KARAOKE SCENE MAGAZINE ONLINE! - How far would you go? Public Forums Karaoke Discussions Karaoke Scene's Karaoke Forums Home | Contact Us | Site Map  

Karaoke Forums

Karaoke Scene Karaoke Forums

Karaoke Scene

   
  * Login
  * Register

  * FAQ
  * Search

Custom Search

Social Networks


wordpress-hosting

Offsite Links


It is currently Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:48 pm

All times are UTC - 8 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: How far would you go?
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 12:07 pm 
Offline
Super Extreme
Super Extreme
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:37 am
Posts: 7979
Location: Suburbs
Been Liked: 0 time
DangerousDanKaraoke @ Wed Nov 18, 2009 5:13 pm wrote:
jamkaraoke @ Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:17 am wrote:
... I would have a sit down with the manager/owner and find out what's going on in their mind.


What's going on in their mind? Making more money! They demonstrated that by raising drink prices. Karaoke rarely flourishes in bars that don't have cheap cheap drinks. Perhaps they don't think that karaoke attracts the kind of crowd that they're trying to attract and they're purposely trying to "kill" the show.

Yes, sit down with the manager to show him the new karaoke banner you bought to hang outside on your show nights. Show him the new posters and table tents you designed by which they can promote the show to existing customers. Show him the Craigslist ad you put together to hype the show.

Maybe then you can get an honest answer about WHY they don't want to promote you. Approach it in a "team" way: "Mr. Manager, I know we both want to get as many people through the door as possible. If people don't know that karaoke is happening here, you're not going to reach everyone who would come here especially for that attraction. I'm happy to be your promotional partner in getting back our big crowds, but I'll need your support. Is that something you're interested in?"

Then shut up and let him talk.

Again, he might feel that karaoke is no longer part of the "image" he wants to project or he's trying to make over the bar into something more upscale or attract a different crowd. He might well have the courage to tell you that he's been thinking of eliminating karaoke altogether.

You must have a dialogue with your owner, but don't go to him with questions. Go to him with solutions. Good luck!


This made me think - Hmmm How far would I be willing to go to promote a show that was dying when the owner doesn't seem to have good business sense and it's killing my show? Do I dump a lot of money and time into promoting it or just try to talk to the owner about working with me by changing a few things? Or maybe a bit of both.

For me I'd talk to the owner first. I'm not interested in putting in time and money if the owner isn't backing me on it.

_________________
[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:20 pm 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2002 10:54 am
Posts: 3485
Location: New Jersey , USA
Been Liked: 0 time
I would never promote taking your own money to promote THEIR bar business.

That being said ..If you have the type of management/owner that makes you feel like your a partner in Karaoke Night and the pay is good. I might spend some money to advertise or promote or buy some giveaways etc. ..all depends

As a KJ I promote to the owner and once I'm hired for a service --I do the best I can at that service ( Hosting Karaoke) - I'll contact everyone I know and even sent out emails etc. I'd make a post on CL etc etc.

Advertising the BAR itself and its entertainment is MOSTLY the venues responsibility.
But it DEPENDS on your relationship and the owners willingness to make it succeed


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:10 pm 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:53 am
Posts: 1462
Location: West Bend, WI
Been Liked: 3 times
About as far as I'm willing to go (In terms of stuff I have to pay for) is supplying promotional materials with my business name and logo and the times I play in their bar. Anything beyond that I agree with jam is on the bar to do.

I do all I can to promote through free sources. I've registered all my regular shows with all the Karaoke sites I'm aware of. I promote using MySpace and Facebook events. Obviously my website is also a marketing/promotional tool and I have links to it on all sorts of music related sites throughout the internet.

But I do draw a line as far as what I'm going to spend money on. I'll provide posters, flyers or table tents IF the bar will display them. If they're not going to get hung up, laid out, whatever, there's no sense in me doing it. I will not buy big signs to put out front or pay for newspaper or radio advertising, that's the bar's responsibility. I get paid the same either way, they're the ones that benefit from having more people in the bar.

