Open Forum

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

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David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

We do our programs as 8.5"x11" magazines, with the front cover inside and out as full color glossy card stock type paper, and the insides as BW printing press run sheets.  I create the pages in Microsoft Publisher, and then use a local printing company to print them.

Cover pages (full color, 8.5x11) run $300.  Full page BW runs $250, half page BW $125, business card size (where we squeeze it in wherever we have space) goes for $100.  For shout-outs, we charge $5 a message, 20 words max.  We usually break even on the printing costs of the programs with the ad sales and shout outs.  Then, the $3 per program we charge the patrons is straight profit.

Secondary to this, and maybe I should start this as a new thread... you mention a Playbill size program.  Do you use the Playbill company to produce your programs?  I am interested in finding out what everyone uses.  I want to keep doing our programs as a professionally printed "magazine"... not something done on the school copy machine.  Interested in opinions on size, structure, how you sell ads, how you get your programs printed, do you charge patrons, etc.?

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Mike Morris
Technical Director and Business Manager
Harrison OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

I didn't realize how expensive ads could run. My patrons are getting a bargain. These are my rates:

Full Page - $125
Half Page - $65
Business Card - $35
Patron Lines/Shout Outs (140 Characters) - $20

I also use the standard 8.5 X 5.5 format. I don't make a distinction between color and black & white because my program is full color. I use PSPrint.com. Their prices are quite reasonable and quality quite high. I'm always able to turn a profit on the program.

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Hugh Fletcher
Performing Arts Coordinator
IS 229 Dr. Roland Patterson Middle School
Bronx NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

I've been able to work out with a local printer a price that has so far stayed consistent.  We also print front and back on Landscape 8.5/11 inch paper (one sheet = 4 pages in the program).  I charge:

$25 - business card size ad (i.e., 1/4 page)

$50 - half page

$100 - full page

Ads are either for businesses or for personal messages from friends or family.  We tried doing simple lines of text as $1 and $5 "shout outs", but these proved less popular than the larger, more lucrative ads.

This means that each page in the program earns $100 (so, each sheet of paper in the program brings in $400). So far, we've been able to cover the cost of printing our programs and, along with ticket sales, cover our overall budget.

------------------------------
Josh Ruben
Fine Arts Head, Northwest Whitfield
Chattanooga TN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

We charge $35 for a business-card sized ad, then ad $25 for each additional business-card-sized space.  Sometimes we do 8.5x11 and sometimes we do 5.5x8.5.  The smaller programs have room for 4 ads, so they earn between $110 and $140.

 

You may want to check with your school or district as far as printing services.  The largest district in Colorado Springs, District 11, has a full service professional quality print shop.  They charge rates that are near-cost.  Although I do not work in D-11, their print shop will provide services for any educational group in the area.  Might be worth inquiring about.

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Josh Belk
Director of Theatre
Monument CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2015 11:07
From: Josh Ruben
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

I've been able to work out with a local printer a price that has so far stayed consistent.  We also print front and back on Landscape 8.5/11 inch paper (one sheet = 4 pages in the program).  I charge:

$25 - business card size ad (i.e., 1/4 page)

$50 - half page

$100 - full page

Ads are either for businesses or for personal messages from friends or family.  We tried doing simple lines of text as $1 and $5 "shout outs", but these proved less popular than the larger, more lucrative ads.

This means that each page in the program earns $100 (so, each sheet of paper in the program brings in $400). So far, we've been able to cover the cost of printing our programs and, along with ticket sales, cover our overall budget.

------------------------------
Josh Ruben
Fine Arts Head, Northwest Whitfield
Chattanooga TN
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

------------------------------
Susan Speidel
Chairman of the Performing Arts Department
Morristown-Beard School
Springfield NJ
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

We charge $125 for the inside front/back cover $100 for a full-page and $75 for a half page. We rarely have business ads - most are from cast family members...  the "Congratulations and Best Wishes..." type of thing.  I did offer a business card size option one year for $35, but had no takers. 

We charge $125 for the inside front/back cover $100 for a full-page and $75 for a half page. We rarely have business ads - most are from cast family members...  the "Congratulations and Best Wishes..." type of thing.  I did offer a business card size option one year for $35, but had no takers. 

------------------------------
Susan Speidel
Chairman of the Performing Arts Department
Morristown-Beard School
Springfield NJ
------------------------------

 

We charge about the same as everyone else it seems.  I used to print out the larger 11x17, although they looked great, I was losing a ton of money on it.  I switch to a standard playbill size and it cut the cost virtually in half.  Our programs and publicity are all produced by our graphic arts program as a school assignment so they end up very professional looking.  I use uprinting.com to print, very reasonable and professional company.

------------------------------
Ryan Landmann
Palm Desert CA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------

Our full color program is the size of a Playbill and we charge $150 for each center ad. $125 for back inside ad. $100 for other full page ad. $75 for 1/2 page ad. $40 for business size ad. We don't charge less for "shout outs" - they're purchased at the same rate as above - some purchase a full page shout out, some purchase a business card size. The premium ads (center and inside back cover) sell FAST!!

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Connie Sandoz
Theatre Director
Henderson NV
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2015 02:28
From: David Thomas
Subject: How Much Do You Charge For A Program AD?

What'ado Everybody,

 

I am trying to figure out what we should be charging for ads in our program. So I am putting it out there how much do you charge for your ads and the size. BW or Color. And how much & size for shout outs from families & friends. I am looking at a Playbill size program, a 8.5 x 11 folded in half.

Thank you for all you do!

 

David

------------------------------
David Thomas
Troupe Director
Huber Heights City Schools
Huber Heights OH
------------------------------