London is famous worldwide for everything from black cabs and red buses to Harrods and the Houses of Parliament, but one thing that is particularly synonymous with the capital city is the West End, specifically the incredible theatrical offering available all year round.

In fact, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Dewynters clients Mamma Mia! and The Lion King, each of which continue to attract sold-out audiences week after week, year after year, decade after decade. With these and other long-runners in our stable such as Wicked, The Book of Mormon and Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (now in its 72nd year!), someone asked me recently, how on earth do you market such similar offerings with tangibly powerful results for such a long time?

Take nothing for granted

Firstly, I admit it’s no mean feat. In fact, it’s unusual for a show to last beyond three years. Once a show hits the five to seven year mark, it moves into long-runner territory. That’s when the marketing strategy must really switch gears to account for the production having spent such a prolonged period of time on the public’s radar.

Occasionally you may get a ‘gift’ in the form of a film or TV series related to a show you look after. The worldwide release and success of the Mamma Mia films, for example, as well as ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream - will see a surge in (and ongoing success of) Mamma Mia!’s ticket sales.

Likewise, if a show chooses to go down the route of star casting, each new star will offer a major new marketing opportunity. For any producer, bringing in A-List talent on a permanent rolling basis is a hefty financial commitment, and while it isn’t something we see all that often it can be a way to keep a show’s brand fresh and relevant.

As each of these scenarios is relatively rare, we must apply a long-term strategic approach to our planning for most clients - all the time working closely with the many other stakeholders involved, from producers to PRs and everything in between.

The devil is in the detail

While it may appear as though the branding for long-running shows never changes, the opposite is true – though if it has gone undetected it means we are doing a good job! As a general rule, we start by establishing the core essence of a show’s brand in terms of its voice, values and guardrails early on. These are the key attributes which make it unique. As long as every bit of content we create adheres to these, it will be on brand.

The Mamma Mia! brand, for example, carries an element of fun and playfulness so you might see sunglasses and beach umbrellas added to the visuals in order to stay relevant over summer. We maintain continuity while ensuring the imagery remains fresh and arresting, with a subtlety that doesn’t unsettle.

When we took over Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap in 2019, the brand had been largely untouched for decades. We took the period of time when the show was closed during the pandemic to execute a major brand refresh to bring it into the 21st century. The logo, colours, values and pillars all changed, and it had a huge impact on sales. But if you consistently tweak a show’s brand over time, this type of wholesale rebrand shouldn’t be necessary.

We also rely on the evolving team at the agency itself. As our company grows, we welcome in younger people and creative partners with exciting new ideas that lead to continued innovation. Most people drawn to live entertainment marketing are passionate about the industry, so our team brings a wealth of passion and personal consumer experience to the table.

Every marketer is embracing the agility that digital marketing provides, and in our world it has never been more impactful. Since major events such as the Euros this summer were a distraction to many domestic audiences, we upweighted our digital spend towards non-participating countries, hoping to catch the tourists planning to be in London over that period. Similarly, we know family shows see a boost over the school holidays, while ticketing to non-family shows will remain consistent for much of the year.

Looking ahead

As we mark 25 years of two amazing shows, what does the future look like? The key is to cast aside any expectation that long-running shows will just build on the back of their own reputation and success. As soon as you drop out of the market with any show, people forget about it. It’s about staying in view, staying relevant and ensuring the production remains front of mind for potential – and repeat – audiences.

Ultimately we’re lucky that these shows are treasure troves of themes, ideas, characters and often music. Figuring out when to unleash these elements – and to whom -- is crucial. As early as during the pitch process, we talk about what we’ll do in years two and three, which will help get the show to years four and five. The whole operation becomes a team effort designed to push the needle towards longevity - be it five years or 25.