Ad sales both pay for the program and provide a little extra profit to cover other costs.
I base the format on the traditional playbill one would see at a Broadway show, but I do NOT use any copyrighted logos or designs unique to the Playbill company. We include cast and crew bios, the "legalese" and other credits required by the licensing agencies, a rundown of the scenes/songs, and (if I have the time to write them) director's notes.
We try to make it look as professional as possible and have received many compliments. I lay the whole thing out on Apple Pages (with some done on Word or Publisher).
We do the standard 8.5x11 inch paper in landscape format so I can get four "pages" on each sheet of paper. We do a full-color, glossy outer cover (front and back cover with two inside pages in full color). All of the internal pages are black and white on standard copy paper in order to keep costs down. We usually print up 1500 programs with approx. 20 internal pages for a total cost of around $1700. We have a local printer that does them for us. I email the pdf of the entire program and they do a great job (usually takes a week to print).
We sell ads in three sizes: "business card" (2x3.5) which is $25, 1/2 page (4x5) is $50, and full page, (8x5) is $100. We could charge more, but since I have to handle all of the accounting, this breakdown just makes all of the math that much easier. Essentially, if we sell 20 pages worth of ads, we've covered our printing costs.
The ads are a combination of commercial/business ads mixed in with "personal" ads from friends and family. These are usually personal photos along with personal messages. Since our yearbook publisher no longer allows for personal messages or Senior Quotes, many of my students and their families look at the musical program as their only chance for such messages.
I've attached the ad sales form that I use. I hope it helps!
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Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2019 10:50
From: Tiffany Garner
Subject: Selling Ad Space In Programs
Do you do it? And if you do, how much do you charge for quarter page vs. half page vs. full page?
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Tiffany Garner
Theatre Director
American Leadership Academy Gilbert Noth
Gilbert AZ
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