment which I book through the business (sole proprietor).
My recommendation is to promote you and book through the business. Multiple websites work for different services and you have spent time and money developing a name for the business. Why lose that by abandoning it? Target your marketing and keep the business for if/when you grow to represent multiple artists... Andrew |
Frank Douglas Special user 555 Posts |
Ken
Set up a "Doing Business As" with your bank for the corperate gigs and have the payments made to that name. For the BDP gigs just have them make payment to you. Best of both worlds. Cheers Frank |
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
There are certainly ways to promote multiple characters, but this is a question I've spent a LOT of time with. I see that you have a strong, unique character, and I think that when you have something that works so well, it makes sense to focus on that. I've done the same thing with my character, "The Astonishing Mr. Pitts". I have a creative bent that leads me to develop other characters, and I have enjoyed performing them. So in giving up multiple characters to focus on one, I have to accept that I might lose a few potential jobs. But at the risk of maybe even losing a few gigs in the short term, the long term strategy of focusing on name recognition and a fully realized character seems best for my own art and business. A lot of this choice comes from the personal and artistic side. The question is, as an artist, what would I like to see, what would I like to have created at the end of all this? There are business models that work for each approach, so the real question is what do you WANT? What excites you about performing? If it's the exploration and development of this unique character, then that is probably going to be what satisfies you. If you are artistically satisfied the clarity that comes from that will help to build the business. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do. I think yours is a very interesting, appealing and intrinsically funny character that makes me wish I weren't across the globe from you so I could see you perform. Do you have any video?
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Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
I understand the need to concentrate on one character. That's what I did when I created Potty the Pirate - I put all my efforts into producing specialist pirate shows. In terms of websites, keep all the sites you have, and build more! Multiple websites are really the way to go, if you do it yourself it's easy, cheap and quick.
:) |
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Ohh.. more to the question though..
I advertise my character's name. I'm about to go full time as an artist and performer, so my marketing is a work in progress, but my web site is: http://www.mrpitts.com I am going to be changing a few things in the near future, but the focus will still be on the character Mr. Pitts (and his puppet friend Henry). The name of the company is "The Astonishing World of Mr. Pitts", which I think is open ended enough to develop different shows and services under that main banner. I do a couple of different shows for which the costuming varies, but the character remains the same. Many years ago I used a 'clown name', but realized, happily, that my real name is funny enough, so that simplifies the business of checks and accounts. My bank has accepted checks made out to "The Astonishing Mr. Pitts", but I typically ask customers to just make them out to Mr. Pitts. I currently operate as a sole proprietorship, so that makes bookkeeping fairly simple and straightforward. |
Flymo Regular user 151 Posts |
Interesting replies so far; I was expecting most people to say that individual names are best but it appears most favour trading under company names. I'll have to give it more thought.
I can't help thinking that having two names to promote is just twice as much for a potential client to remember; but I could be thinking in too simplistic terms. Mr. Pitts, thanks for your kind words, especially coming from someone who looks to be so well versed in the industry. It's hearing from people like you that increasingly make me think I will make the trek to Kidabra next year from Australia as the workers of this industry always seem so kind and generous with ideas. I currently don't have any videos; hopefully soon. Actually, while writing this post, I just reread your original one more carefully; more thoughts have been much the same as yours. I love the feeling of automatically dropping into character when I begin performing and feel this is weakened changing characters throughout the day. |
Eldon Inner circle Virden, IL 1137 Posts |
From a customers point of view, the simpler the better. Give them too many choices and they won't choose any.
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Michael Taggert Special user Fredericksburg Virginia 656 Posts |
Here is my take on this matter. First off you have to promote your character to get shows. The company is secondary to all of this. The company can be in any name but on the surface you need to be the character. Now with that said a sperate company can produce and market the character and the rights to the character and licsense the products etc.
so look at it this way, when someone searches for a magician they will get a list of magicians. if they search for theaterical producers they will get thaterical producers. they are not the same type of need. Mom doesn't care if you are xyz productions and will not even remeber the company name. they will remeber the characters name and search for that. The production company is the fine print at the bottom of the website. |
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