Any social marketer who focuses on children, their parents, and families should take particular note of the following story in the NY Times: In a Daring Leap, Ringling Loses Its Three Rings.
The circus's family audiences say their lives are already three-ring circuses, so they want something less distracting. And "they also wanted to connect with a story in an emotional way," Mr. Feld said.
Mr. Feld said the new show was designed to appeal to Ringling's core ticket-buying audience - mothers with children from 2 to 11. "Families have told us that they found the three rings an unwelcome frenzy, because they said their lives are already so frenzied," he said. "They want to be part of a spectacle that is a bonding experience for their families. Getting rid of the rings gets rid of barriers, so that, in a visceral way, the audience is invited to be part of it all."
Building the circus around a story line is also meant to invite the audience in. The conceit is that a family of four is plucked out of the crowds to achieve its circus dreams. (The family members are, of course, shills, who soon surprise the audience by doing extraordinary things, since they are actually skilled performers.)
Reducing the frenzy, building bonding experiences and inviting emotional participation. Think about infusing these elements into your programs rather than prescribing (or proscribing) behaviors and appealing to the rational 'power.' What you can learn from a circus when you look for it.
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social marketing, audience research
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