by Rachel Dukeman | Apr 9, 2015 | Marketing, Social Media, Thought Leaders
One of my guilty pleasures is binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, and I recently caught up on the first three seasons of The Mindy Project. For those of you who know me, that’s strange – I’m much more what Netflix might label the “Dark, Gritty Crime Dramas with a Strong Female Lead” type. Since watching The Mindy Project, and suddenly finding myself interested in how this oddly affirming show came to be, the marketer in me decided to a little research.
Mindy Kaling, like her character Mindy Lahiri, is witty and sarcastic and terribly intelligent. She’s beautiful and confident and abashedly unashamed of her enjoyment of pop culture and junk food. Rather than take a self-deprecating approach to her comedy, as women who don’t look like Ana Faris are often asked to do, Mindy is ALWAYS outrageously confident. She loves to say things like, “I have the right to life, liberty and chicken wings,” and “It is so weird being my own role model.”
It is with this mix of abundant confidence and a ridiculous commitment to being hilarious that Kaling has also become a marketing powerhouse in the entertainment industry. From a fashion blog that lists details about each gorgeous ensemble she wears on her show to her Facebook feed filled with merciless teasing of her colleagues and articles about how she is revolutionizing television, Kaling has leveraged the cult interest in her show effectively and with style. One of the busiest women in television (she created, writes, stars in and produces The Mindy Project) Kaling has built a creative social media empire that is equal parts serious and frivolous without losing sight of her brand or what her audience wants.
In spite of her current success Mindy Kaling’s journey has never, ever been easy. This isn’t the first time Kaling has had to create and produce a show so that she would have space to write the characters she wanted to play. She was even offered a sketch show at one point, but the now-defunct network decided she was not funny or pretty enough to play herself. Seriously.
Kaling’s unrelenting belief in her work could teach us a lot about how to survive in a highly competitive arts industry: be resilient, create the brand you wish existed, give customers what they want and don’t compromise your vision just rework your plan. In Kaling’s own words:
“…write your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.”
by Rachel Dukeman | Dec 1, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, Policy
I, Rachel Dukeman, founded R&R Creative in 2007 during an economic downturn in an effort to broaden arts and cultural audiences through effective market research, audience engagement, and marketing services on a contract-by-contract basis. The pressure to maintain programmatic quality during the Recession forced nonprofits to hone their entrepreneurial skills and ability to manage projects according to priority, viability and strategic direction in a high velocity climate. More succinctly, they were forced to do more with less, being held accountable for the “success” of each program. In response, R&R Creative further developed tools to make planning easy to implement and metrics to track progress towards set goals.
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s 2014 Portfolio noted a distinct set of organizations that not only recovered from the recession faster than the sector as a whole… they grew. These “Growth” organizations: spend more on marketing and fundraising, rely more on paid attendance and hire independent contractors. Proving to R&R Creative that our approach to helping the cultural nonprofit sector was a step in the right direction.
It is the current goal of R&R Creative to impact on the arts and culture sector in the best way possible: by improving policy and management strategy.
- Dukeman, Rachel. “Three Recession Results That Can Benefit NonProfits.” Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal. May 2012. Link.
- Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. “2014 Portfolio.” 2014. Link.
by Rachel Dukeman | Nov 25, 2014 | Marketing, Social Media
Video direction and editing by Rachel Dukeman
Hear from Director Lance Moore while catching some behind-the-scenes rehearsal clips and a sneak peak at costumes of Renaissance Music Theatre Co’s production of “Kiss Me, Kate.” Running Nov 22 – Dec 13, 2014.
When squabbling divorcee’s are cast as squabbling Renaissance romantics, the situation becomes a case of art imitating life imitating art. This exuberant show-within-a-show throws together gun-toting strangers, sparring actors and romantic entanglements against a backdrop of a 1940’s touring musical production of “The Taming of the Shrew.”
The original Broadway production of “Kiss Me, Kate” opened on December 30,1948 and ran for 1077 performances, winning the (first ever) Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score in 1954. Fifty years later, the 1999 Broadway revival of “Kiss Me, Kate” went on to triumph as one of the biggest prize-winners of the 2000 season.
Renaissance Music Theatre brings this lively revival to an intimate venue with sparkle intact: Cole Porter and William Shakespeare in the Spewacks’ “Kiss Me Kate” at prices everyone can afford.
by Rachel Dukeman | Aug 5, 2014 | Marketing
It might seem counterintuitive to hire someone to do marketing for your arts company. Nobody knows your company better than you do, after all. And if you are an artist, you’re probably used to doing it all: from creating the show to networking to making posters to sweeping the floors. You wear many hats when you are producing your own art. So why consult with an outside firm? You can just do it yourself, saving time and money.
What happens in so many of these situations is this: You are trying to be Artistic Director, Producer, and Artist all at once. Marketing slips through the cracks. Sure, you pay for postcards, but who picks them up? You have a website, but is anyone looking? When showtime comes, are you selling enough tickets? Are you getting your message across to donors?
You work hard on your art, and you deserve to have people see it. This is where R&R Creative comes in. Here are four ways hiring a marketing consultant can save you time and money.
Attention: We are a small firm, and we like it that way. It lets us keep our prices affordable and give each client individualized attention.
Specialization: This is what we do. You won’t waste time learning how to do everything yourself, from photos to social media to advertising.
Freedom: Let us do what we do best: Market Creativity. This frees you up to do what you do best: your art.
Trust: A marketing consultant is a trusted go-to person. You won’t make costly mistakes with a consultant on your side. We are informed and want to see you succeed.