_________________
DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 4:11 pm 
Offline
Super Plus Poster
Super Plus Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Posts: 1889
Images: 1
Location: portland, oregon
Been Liked: 59 times
If they are not willing to help at all and u can see its dying..........time to MOVE ON. Find another gig ASAP and DUMP EM. They dont want it to succeed. They dont care. Thier bar will close sooner or later.

You are ONE PERSON and CANNOT SAVE THIER FAILING BUSINESS FOR THEM.

You can only do what you can do. You have performed to your best capacity.

Time to find another place and drop this like a hot rock and move on knowing FULL WELL THAT YOU DID YOUR BEST.

GET OUT, ON YOUR OWN TERMS AND YOUR HEAD HIGH!!


THEY DONT CARE AND YOU CANT HELP THEM ANY FURTHER.

If they were willing to help as TEAM then GO ALL OUT. But dont lift a finger if they dont care and are unwilling to make any effort to help themselves.

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 6:51 am 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster

Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:36 pm
Posts: 613
Been Liked: 0 time
This question could be broadened to cover every gig we have, the successful ones and the not so successful.

Personally, I am willing to do a lot because I have the time, the tools and desire to prepare promotional material.

With that said, I have made, for example, tent cards for a gig and returned a few days later to find they were never put out. I've have on several occasions learned that the promo material I had prepared and gave to management was misplaced, never to be seen again.

Making a significant effort like this with little cooperation from the venue, who often wants to know what YOU can do to bring in customers, can become the ultimate effort in futility and frustration.

But look at it like you're playing the lottery, sometimes you come out ahead, though rarely!


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:30 am 
Offline
Super Extreme
Super Extreme
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:37 am
Posts: 7979
Location: Suburbs
Been Liked: 0 time
We can take this discussion any direction you guys would like, but I was referring more to a venue where the owner was unknowingly doing everything he could to kill karaoke.

I think I'd do what I always do as far as posters and tent cards, but I wouldn't spend any money on advertising or waste my time promoting the bar if I didn't get the bar owner working with me.

The discussion above is do you talk to the bar owner first or do you do everything you can then approach the bar owner. I'd talk to the bar owner first using what I can do as a bargaining tool. I'll do this if you do that. :D

_________________
[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:35 am 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster

Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:36 pm
Posts: 613
Been Liked: 0 time
Babs @ Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:30 am wrote:
We can take this discussion any direction you guys would like, but I was referring more to a venue where the owner was unknowingly doing everything he could to kill karaoke.

I think I'd do what I always do as far as posters and tent cards, but I wouldn't spend any money on advertising or waste my time promoting the bar if I didn't get the bar owner working with me.

The discussion above is do you talk to the bar owner first or do you do everything you can then approach the bar owner. I'd talk to the bar owner first using what I can do as a bargaining tool. I'll do this if you do that. :D


Whether the owner is doing what he is doing unknowingly, or unwittingly, or whatever, I still suggest that the types of experiences that I noted in my previous post must be considered whenever you contemplate taking some marketing efforts upon yourself, aside from telling your regulars about all of the place you play at


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:35 pm 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:53 am
Posts: 1462
Location: West Bend, WI
Been Liked: 3 times
tovmod @ Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:51 am wrote:
With that said, I have made, for example, tent cards for a gig and returned a few days later to find they were never put out. I've have on several occasions learned that the promo material I had prepared and gave to management was misplaced, never to be seen again.


This is unfortunately very commonplace. One of the services our production company provides for our bands is preparing promotional materials for their venues. I can't count how many times we've gone into a venue with a band to discover the posters were never hung, signs made by their distributors used old pictures instead of the ones we sent, or even promo that contained ridiculous mis-spellings of the band's name. Just as you can work for a poor manager at your day job, many bars are run by folks who have no business managing an establishment.

_________________
DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 405 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group

Privacy Policy | Anti-Spam Policy | Acceptable Use Policy Copyright © Karaoke Scene Magazine
design & hosting by Cross Web Tech