What Does On-the-Ground Marketing Look Like? The Mobius Street Team’s Perspective

We are nothing without the people who work for us. The Mobius Street Team come from all walks of life, and work far and wide across London to spread the word of our clients’ events via. Not sure what on-the-ground print distribution looks like? Here are some testimonies from the people themselves, to shed some light into what goes on after a job has been booked.

We are a proud London Living Wage employer, and know the value of looking after our team, ensuring they can deliver a first-class theatre flyer and poster for marketing campaigns across the board.

Check out other blog posts by Distributon Manager George Rennie here and here.

Sarah Green

I started working for Mobius in September 2023 and it fast became my favourite marketing agency I’ve ever worked for! I work in the arts, theatre and music so promoting these wonderful shows at exquisite venues is the perfect job for me! In my spare time I love going to the theatre to see musicals and plays or concert halls to see classical recitals and I’ve discovered many a good show working here. Standing at entrance or exit at theatre and handing flyers to patrons is a breeze, it doesn’t even feel like working as I’m enjoying it so much. People are always happy to take a flyer and I love engaging with the public. 
 

I also enjoy the flyer drops. I get to discover new parts of London and it is very rewarding to know someone is going to discover a show somewhere I left a flyer! Flyer drops are a good way to reach wider audiences. I like putting up posters too. I enjoy getting them displayed in eye catching places and as I walk away it’s great to see people interested and snapping a picture of the poster so they can refer back to it to book tickets!

My favourite theatre flyer is the London Community Gospel Choir because I really enjoy this music and it’s at the wonderful Royal Albert Hall, one of my very favourite music venues!

Crystal Papadopoulou

In general, we can tell when people love theatre and performance as they are willing to get and read the flyers with a smile. Common questions asked from individuals are for the dates of the shows we are advertising, if I am taking part in the show (😊) and if discounts are offered with the flyers. It's important to target the right people, as many tourists are not interested in future events as they won't be here. I believe that the hand to hand flyer and poster shifts are beneficial as it's a way to get through to people when they aren't expecting it!

If I had to choose a specific location/theatre flyer distribution shift, I would pick the one at the Outernet London (flyer: Westerman) as it's always busy there (with both locals and tourists) and people are usually welcome to receive a flyer while watching/sitting by the screens.

Another great experience, it was the one at the National Theatre with Sarah (the producer of Protest Song). It was a great feeling, and I would describe it as inspiring to connect with individuals actively involved in the projects being promoted.

Brooke Conroy

One thing I've noticed about handing out flyers is that both body language and where you're placed make a huge difference. For instance, if you place yourself in front of the person you want to give a flyer to – but not too directly so that's it's intimidating, or move too quickly towards them that they might jump – you should just look them in the face, then casually hand them one of the flyers from your pile. I always take a new flyer from the pile for each individual person. If a flyer is rejected, I put that flyer at the bottom and take a new one from the top. When people feel chosen they're much more likely to take one. Not many people will take one if you just stand there holding your hand out with the leaflet.

George Rennie (Distribution Manager)

If theatre is a series of conversations, print is a great way to kick things off.

I’ve done all of the different distribution shifts we offer at Mobius, having also flyered and been involved in arts poster distribution around for my own shows. (This is apparently what landed me this job!) We often target shows with a crossover audience to those on the flyer, and I once took a shift flyering a show I was watching. Having just seen the same thing as the audience was a great way to get on the same page as people and build rapport before asking if they might be interested in another show.

This is one of the biggest values of print distribution, flyering in particular: it gives marketing a human face, and encourages conversation between people. Likewise, going round to local businesses is not just an opportunity to get the print in their window or flyer rack, but a chance to talk to whoever is behind the counter and get them excited about what it is that you’re promoting. If convinced, they might end up becoming an advocate of the show, and spreading the word on your behalf. Using print interactions with social media is another clever way to ‘activate’ your marketing materials, sharing pictures of your cast in front of a poster or a snap of you out flyering in a funny location. A recent favourite was Ginger Johnson filming himself walking past his own poster and pausing to place a tiara on top of his (printed) head.

Putting yourself out there in person can feel daunting, but people are often intrigued by the disruptive element of talking to them about theatre or bringing a new show to their attention. Once when doing door drops in Islington, I even had someone stop me in the street to take a flyer! And it’s probably best not to mention the time my friend bumped into his ex while we were flyering our show at the Brighton Fringe...

In short, print can be personable, creative and highly engaging. If you invest time and energy in other people, you can figure out what might appeal to them much more responsively, and get direct feedback on what’s catching people’s attention about your show.

Do you have a campaign you'd like us to work on, or have any questions for George? Contact us here.

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