`Phantom` in Seoul signals a shif in marketing strategy of musicals

Andrew Lloyd Webber`s "The Phantom of the Opera," the blockbuster that touched off a sizzling musicals boom here, will wow Korean audiences again at Seoul Arts Center`s Opera House from June 10 to Sept. 1.

As expected, the renowned show is creating another boom: tickets for June have almost been sold out and the remaining tickets are showing reservation rates of more than 60 percent.

What`s unexpected, though, is the way producers and organizers promote this 9.8-billion-won project. Unlike other big-budget musicals that rely heavily on TV ads to promote their shows, "Phantom" does not have any media partner.

"We are not relying on TV ads to promote ticket sales, and instead are focusing on target marketing to get more viewers who can afford to watch premium musicals performances," said Seol Do-yun, producer and CEO of Seol & Company, in an interview with The Korea Herald.

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About 10 percent of total preproduction costs are usually earmarked for marketing through conventional media like television and print ads, but Seol said his company has halved this to 5 percent and used the funds to stage new marketing tactics dubbed "corporate culture marketing."

"Surveys show that `Phantom` viewers are likely to be those who favor premium products, so we have formed joint marketing partnerships with upscale department stores, mobile phone service providers and banks to lure their top customers," Seol said.

Banks, for instance, purchase tickets on their own budget and offer them to their top customers for free in a way to retain their core groups. Production houses can secure not only ticket sales but also the most influential viewers who are expected to promote the show to their friends and family members by word of mouth.

The corporate cultural marketing comes at a time when traditional media in Korea and elsewhere are losing their luster as the dominant marketing tools in the face of the emergence of new communications channels, notably the ubiquitous Internet.

Even landline broadcasting stations are now hard-pressed to justify their pricey fees for using airwaves since a growing number of youth - the primary group who frequent musicals stages - do not depend as much on TV ads as they used to.

Specialized cable channels, video-console games, Internet and multimedia-oriented mobile phones are snatching up time and attention from 20-somethings, sending alarms to not only marketers but also broadcasting stations whose ads are mostly for general viewers.

"Many musicals production houses are still eager to forge partnerships with a major broadcasting station, but `Phantom` will mark a new trend where TV ads are not that effective in attracting core customers," Seol said.

Target marketing, in fact, is understandable in that VIP seat tickets for "Phantom" for the weekend are priced at 150,000 won. If a four-member family watches the show, the total cost will is 600,000 won, a burdensome amount for average-income Koreans.

"The VIP and R seats account for half of the seats of Seoul Arts Center, and most important are the sales of such tickets," Seol said.

Seol`s confident move for a new marketing strategy hinges largely on three positive factors. First, "Phantom" has a solid fan base in Korea, not least because of its spectacular music, intricate plot and refined stage design. Little wonder the show sold a whopping 300,000 tickets and earned $17 million in revenue at the LG Arts Center, using the Korean cast.

Second, Seoul Arts Center is located near the posh Gangnam residential area, where promoters find it easier to market upscale events and products. Third, the show does not have strong rivals in coming months except for Seensee Musical Company`s "Aida."

Seol said the trickiest technical problems like attaching a massive chandelier of 300,000 glass beads to the roof have been resolved, and other preparations are going smoothly. More than 200 workers will construct the stage from England, Australia and China.

"Phantom," first performed in London in 1986, has been shown in the West End for 19 years and on Broadway for 17 years, and has played before upward of 100 million people from 110 cities in 20 different countries.

The Korean performance is part of the musical`s worldwide tour, which began in April in Cape Town, South Africa, and then toured in Shanghai from December of 2004 to March 2005. Lead actors include Brad Little (playing the Phantom), Marni Raab, Anna Marina (Kristin) and Jarrod Carland (Raul).

Tickets for "Phantom" are priced at 40,000-140,000 won for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 50,000-150,000 won for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For further information, call (02) 580-1300 or 501-7888.

(insight@heraldm.com)



By Yang Sung-jin